Ekaterina Vasilyeva, General Director of the Vasiliev Author's School, Moscow; Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences

What questions will you find answers to in this article?

• How to remember people's names easily
• What mnemonics techniques allow you to quickly learn a voluminous scientific text or poetry
• How to quickly memorize foreign words, phone numbers or symbols
• What prevents us from remembering information?

They make it easy to memorize complex names of people, large texts, dates, numbers, foreign words, etc. Their advantage is that you do not have to make much effort to extract the necessary information from memory; it is enough to imagine several object-images that, along the chain, themselves update the information you need. I’ll tell you how to learn to remember a large amount of information using mnemonics techniques.

Mnemonics techniques. How does memorization occur?

Our brain thinks in images. When a person connects several visual images in his imagination, the brain records this relationship. Further, recalling one image, a person brings others to life. The first minutes are the most important for memorization - at this time it is advisable to speak the information out loud or to yourself. Talk again in an hour. In the future, increase the period of time after which you need to repeat the information, always three times, that is, after three hours, after nine hours, after a day, etc. If this is not possible, repeat the information three times: immediately, after an hour and before bedtime . By the way, teachers at linguistic universities recommend that students refresh their knowledge every six months or a year.

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How to remember people's names

To maintain motivation, it is best for a manager to address employees by name. Each person has some kind of peculiarity. We must try to see it and attach a last name, first name or patronymic to it in the form of a certain image. For example, recently there was a girl studying at the course who could not remember the middle name of the boss - Stepanovna. I advised her to imagine that she had long ears on her head, like Stepashka from the children’s program “Good night, kids.” At the next lesson, the girl said that this image helped her firmly remember the middle name of her leader.

How to memorize large texts

Popular science texts (articles). They are most easily represented in the form of diagrams. For example, I transform information into a three-level hierarchy “system - subsystem - supersystem”. Let me explain with an example: subsystem - car parts, system - car, supersystem - type of vehicle. After reading the text, 7-10 keywords remain in your head, arranged according to the principle “system - subsystem - supersystem”. It is useful to present them in the form of pictures, which helps to understand how one term is related to another. According to my observations, two-thirds of an article or book is occupied by details (subsystem), the remaining third is distributed between the system and the supersystem. Thus, you need to start reading from the place where the description of the system begins. After studying it, you can return to the beginning of the text. This approach allows you to save time and better remember large texts.

Literary texts (prose, poetry). In this case, you need to recreate each word in your head, so drawing up diagrams will not help. It is necessary to present the images in the form of a certain sequence, for example: place, hero, situation. Identify positive ones with yourself, and negative ones with another person. In fact, in parallel with reading, you need to “make a movie” in your head, recording emotions, sounds, etc. For example, you read the following text: “The Fiji archipelago is made up of large and small islands. Most of them are of volcanic origin. There are sandy beaches, bordered by palm groves, secluded coves...” Reading the first sentence, imagine that you are on a plane and see islands overboard. Then the plane descends lower and you see hotels. Then you walk along the beach, your feet sink into the sand, you admire the scenery. That is, your movement around places (plane, beach, etc.) is the key to remembering. It is enough to remember the key, and the text will emerge from memory.

Preparing for the report. You should start preparing for presentations and public reports two to three days before the speech. On the first day, the brain will process all the material received after viewing the text. And only on the second day, when you wake up, will you be able to extract the necessary information from your memory in a structured and condensed form. This is what our ancestors meant when they said that “the morning is wiser than the evening.” The first thing you need to do when starting to memorize the text of the report is to formulate the topic and main points. Then imagine the main thoughts in the form of diagrams and images (you can sketch them). Next, moving from the general to the specific, move on to memorizing smaller details: additional facts, numbers, terms, amounts.

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How to remember foreign words and other data

How to memorize foreign words

The word narrow in English means “narrow”. You can imagine a narrow road or tight pants. The Russian word “NERVNY” is consonant with it. You can build a general association, for example, mentally draw a picture: a person is driving along a narrow road and is nervous because it is dangerous or because he has problems with his car. It is important not only to imagine the situation vividly and emotionally, but also to say the memorized word narrow several times out loud or silently. I recommend using images from real life to remember.

