How to remember what you read

Did you know that you forget about 80% of what you read unless you do something with it?

So imagine….you sit down to read a chapter for biology class that is 50 pages long. You head to the library, sit for an hour and finish the 50 pages, close the book, mark it as complete in your planner, and head to the dining hall to eat dinner, feeling proud that you finished your work in an hour. While it is great that you read the chapter, when it comes time for the assessment in a week or so, you will most likely have forgotten about 80% (40 pages!) of what you read because you did not do anything with the information you read! And now that hour may seem like a waste and for some….so begins the spiral of negative talk….” I never understand what I read…..this class is so hard, I’ll never pass it.”

So, what does it meant TO DO something with what you read? Here are some ideas:

  • preview the text before you start to establish your sense of purpose

  • take notes in the margins while you read-solely highlighting is too passive

  • note important information on colorful sticky notes

  • stop and quiz yourself while you read

  • if you’re a visual person, translating the words into little doodles helps

  • talk with someone about the reading when you finish

  • make flashcards

  • record yourself in your phone summarizing what you read

  • get your groove on and choreograph an interpretive dance

Whichever you chose, it’s all about being active. Reading for school is not like reading a novel at the beach in the summer. The purpose of reading a novel at the beach is to get lost in a story. The purpose of reading 50 pages for biology is to comprehend the chapter’s concepts, and that requires being active and doing something with the content.

Yes, it will take longer to read the 50-page chapter when you are doing something while reading, but in the long run, you will be better prepared for the test and reduce the stress of cramming the night before.

Kelly Schwenkmeyer