How do you remember?

[LitNetIsGreat]

I’ve been recently looking into various memory techniques and reading a little about how the brain works. I have looked at things like map maps, memory links, the journey system, roman room and various things of that nature which are covered by pretty much any book on memory of that type. Of more importance perhaps to recalling literature or criticism is simply using mind maps, correctly.

I have started to apply some of these methods to help remember basic aspects of the things I’m reading as well as other things like general knowledge facts (a small part of me wants to make money from playing quiz machines I think) and things seem to be working. Of course the real test will come with time and I will see if the methods used have indeed worked stay into the long-term memory and not just in the short-term.

So anyway, how do you remember the things that you are reading? Do you keep a journal of some sort, do you recap what you have read or does it depend upon the purpose of your reading? For I intend to work on storing everything I am reading, regardless if it is for my studies or not, into the memory systems I have been reading about, even if it is simply a short story purely for pleasure, for this is the task I have set myself this year as an experiment to see how I get on.

So in short how do you remember the things you are reading?

[Allannah]

Someone told me about a technique where you're supposed to read whatever you're trying to memorize every time you listen to a certain song or CD. If you do it for long enough, every time you hear the song you're meant to automatically remember parts of what you were reading, and v/v.

I never conciously learn stuff like vocab because I automatically memorize them as I hear them, which comes in quite handy lol. However when it comes to physics formulas...eh. Not so easy ^^

[andave_ya]

:). I keep a book journal, where I write down quotes that really struck me. It does help me remember, too :).

[JBI]

I absorb everything but names - I can never get names, only what they look like, and therefore need to look them up when I start writing about the work.

[Dori]

Someone told me about a technique where you're supposed to read whatever you're trying to memorize every time you listen to a certain song or CD. If you do it for long enough, every time you hear the song you're meant to automatically remember parts of what you were reading, and v/v.

I never conciously learn stuff like vocab because I automatically memorize them as I hear them, which comes in quite handy lol. However when it comes to physics formulas...eh. Not so easy ^^

Physics formulas are EASY to memorize! :D But vocab's easy too.

You can use mnemonic devices to memorize things. For trig students, memorizing that sin = opposite / hypotenuse, cos = adjacent / hyp, and tan = opp / adj is just as easy as memorizing the sentence, "Some old horses cantor away happily to other acres." Or another way to remember these is sohcahtoa.

[mayneverhave]

I absorb everything but names - I can never get names, only what they look like, and therefore need to look them up when I start writing about the work.

See, for me, names are relatively easy compared with dates. Aside from a few specific ones (like say 1776 or 1564) I can usually only remember general time periods or centuries. Admittedly though, these things become easier with further exposure.

What is most interesting to me about names is when I encounter a given name frequently in print, form an internal pronunciation of the name, only to find out later that I had been horribly mispronouncing it. The best example I can think of is Goethe. Personally, "Goethe" looks a lot better than it sounds.

[Dr. Hill]

Gyeeeerrttuuhh. I know how you feel. According to my condescending uncle, I say Dostoevsky too quickly for others to understand.

[Dori]

See, for me, names are relatively easy compared with dates. Aside from a few specific ones (like say 1776 or 1564) I can usually only remember general time periods or centuries. Admittedly though, these things become easier with further exposure.

What is most interesting to me about names is when I encounter a given name frequently in print, form an internal pronunciation of the name, only to find out later that I had been horribly mispronouncing it. The best example I can think of is Goethe. Personally, "Goethe" looks a lot better than it sounds.

Everything's more easily realearned than learned.

I had a horrible time with Nietzsche. I think I finally got it down though. :D Dostoevsky is like second nature to me, since I've heard his named pronounced so many times. My friend had trouble pronouncing that name, and now he finally has it, but, like I suspect you might, Dr. Hill, he pronounces way too fast. Goethe I learned to pronounce from a German foreign exchange student whom I was on excellent terms with. Though, I confess, I had to write the name down on paper before he knew what I was saying. :lol:

[Dori]

I realize my posts will help little with reading, haha. :D Sometimes it's just best to reread things. Most likely you'll pick up on stuff you missed before. Don't hassle yourself with memorizing everything. Though, if you feel so obliged, upon finishing the book, read everything you can about it like reviews, criticism, etc. Also try to find discussions you can participate in, and if none exist, start some. :)

[Tallon]

My trouble with names is that if they are long i tend to gloss over them and invent a similar sounding name in my head, if i were to then talk about the book with someone i wouldn't be able to say the character's name aloud.