How to remember symbols and letters

Let's say you want to memorize the English alphabet. The English letter “A” and the Russian “A” are the same in spelling, but different in sound. To remember the first one, you need to select another association, for example, by shape. The English "A" is similar to a compass or a roof and is pronounced like "hey", which is similar to the words "lay" or "watering can". Now imagine that you are at your dacha using a watering can (“lay”) to water the roof (“A”). In this way you can memorize hieroglyphs and symbols.

How to learn to rememberdigital sequences

Use a numerical and alphabetic code. For example, the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are matched with the first letters of the words that mean them: “n” (zero), “t” (three), “h” (four), “p” (five), etc. Exceptions: “k” (“kol” - similar to one) and “l” (“swan” - similar to two).

If you need to remember the number 739,812, do the following.

Break the number into pairs of numbers: 73, 98 and 12.

Convert numbers into words: the first consonant in a word is the first digit of a two-digit number, and the second consonant is the second digit. For example, the pair of numbers 7 and 3 correspond to the letters “c” and “t”; You can use the words “honeycomb”, “sieve”, “one hundred rubles”. The pair 9 and 8 are "d" and "v" (the words "door" or "girl"). Pair 1 and 2 are the letters “k” and “l”; the words “glue” or “necklace” will do.

From image words denoting pairs of numbers, make up a story, for example this: “The net (73) caught on the door (98), and a necklace (12) fell out of it.” It is important to imagine this funny situation and at the same time say the number 739,812 several times out loud or to yourself. You must learn that you cannot pronounce what you imagine.

Mnemonics techniques in stressful situations

During times of nervous tension, memory works much worse. When you are tense, no pictures or images appear in your head. That is, under conditions of stress and limited time, mnemonic techniques turn out to be useless. For example, working in an open office environment with lots of people and noise around you greatly limits your ability to remember.

There is an old trick - to return to the place where you were thinking about something in order to remember what exactly it was about. This technique is widely used in mnemonics: leave for yourself some symbol or sign that would be associated with the matter. This could be a key on a computer, a check mark in a diary, or a cross on your hand with a pen. By the way, mnemonics are anti-stress. Instead of relaxing or taking medicine, it is better to mentally reproduce the text you are reading or imagine and remember numbers, combining business with pleasure.

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What helps and hinders effective memorization

The worst enemies of memory are drugs, cigarettes, nervous exhaustion, high temperature and unventilated rooms.

Physical fatigue, on the contrary, has a good effect on memory: the brain begins to work better due to the fact that tension is relieved from the body and blood circulates faster in the body. Therefore, if your work involves mental activity, play sports. As much time as you spend on intellectual work, you need to spend the same amount on physical exercise. This is a prerequisite for maintaining yourself in high emotional and intellectual tone. If you feel stressed while working, it is better to go out, take a walk, and get some fresh air.

To make the memorization process easier, it is important to develop your imagination. Read, travel, experience more positive emotions, engage in spiritual practices - all this trains your figurative memory. Take vitamins periodically, drink more water, and spend more time in fresh air.

