(Ep. 24) READ TO UNDERSTAND

Have you ever gone in to write an exam and you just 'offloaded' all the answers needed to pass the exams into your answer sheet, and then, the next moment you are unable to remember the information you just 'offloaded'? The reason is because you didn't read to understand. You only crammed the information.

Many students fall into this category. They do not read to understand. As a result, they find it difficult to remember.

Is Cramming that Bad?

While cramming can sometimes be of great benefit, it is not a good way to study, if your aim is to understand what you are reading. Some students, however, have mastered this process of cramming and use it to their benefits, especially to pass exams.

Cramming is simply trying to learn a lot of information within a very short period of time. In cramming, you just mug up the information within a short time, especially when about to write an exam.

Cramming can be very useful in emergency test/exam preparations and this has helped many students in passing exams. It is, however, not a reliable way of studying. You could forget a word and with that, you have forgotten the entire sentence or text. It's so unreliable.

Besides, cramming involves a lot of unnecessary mental and emotional stress because you are trying to force the brain to carry far more information than it can carry per time. This can make learning difficult.

Cramming does not take information to the long term memory storage. It keeps the information in the short term memory centre. Thus, you are more likely to forget what you mugged up just within a couple of days or even hours.

Understand What You Read

If you want to understand what you are reading, it is important you avoid cramming information as much as possible. Do well to read to understand. This ensures learning, as well as long term memory storage. Also, if you read to understand, you will be able to answer certain technical questions that require you to answer a question technically and in the way you understand.

As a university student that you are currently, I recommend that you read to understand. Avoid cramming as much as possible. 

Tips to Reading to Understand.

In order to read to understand, you need to do the following.

1. Read Actively: 

Engage what you are reading. Ask questions as you read. Connect statements. Try painting a mental picture of what is being studied

2. Focus 

Avoid distractions. Switch off your phone or put it on silence mode. Stay away from social media while reading. Put away every form of distraction. Also, avoid wondering thoughts. Put your mind into what you are reading

3. Take notes 

Writing down what you read in your own words aids your understanding and retention

4. Ask yourself questions.

Ask questions based on what you read. Try to remember without looking at your books. Try answering past questions. If it's a calculative course, solve several questions on the topic.

5. Summarize and Apply

Try doing a mental summary of what you read. If it is something you can apply in your everyday life or in your practice or in your course work, try applying.

These points are not exhaustive. You are more likely to recall during exams if you read to understand.

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."; Proverbs 4:7

Now that you are a student, read to understand.

✌️ 💕 

Dr Tochukwu Onu, PT