[Dori]

The best way to practice remember names is reading Russian literature, I swear. Everyone has a nickname, can be referred to by their last name, and also can be referred to by their first name plus their patronymic . I've become quite adept at remembering names.

[JacobF]

I don't use any formal techniques for remembering names/dates/facts in books. But as the above poster said, Russian literature will improve your memory skills indefinitely due to its confusing nature of addressing characters. If you have the patience, that is (I put down War and Peace because I couldn't follow along with the characters -- I'm going to go back to it eventually).

[Dori]

I don't use any formal techniques for remembering names/dates/facts in books. But as the above poster said, Russian literature will improve your memory skills indefinitely due to its confusing nature of addressing characters. If you have the patience, that is (I put down War and Peace because I couldn't follow along with the characters -- I'm going to go back to it eventually).

I wouldn't started with something as large as War & Peace...try something like Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons (it's only about 200 pages). I highly recommend that book, by the way. ;)

[Allannah]

Teachers always get annoyed with me, especially in one on one tutoring in reading comprehension, because I read the questions and give the answer from the text more quickly than they can process the exercise ^^ I hate reading aloud because I have to make a huge effort to slow down so people can catch most of the words and even then they're like "er...what?"

[mayneverhave]

Funny story regarding memorizing things:

Back in the seventh grade (or maybe it was 6th), our science teacher had us memorize the (formerly) 9 planets for a test. She taught us to memorize them using a helpful sentence formed using the first letters of each planet, something along the lines of: My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas, or something to that effect.

I had already had the planets memorized (I was that kind of kid), so I elected not to bother memorizing the stupid sentence. Makes sense. It wasn't important to memorize the sentence, but what the sentence was supposed to help us remember, that is, the planets. No point in memorizing two things as opposed to one, right?

When the test was given out, for some insane reason, one of the questions was "What was the sentence used to memorize the planets?" I, of course, couldn't answer this, because there wasn't anything inherently valuable about the sentence except as a bridge to something else. So I got it wrong, and the teacher refused to overlook my having not memorized the sentence.

Funny thing is, I'm not even sure she asked us to list the planets on the test, just how to memorize them.

[Jeremiah Jazzz]

What is most interesting to me about names is when I encounter a given name frequently in print, form an internal pronunciation of the name, only to find out later that I had been horribly mispronouncing it. The best example I can think of is Goethe. Personally, "Goethe" looks a lot better than it sounds.
Same here. I am the worst at names! I've always pronounced Goethe like this: 'Things cometh and things 'goeth'' haha




I had a horrible time with Nietzsche. I think I finally got it down though. :D

I've heard this European say that it basically rhymes with 'teacha' as in teacher. I'm sure it's right. I've seen videos over the net featuring scholarly discussions about Nietzsche, and they say it 'Neecha' too.

[LitNetIsGreat]

By far the most important thing that I have read regarding memory is the system of review and recall. Timing seems vital if you want to maximise what you have learnt from the short-term to the long-term memory. It seems that studies have shown that a five/six point review system is best which is done as follows (differs slightly depending who you read):

Immediately-1 Day-1 Week-1Month-3-Months-6 Months

By reviewing in these time periods, and we are talking about a 5 minute review for each, you should ensure that what you have read/learnt goes into the long-term memory ready for immediate recall. :idea:

There is a case to be made I think for the argument that if you can't remember what you have read a year or so after you have read it, then there was little point in reading it in the first place, outside the pleasure it gave at the point of reading. This should especially apply if you have a greater interest in literature than just the passing holiday read.

[Cat_Brenners]

To remember things in general or for test I do word association or make up a sentence about what I'm learning. It really helps me.
Cat

[JohnAvg]

That's a very interesting issue..It's all in Cognitive studies

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Funny thing is, I'm not even sure she asked us to list the planets on the test, just how to memorize them.The question then, is whether she was trying to teach you about the planets, memory technique or both?

/Claes