It doesn’t come as a surprise to you to realize that it makes no difference what you read or study if you can’t remember so. You just waste your valuable time. Maybe you have already discovered some clever ways to keep yourself against forgetting.
One dependable aid that does help you remember what you study is to have a specific purpose or reason for reading. You remember better what you read while you know why you’re reading.
Why does a clerk in a store go away and leave you when your reply with her offer to help is" No, thank you. I’m just looking" Both you and she know that if you aren’t sure what you want, you are not likely to find it. But suppose if that you say instead, "Yes, thank you. I want a pair of sun glasses. "She says," Right this way, please. "And you and she are off—neither eager to look for exactly what you want.
It’s quite the same with your studying. If you chose a book at random, "just looking" for nothing in particular, you are likely to get just that—nothing. Moreover if you do know what you want, you are almost sure to get it. Your reasons will vary; they will include reading or studying" to find out more about", "to understand the reasons for", "to find out how". A good student has a clear purpose or reason for what he is doing.
This is the way it works. Before you start to study, you say to yourself anything like this, "I’m going to skim this stow to see what life is like in medieval England. " Because you know why you are reading or studying, you relate information to your purpose and remember it better.
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