Memory and attention training: 10 very effective exercises Exercise 1. Count the letters. Take a newspaper or magazine, select three or four paragraphs from any article. As you read, count the letters "a". Read it again, count the letters "c". Review the article again and note the word count. Write down the result. Practice with the text until the number of letters counted matches when recalculated. Exercise 2. Remember yesterday. Remember in detail what happened yesterday (or a movie you recently saw, or a summer vacation). The main thing in the exercise is to maintain attention on the process of remembering for a long enough time, at least five minutes, without allowing thoughts to jump to other topics. Then try to remember in reverse order. Exercise 3. Draw in your imagination. Mentally draw letters, numbers, simple and complex geometric shapes. Do not confuse mental drawing with imagining some image. You just need to draw, just like with a pencil on paper. Try to draw larger. Feel the movement of your hand, which should remain motionless. Exercise 4. Manipulate images. Imagine a glass and glass matchbox house. Try to see these images as clearly as possible. Do various mental manipulations with them: put a box in a glass, put a glass on a box, a box on an inverted glass, etc. Manipulate other two, three, four objects. Exercise 5. Transform an object. Imagine an object and change it, but so that it does not lose its specific name, that is, a cup in any case should remain a cup. Exercise 6. Rotate objects. Imagine an object and start rotating it, looking at it from all sides, from different angles, bringing it closer and further away from you. Try to make the object spin on its own, and you just watch. Exercise 7. Plan your day. In the morning, ask yourself what needs to be done first, second, and third. Picture a page of your diary and mentally fill it out. Exercise 8. “Take photographs of tasks.” Break your workday into four parts. “Photograph” situations that you will return to tomorrow (mentally place them in a photo frame and hold the image for 3-5 seconds). Instead of the situation, you can “capture” your colleague’s face. At the end of each part of the working day, remember the “photographed” situation (face). At the end of the day, remember all the situations and faces. Repeat this the next day and you won't miss important tasks. Exercise 9. “Turn on” pleasant states. Mentally recreate a positive state: calm, inspiration, joy. Analyze its muscle components: a feeling of relaxed muscles of the face, neck and chest, slight tone of the abdominal muscles. Also recreate your body position and breathing rhythm. Record the whole complex of these sensations. Subsequently, it will be much easier to re-enter the state remembered in this way. Exercise 10. Disturb the order. On your desktop, arrange objects not in the usual order, but so that their arrangement makes you pay attention to them. Correlate the position of each object with a specific action that you must perform in the near future.

Reference

Ekaterina Vasilyeva Graduated from Kuban State University with a degree in physics teacher. Holder of 30 copyright certificates, author of 50 courses (on memory development, rapid learning of foreign languages, speed reading), as well as 20 books, including six bestsellers. Owner of three Russian patents for inventions: “Method of developing the skill of memorizing words”, “Algorithm for thinking in foreign languages” and “Paragraph algorithm” (formation of the skill of fast reading and memorization).

Of course, we would all like to absorb information quickly and efficiently.

Whether it's learning a foreign language, an unfamiliar instrument, or a new sport, accelerating the learning process has many benefits. But the problem is that we have a limited amount of time for this.

The key to learning faster, however, is not to dedicate more hours to studying, but to increase the efficiency of the process.

Memory is like a vessel of water

Imagine that you need to fill a bucket with water. Most buckets can easily hold liquids until they begin to overflow.

The brain functions somewhat differently. In fact, information, entering memory, then gradually escapes from it. And if you compare the brain with a vessel, then it will be more like a leaky bucket.

The analogy with a leaking bucket sounds, of course, negative, however, it is an absolutely normal phenomenon. And unless you were born with a photographic memory, it is useful to know that the human brain was not designed to store large amounts of information, every fact, answer or experience that it encountered in its life.

How to remember 90% of the information you study

In the 60s of the last century, the NTL Institute in Bethel (Maine, USA) described a learning pyramid that clearly depicts the effectiveness of learning and the brain’s ability to remember new knowledge.

Studies have shown that a person learns:

• 5% of information received through lectures (at universities, colleges, etc.);
• 10% of information read (from books, articles, etc.);
• 20% audio-visual information (applications, videos, etc.);
• 30% of information received through visual presentations;
• 50% learned during group discussions;
• 75% of information that was used in practice (skills acquired);
• 90% of the information was used immediately (and also if you needed to teach someone else).

How do most people learn?

Books, classroom lectures, videos are non-interactive ways of perceiving information with low efficiency, since about 80-95% of knowledge flies in one ear and flies out of the other.

The crux of the matter is this: rather than forcing the brain to remember information through passive learning, it is better to direct your effort and time into ways that use engagement in the process. The result will be more pronounced, and time will be saved.

