I am quiet sure everyone experienced the situation when you learned something new and you want to remember it the next day. You get into trouble putting everything together again. Even if it was just one day ago. What happened? In this case you where not able to store the new knowledge into your brains long term storage warehouse.
But there must be a way to improve the way of storing the data better.
Let´s have a closer look on what is happening in your brain. Your brain is divided into several areas. Next to some others the main areas are the short term and the long term memory. The short term memory is like your working memory. Holding information, you´re immediately and continuously processing. But the amount of available information and memories is very limited. It like the Working memory in your computer. Needed Information is stored in it and dropped after processing it. Studies showed that a person is able to store 7 things in the short term memory at the same time. Numbers, pictures words… If you want to put in new information you need to drop something. Where you ever in the situation when you tell yourself a number again and again because you try to avoid losing it.
But how to store new information for long term availability. The solution is your long term memory. This one is like a big storage warehouse and is able to store a huge amount of information. But how can we bring in new data. It depends on the right way of learning.
Some people think repeating a lection or session again and again will store the information. But this way is not working for long term availability. This will need a lot of time and practice. To help this process you can use a method called spaced repetition. In this case you will schedule several sessions to learn the information you need. At the beginning the sessions are very close to each other. Later on with longer breaks in between. For example, you start on one day repeating the content every day until are more and more familiar with it. Then you extend the time between the sessions. Every second day, then every third day. At some point you need to refresh only several topics.
Following this method you will more easily build up the structure for holding the information in your long term memory. If you have the possibility to work and practice what you have learned will also help to store the data.
Remember when you learned to ride a bicycle. You started once very uncomfortable. But day by day everything is running more comfortable and easily. Trying to learn it only at one day would not work. You need to learn it over a long period. But then everything is stored and you can pick it up whenever needed. Even after long breaks.
Try to keep this method in your mind when you need to learn something new. For work or training. This will help you to learn more easily.
