From my experience just reading/listening about something is not a good way to remember information. The best way to learn is finding answers to actual questions. Question is a pointer for mind: "I was asked about it so it must be something worth remembering".
When you read your notes/book make it a habit to ask yourself questions and answer them. For example when you learn about cells you ask yourself "What is a cell?", "What parts a typical cell contains?", "What is <a part of cell you named>?", "What types of cells can you name?" etc. Do it as you read. You read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_%28biology%29
Quote:
"The cell (from Latin cella, meaning "small room"[1]) is the basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known living organisms. Cells are the smallest unit of life that can replicate independently, and are often called the "building blocks of life". The study of cells is called cell biology."
and while reading you ask yourself questions such as "Where the name 'cell' comes from and what it means?"(answer latin, cella, means small room), "What is a cell?" (answer - a basic unit of any living organism), "What is the smallest unit of life that can replicate independantly?" (answer - a cell). Once you make such habit questions will come in by themselves and you will automatically learn by rereading the sentence in context of the question and answering it.
Some online tests might also help. Check google for trivias and quizes about the subject/section of subject. For example some quizes on this website might help
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/sci__t ... ology.html . Try them out and do those which seem similar to the topic you remember from lectures.
Feel free to use Internet, notes and books when answering your questions. The purpose of the questions you make/the quizzes contain isn't checking your knowledge this time - they are just pointers to what kind of information you should pay attention to when you learn. You learn by finding answers to them.
24 Feb 2015, 4:26 pm