This condition means that:

• If you are learning a foreign language, give preference not to mobile applications, but to communication with native speakers, since this is an opportunity for instant feedback in learning.
• If you want to get in good shape, then instead of watching workout videos on Youtube, work with a personal fitness instructor.
• If you want to play a musical instrument, contact a music teacher.

By and large, this is what it all comes down to. This should be recognized as the most “correct”, although not the easiest, approach to acquiring new knowledge and skills.

Time or money?

Of course, classes with individual instructors, teachers and coaches are noticeably more expensive than other training options. However, it is also much more effective.

For example, according to the data above, you can spend 1 hour studying and learn 90% of the material, and you can spend the same hour and only learn 10% of the material. The difference is nine times!

There is also a point that an individual instructor or teacher can give you advice based on their wealth of experience, which will be useful specifically for you. No amount of reading or watching videos will ever give such understanding and the difference in learning effectiveness can be much greater than 9 times.

To sum it all up: Knowing how to absorb more information makes us noticeably more efficient with our time. And time is our main life resource.

By the time I finished reading the paragraph, half of it flew out of my head... Sound familiar? Almost all schoolchildren and students face this problem. The fact is that the human brain is not programmed for cramming, and it generally perceives most of what is written in the textbook as noise - useless information that should not be stored in memory. But if you know how these mechanisms work, you can learn to control this process and understand how to remember what you read the first time.

Science of Memory

Before any information gets to our hard drive, it goes through a complex path and undergoes multi-level processing. The first to study and describe these mechanisms was a German scientist. He identified 4 main processes of preservation, reproduction and forgetting.

What is the best way to remember what you read? In this matter, the first two stages are key. Therefore, they are worth considering in more detail.

Memorization- this is an involuntary imprinting of what affected the senses. At the same time, a certain trace of excitation caused by electrical impulses remains in the cerebral cortex for some time. In simple terms, everything we see, hear and feel leaves physical traces in our brain.

This can happen in different ways. Even in early childhood, the child’s process of involuntary memorization is activated. We all keep moments and facts that we never tried to remember: a walk in the park at age 5, a first date, scenes from a favorite movie... An interesting phenomenon is that we don’t remember everything equally well. Why is this happening?

Everything depends on the strength of electrical impulses, so we best remember only certain types of information:

• something that is of vital importance (the pain when you put your hand to the fire);
• unusual, bright events and images (a bright costume of an actor at a carnival);
• information that is related to our interests and needs (a recipe for a delicious dish);
• valuable knowledge necessary for our activities and achieving our goals (correct test answers).

90% of how well some information is recorded in memory depends on our perception. First of all, what is imprinted is what aroused strong emotions (both positive and negative) or interest.

Then there is intentional memorization, which is the process in which we consciously try to “write down” certain information, such as dates from a history textbook or an important telephone number.

Preservation is the process of processing, transforming and consolidating new information in certain parts of the brain.

First, all information ends up in a kind of “buffer”, RAM. Here the material is stored for a short time in its original form. But at the next stage, the information is processed, associated with what is already known, simplified and transferred to long-term memory. The most difficult thing is to prevent distortions, to prevent the brain from adding non-existent facts or “throwing out” key points. Knowing all this, it is much easier to understand how to remember what you read the first time.

We set clear goals

Even if you read very carefully and thoughtfully, after turning the page, you are unlikely to be able to retell in detail what you just learned about.

Back in the 19th century, the Yugoslav psychologist P. Radossavljevic conducted an interesting experiment. The task that the subject faced was to memorize nonsense syllables. This usually required several repetitions. Then the goal changed - now you just had to read what was written. The subject did this as many as 46 (!) times, but when the experimenter asked him to repeat the series by heart, he could not do it. But as soon as I realized that they needed to be learned, it only took 6 times to run my eyes over the syllables in order to accurately retell them. What does this mean?

There are some tricks here too. The main goal needs to be broken down into more specialized tasks. Simply put, you choose what to focus on. In one case, it is enough to highlight the main facts, in another - their sequence, and in the third - to remember the text verbatim. Then, while reading, the brain will begin to create “hooks” that will help remember the necessary information.

