Learning Archives - The Art of Improvement

How I Learned to Remember Everything

With today’s technology it may seem like we don’t really have to use our memory to remember things. We can just look it up, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, we have a world of information at our fingertips that is easily accessible at any time, day or night. But then there are other things that we want to keep stored in our own memory banks for future or daily use.

When studying school work, learning a new language, taking on a new job or developing a new skill, these things all require memorization. And sometimes it can be a challenge to retain the information you need to know.

Before we had computers to remember everything for us, people memorized all kinds of things. Addresses, phone numbers, poetry, and speeches, just to name a few! Our brain can be trained to hold far more data than we usually ask it to.

Why Constant Learning is the Key to Success

Every piece of information you’ve ever acquired has been learned. Every single one. I could end the article at that, but no one will have learned anything. While learning new pieces of information every day is one thing, consistently choosing to is another.

For many people, the most concentrated time for learning takes place in a school or a university. That’s where you go to develop your mind and learn about all manner of things, allowing you to make choices and become the person you are today. That’s great, but the education system lets us all go eventually. For the vast majority of your life, learning will be in your hands.

What We Should Have Learned in School But Never Did

When you think back on your school days, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The school building itself? A memorable teacher? The friends you made? Chances are the actual lessons of reading, writing, math and science are not at the top of your list. Although they do serve as the basic skills of an education.

We may also learn certain social aspects that help us to be good citizens. At a very young age we learn to take turns, stand in a line, and function in a group. As we get older, we may learn more about cooperation and teamwork. And on a less positive side, we may experience relationship difficulties and peer pressure.

How to Learn Faster: The Feynman Technique

Have you ever sat down to take an exam thinking you’ve studied hard and put in the work but then, when you read the questions and start the test, you realise you didn’t know as much as you thought?

Maybe you’ve been to a job interview where you’ve prepared for the questions you might expect, but once the interview begins you find yourself unable to answer the interviewer’s questions properly?

Both of these scenarios have happened to me in the past but I can now avoid these situations occurring in the future with the help of the wisdom of physicist Richard Feynman.