Do you also study for hours and still remember less than a goldfish?
I used to be the same.Long study hours but without any retention ,yes that was me! It became draining and frustrating overtime ,which eventually led to loss of interest in many subjects.
During my struggle with learning, I found about the Ebbinghaus Forgetting curve,also called the FORGETTING CURVE!
It explains why you can study everyday for hours and yet feels like everything disappears.
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This curve shows that brain dumps most of the new Information within 1-2 days if it is not followed by any active recall.
This is why revision or re-reading is emphasised in schools. It helps in better retention of the topic.
But now the bigger question is “how to overcome this situation? Are there any methods? Or do I live my life like this only struggling with studies?
Well the answer is yes, there are! The small changes in our study pattern which can help overcoming these are-
- Spaced revision- revise your topic after increasing intervals ( day 1, day 3, day 7,etc)
- Active recall - make a small mind map in your mind of the topic
- Intermixing of topics- mix topics instead of cramming one subject.
- Sleep right after learning- helps in consolidating memory
In short, your brain is not betraying you, it is just normal because it not getting proper reviews.
Do you also forget even after studying for hours? If yes, how do you overcome that?
MBH/PS