We create a comfortable environment

And we continue to discuss how to remember the text you read the first time. First of all, you should look around in search of “irritants”. In a noisy classroom or public transport, attention wanders, and sometimes you don’t even realize what is written in the textbook.

In order to completely immerse yourself in the process, it is advisable to sit in a quiet room or find a secluded place somewhere in nature - where nothing will distract you.

It is advisable to study in the morning, when your head is still as clear as possible and new information is absorbed much faster.

Discussing with friends

Although many people do not like retelling in school literature lessons, this is one of the most effective ways to better remember what they read. When you speak about something you recently read, the brain uses two channels of memorization and reproduction at once - visual and auditory (auditory).

Learning to read correctly

If you want to know how to learn to remember what you read the first time, you should first work on your reading technique. Don’t forget that visual memory plays a huge role in memorization: you mentally “photograph” the page, and if you can’t remember something, you just have to imagine it, and the necessary information will pop up in your head. But how to achieve this?

1. Don’t immediately start reading every word, but try to take in the entire page with your eyes.
2. Increase your reading speed. It has been proven that the faster a person studies a text, the more effectively the information is absorbed. Try to expand the area of ​​focus in order to “snatch” not one, but at least 2-3 words with your gaze. In addition, you can enroll in speed reading courses, where you will be taught
3. When you notice that you were distracted and missed a fragment, under no circumstances return to it to re-read. Such “jumps” interfere with a holistic perception of the material. It is better to study the paragraph to the end, and then re-read it completely again.
4. Unlearn the habit of mentally speaking sentences or moving your lips. Because of these childhood habits, the brain cannot focus on the text, but spends some of its resources on supporting your “inner speaker.”

In the first 3-4 hours it will be unusual and difficult. But as soon as you readjust, not only your reading speed will increase, but also the amount of information that you will remember the first time.

Writing notes

Another option for remembering what you read the first time. If you don’t just skim the text, but work through the material and at least briefly write down the main points, then using these notes you can easily recall the necessary information in your memory.

However, it is important to know what and how to take notes, because without a specific system you will simply get confused in a bunch of fragmentary facts. Here are a few techniques you can use:

• Grouping. All material is divided into small fragments, which are then combined according to some characteristics (topic, time period, associations, etc.).
• Plan. For each part of the text (paragraph, chapter or section of a paragraph), short notes are created that act as reference points and help restore the full content. The format can be anything: key points, titles, examples or questions to the text.
• Classification. Designed in the form of a diagram or table. Allows you to distribute various objects, phenomena or concepts into groups and classes based on common characteristics.
• Schematization. Using text blocks, arrows and simple drawings, connections between various objects, processes and events are demonstrated.
• Associations. Each point of the plan or thesis is correlated with a familiar, understandable or simply memorable image, which helps to “resurrect” the rest in memory.

At the same time, try not to get carried away. Remember that this is not a full-fledged summary, but small pointers that will direct your thoughts in the right direction.

5 Best Active Memory Techniques

Now let’s move on to the “delicious” part and talk about how to remember what you read the first time, even without preparation. You may have already come across the concept of mnemonics - these are various techniques that allow you to assimilate a large amount of information in a short time.

1. Visualization

When reading, you should imagine as clearly as possible all the events and phenomena described in the text. The more “lively” and emotional the pictures are, the better.

2. Creative associations

Few people know, but inventing them is an art. There are 5 “golden” rules that must be followed in order to easily remember any information:

• Don't think. Use the first image that comes to mind.
• Associations must have a strong emotional component.
• Imagine yourself as the main character (for example, if a lemon was on the table, try to “eat” it).
• Add absurdity.
• Make the resulting “picture” funny.

How it works? Let's say you're studying painting and want to remember what pointillism is. In short: this is one of the varieties of neo-impressionism, where the paintings consist of many bright dots of the correct shape (the founder is Georges-Pierre Seurat). What association can you come up with here? Imagine a ballerina who has smeared her pointe shoes with paint and, while dancing, leaves a picture of multi-colored dots on the stage. He moves on and accidentally touches a jar of yellow sulfur with his foot, which falls with a loud crash. Here are our associations: pointe shoes with bright spots are pointillism, and a container with sulfur is Georges-Pierre Seurat.

