One of the reasons we don't remember stuff is we never actually made it a point to put it into our long term memory.
To put information into long term memory you need to do something that says "this is important to me I want to remember it".
One way to remember stuff is with techniques like those taught in Harry Loraynes books. Better yet is to attach the information to your existing memory web. Those methods are suggested by Vera Birkenbhil in the Memory Optimizer course. Having used Harrys technique I did find that unless I needed the information regularly I also forgot the list in the long run.
With Vera's methods since I am linking to existing memory webs I find it easier to recconstruct when I think about it.
When using the PhotoReading System you'll often note that I strongly recommend mind mapping what you got from your reading. It trains the mind to link the significant information to your longer term memory.
It isn't a failing that you forget what you've read a by the end of the day. Its a human condition. Use it or lose it applies.
Reseach has found that top students have forgotten 90% of what they have learned for their final exams in as little as one month after the exam. In other words if they don't review their material and are tested again one month after taking their finals they would barely pass.
This even happens for material we read. Within 24 hours we will forget 60% of what we learned from the text and in a week we will remember less than 20%.
If we seriously wnat to remember what we learned from what we read we need to rewiew. That's where mind maps have an advantage over notes. To review notes one must read what one has written and that can amount to 2or 3 pages on a topic. Mind maps allow you to take it all in, in a glance. So a review takes as little as 5 minute.
Your review should be done immediately at the end of the lesson or when you've finished studying (the book).
Overnight you will have forgotten 60% of what you learned so the next day you need to take 3 to 5 minutes to review your notes or mind map. This pushes the recall back up to the 80-90% mark. However you need to review thoses notes daily for 7 days to maintain the menory. This is now creating a long term memory because you've told you mind this is important that's why you are looking at it every day.
You'll still need to review once a week for a month and then once a month for about 6 months. Copme exam time the information is easier to remember.
If you mind map a book and you find you've forgotten key elements it becomes and easy matter to go back to the text with your mind probing question and craming revision period before the exam is much more productive.
Alex
[This message has been edited by Alex K. Viefhaus (edited July 28, 2005).]
