3 ms·
On average, most forget about 50% of what they've read after 1 hour, and only remember 2% after a week. It sounds like your problem has more to do with retriev
by emilwallner 7y ago
On average, most forget about 50% of what they've read after 1 hour, and only remember 2% after a week.
It sounds like your problem has more to do with retrieval. You _learn_ something when you retrieve something from your working memory or long-term memory (you build myelin, a fatty substance that isolates your synapses, which enables you to later retrieve the information).
The optimal way to learn is to use spaced repetition. It naturally happens if you apply the knowledge frequently, or you can use a flashcard app to track it.
If you struggle to _understand_ something, it often has to do with overwhelming your working memory. You are connecting several concepts that you don't understand. On average, most can keep seven items in their working memory, but after that, you'll start feeling lost.
When you internalize a few concepts by retrieving them, followed by a long break or sleep, you free your working memory to connect more concepts.
- username90 7y agoYou don't internalize concepts by retrieving them from memory, you internalize concepts by reconstructing them without aids like flash cards. Otherwise you just connect the words and not the concepts.
- jpking 7y agoSpaced repetition in form of testing yourself. Anki and other software help with this.
- username90 7y agoThe best way to learn concepts is to first forget them and then reconstruct the facts based on previous knowledge. Spaced repetition actively hinders this process by trying to ensure that you don't forget. It is great for shallow knowledge like language, but if you are doing it for maths or programming you are just hurting yourself. That type of training is how you get people who can talk like a champ but can't even solve fizzbuzz.
- pixelperfect 7y agoIt depends. Spaced repetition can be used to mindlessly memorize formulas, which I agree is not useful. Or it can be used in the way described in this article (http://cognitivemedium.com/srs-mathematics http://cognitivemedium.com/srs-mathematics), which can lead to a deeper understanding.
- bobosha 7y agoSee Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve. [1] [1] https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/train-your-brain-to-remember-anything-you-learn-with-this-simple-20-minute-habit.html https://www.inc.com/scott-mautz/train-your-brain-to-remember...