3. Repetition method by I. A. Korsakov

This technique is based on the fact that we forget a huge part of information almost instantly. However, if you repeat the material regularly, it will become firmly established in your memory. What do you need to remember?

1. New information must be repeated within 20 seconds after it is perceived (if we are talking about a large fragment of text - up to a minute).
2. During the first day, retell the material several times: after 15-20 minutes, then after 8-9 hours, and finally after 24 hours.
3. To remember what you read for a long time, you need to repeat the text several more times during the week - on the 4th and 7th days.

The technique is very simple, but at the same time incredibly effective. Regular repetitions let the brain understand that this is not just information noise, but important data that is constantly used.

4. Cicero's method

A useful technique for those who want to know how to remember information read in books. The point is quite simple. You choose a certain “base” - for example, the furnishings of your apartment. Remember where your morning begins, what you do and in what order. After this, you need to “attach” some piece of text to each action - again, using associations. This way you will remember not only the essence, but also the sequence of presentation of information.

Let's say, while studying a paragraph on history, you can mentally “draw” scenes of battles on the bedside table or “send” Columbus to roam the expanses of the bathroom.

5. Pictogram method

Have a blank sheet of paper and a pen ready. Immediately during the reading process, you need to mentally note key words and points. Your task is to come up with a small pictogram for each person that will remind you of what was discussed. There is no need to make schematic or, on the contrary, too detailed pictures, otherwise you will not be able to concentrate on the text and remember it properly. When you reach the end of a paragraph or chapter, try, looking only at the icons, to retell the text you just read.

Ekaterina Dodonova

Business coach, blogger, memory development and speed reading instructor. Founder of the educational project iq230

1. Understand

Very often, people simply try to memorize unfamiliar words and phrases without even understanding their meaning. Perhaps this will be enough for several days, say, to pass an exam. Unless, of course, the lecturer asks you to explain what you mean by ablation and what are the signs of those same chromosomal aberrations from the first ticket.

The brain perfectly remembers words connected associatively. He discards incomprehensible letter combinations like garbage, not wanting to waste time on them.

For this reason, most people have difficulty learning. A strange-sounding word does not bring to mind pictures that are familiar and understandable to the heart.

Therefore, for better memorization, you must first parse and understand all new terms. Try to feel the word and connect it in your imagination with familiar concepts.

2. Come up with an association

Having imagination is one of the most powerful tools for remembering information. significantly facilitate the process of memorizing important reports, presentations, texts, including those in foreign languages, due to artificial associations.

Let's take the word "Monday". What frames are running on your internal screen? It could be the morning, terrible traffic jams, a thought pulsating in your head, a day on the calendar, a diary page from childhood, or a buzzing office anthill. What do you see?

To make associative connections strong and durable, you can use the five-finger rule. Each finger has its own association, filled with one or another content.

Fingers	Association
Big	"Raisin". Original, absurd, absurd
Pointing	"Emotions". Use only positivity
Average	“About my beloved self.” Feel free to associate the object of memorization with yourself
Nameless	"Feel". Connect your senses: vision, hearing, smell, taste, tactile sensations
Little finger	"In move". Make your subject move. The brain remembers information faster over time

Thus, the necessary information will be imprinted in your memory at all levels of senses at once, which will allow you to use it for a long time.

3. Trick the magic number 7 ± 2

The famous American psychologist George Miller found that short-term human memory cannot remember and repeat more than 7 ± 2 elements. The mode of constant information overload reduces this number to 5 ± 2.

Nevertheless, there is a simple way to deceive the laws of short-term memory: using the method of stories, which involves logical linking of disparate memorization objects into one chain. You may end up with a funny, incredible and completely impossible story in real life. The main thing is that with its help you can remember more than 15 elements at a time.

