1. RE-READ
The more you read your notes, the more you will understand them. This is obviously time consuming. Re-reading your notes gives you a better and reliable understanding of what you are reading, this may be painstaking but the later result is worth it. It is more efficient to read key passages and highlighted points than the entire note, read the notes you have taken outside your main note.
2. MAKE YOUR OWN STUDY GUIDE
This involves you generating a set of possible exam questions. Predict the most likely questions your teacher might ask and provide answers to them. Study your predicted questions until you can answer them perfectly.
3. USE CORNELL NOTES
This technique is mostly used for taking lecture notes but can also be used to take reading notes.
This can be done in this form:
Generate Questions: Formulate questions based on the notes in the right-hand column. This is basically to help set up a perfect frame for exam-studying
later.
Recite: Cover the note-taking column with a sheet of paper. Then, looking
at the questions say aloud, in your own words, the answers to the questions
Reflect: Reflect on the material by asking yourself questions, for example: “What is the origin of these facts? What principles are they based on? How can I apply them? How do they fit in with what I already know?
Review: Spend at least ten minutes every week reviewing all your previous notes. If you do, you’ll retain a great amount for current use, as well as, for the exam.
4. RECITE AND TEACH MATERIALS TO OTHERS
Reciting what you have read is a very good way or remembering all you have read during exams. In the same manner, teaching your friends what you have read already is another way to help store what you know. Teaching your friend what you read is another way to show that you know and understand what you read, so don’t hesitate to practice the style of teaching.
5. IMPROVE YOUR READING SPEED
Speed reading is the process of rapidly recognizing and absorbing phrases or sentences on a page all at once, rather than identifying individual words.
All speed reading techniques have one thing in common: avoid pronouncing and “hearing” each word in your head as you read it, a process known as “sub-vocalization”. Instead, you “skim” lines or group of words, as you can understand words more quickly than you can say them.
Effective speed reading is a balance between pace and comprehension.
WAYS TO ENHANCE READING SPEED
Avoid Distractions: Read in an environment where there is less interruptions and distractions
Read Easy/Lighter Notes: read notes that are not complicated, read on subjects you like
Study/Rate Your Progress: Rate your speed reading technique with free speed reading assessment online. This will show the rate at which you are improving
Keep Practicing: just like it is said “practice makes perfect”. The more you practice, the better you become.
6. VISUALIZE/DRAW CONCEPTS
Visualizing has to do with creating mental pictures of essential concepts you come across when reading, these mental pictures serve as an aid to memory. Take for instance, you are reading about the human heart, proceed to generate a visual concept of the human heart. When you come across the human heart in your test, the first thing that happens is that a signal is sent to your brain to give you a clear picture of the visuals you created while reading about the human heart which automatically aids your writing on the human heart.
Mental pictures created send direct signals to the human brain and this is a very vital way to boost your memory.
Original post can be found here.
