Concentrate on what you are reading. Information is difficult to memorize, let alone to comprehend, when it is being processed by a busy and distracted mind. For this reason, libraries exist as sanctuaries of quiet and calm that facilitate the reading process. Other quiet places to read may include a park bench or a relaxed restaurant. When you concentrate, you are able to make connections between concepts and ideas contained within a text. For example, as you read a book and see a specific character's name mentioned several times, you begin to remember certain characteristics or behaviors of this character. As you demonstrate skills of concentration while reading, you exercise abilities of memory that may help you to remember people's names in similar real life situations.
Visualize ideas. Using graphic organizers such as Venn Diagrams or flow charts can help you to process what you read and remember this material. By practicing skills of organization as you use these charts and diagrams, you will teach your brain to catalog information. Graphic organization also allows you to quickly refer to information once it has been cataloged. One of these charts or diagrams can arm you with heaps of information.
Annotate the text. Highlighters are useful instruments when studying material in a textbook. They can help students focus on the book's most essential concepts in order to prepare for a test. A free virtual highlighter is available for Internet users to download. It allows a person to overlay customized notes on Internet text and save highlighted material. These notes and highlighted sections of texts serve as memory enhancers. Annotations help you to remember the fine details of what you are reading. Using annotations, you train your brain to remember the most important details of a document, and pigeonhole other information for future reference.
Research terms that you don't understand. Once you get in the habit of searching for definitions, you will discover how easy this research process can be. When you take the time to understand the words you are reading, you are less likely to misunderstand the material of a text. This same truth applies to real world situations. If you are able to understand the meaning of specialized terminology in a workplace, you are more likely to succeed in your career. By simply expressing an interest in terms and their meanings, you can energize your memory with a productive purpose.
Discuss what you have read. Relating with others reinforces memory. When you discuss a text, you may discover that others recall details that did not catch your attention. You can also learn to see a work from different angles by discussing it with others.