According to the director's plan, in the next scene you should swim in a pool filled to the brim with semolina porridge. Yes, just imagine this madness in bright colors. Feel with your skin how the semolina sticks to your skin. How hard it is to swim in this warm liquid, although the porridge is not too thick. How the air smells of milk, butter and childhood.

4. Repeat correctly

Our brains can be programmed - this is a scientific fact. It requires awareness and daily work in the chosen direction. Therefore, if you have firmly decided that it is extremely important for you to learn English in six months, then your brain is already tuned in to intensive memorization. But in addition to regular training, regular repetition of the material covered is also important.

Use specific time intervals for best memorization: repeat the material immediately after learning, then after 15–20 minutes, after 6–8 hours (preferably before bed) and the last time after a week.

5. Tune in

Perhaps there is nothing worse when a person thinks about himself in negative terms: “I will never cope with this,” “It is impossible for me to remember this,” “I will not be able to learn such a complex report.” Use only positive statements, programming your brain for work and results.

Tune in correctly, tell yourself: “I remember!”, “I have a good memory. I’ll remember,” “I’ll remember and easily retell it in my own words in two hours.” Set yourself up. The resource state of the brain is your area of ​​responsibility.

Knowing the five secrets of memory, you can easily learn to memorize truly complex and versatile materials. In addition, there are many interesting and natural ways for humans to train memory and consolidate the necessary objects of memorization, which Ekaterina Dodonova also talks about in detail in her book.

Happy reading and have a great memory!

There's an exam tomorrow and you didn't prepare for it because you didn't have time or you put off studying for later? You can prepare for the exam in one day if you are disciplined and attentive. It is better to prepare in advance, for example, a week before the exam, but there are situations when this is impossible to do. In this article, we will tell you how to prepare for the exam in one day.

Steps

Environment

Find a suitable place to study. Nothing and no one should distract you - neither friends, nor any objects in your bedroom. Find a study space where you can focus on the material you're learning.

• Study somewhere that is fairly quiet and peaceful, such as a private room or library.

1. Prepare everything you need. Before you begin studying, have everything you need ready, such as textbooks, notes, markers, a computer, a light snack, and water.

   • Remove everything that will distract you.

2. Turn off your phone. If you don't need your smartphone for studying, turn it off so it doesn't distract you from studying the subject. This way you can focus solely on the material you are studying.

   Consider whether you should study on your own or in a group. Since time is limited, it's probably best to study on your own, but sometimes it's helpful to study in a small group to better understand concepts and terms. If you decide to study in a group, make sure that it consists of people who are no worse prepared than you; otherwise, the effectiveness of group work will not be very high.

   Learn to work effectively with the textbook. You won't remember the material if you just read the textbook (especially if your time is limited). As you read the textbook, pay special attention to the chapter summaries and key information in bold.

   • Find the questions that appear after each chapter (or at the end of the textbook). Try to answer these questions to test yourself and see what you need to learn.

3. Create a tutorial. It will allow you to better understand the material and quickly review it on exam day. Include the most important concepts, terms, dates, and formulas in your study guide and try to express the basic concepts in your own words. Formulating concepts yourself and writing them down on paper will help you better understand and remember the material.

   • If you don't have time to create a study guide, ask a friend or classmate for one. But it will be better if you create your own study guide, since articulating and writing down the basic concepts will help you remember the information better.

4. Prepare for the appropriate exam format. If you are pressed for time, be sure to consider the exam format when preparing for the exam. About the format of the exam, ask your teacher or look in the syllabus, or ask your classmates.

Lesson plan

Create a lesson plan. Include material that will definitely appear on the exam, such as important dates, certain scientific concepts, and mathematical formulas or equations. If you don't know what will be asked on the exam, ask your classmates. To pass the exam, it is important to know what material you need to study (especially when time is limited).

Create a class schedule. Plan out the entire day leading up to the exam and determine the hours you will devote to studying the material. Don't forget to make time for sleep.

Create a list of topics to study. Review your textbook, study guide, and notes and write down the topics that will appear on the exam.