How to Remember Everything You Read

About this video

• Video Title: How to Remember Everything You Read
• Channel: Justin Sung
• Speakers: Justin Sung
• Duration: 00:26:12

Overview

This video introduces a system for remembering and applying information effectively, emphasizing that the goal isn't to remember everything, but to remember what's important. It breaks down the learning process into two stages: consumption and digestion, and introduces the PACER acronym (Procedural, Analogous, Conceptual, Evidence, Reference) to categorize information and guide the appropriate digestion strategy for each.

Key takeaways

• Two Stages of Learning: Effective learning involves both consuming information (stage one) and digesting it (stage two). Focusing solely on consumption, like reading faster, is less effective than balancing both stages.
• The PACER System: This acronym categorizes information to guide the learning process:
  • Procedural: Information on "how to do" something. The key to mastering it is practice.
  • Analogous: Information related to existing knowledge. The process is to critique the analogy to deepen understanding.
  • Conceptual: Information on the "what" and "why," including theories and principles. Mapping and non-linear note-taking are recommended.
  • Evidence: Detailed facts, statistics, or cases that support conceptual points. The process is to store and rehearse.
  • Reference: Nitty-gritty details that are not central to understanding but may be needed for recall. The process is to store and use spaced repetition (e.g., flashcards).
• Balance Consumption and Digestion: It's more effective to spend less time consuming and more time digesting information to improve retention and reduce forgetting.
• Critiquing Analogies: When information is analogous to existing knowledge, actively critique the analogy by examining similarities, differences, and its limitations to strengthen understanding.
• Mapping for Conceptual Knowledge: For conceptual information, creating a map or a non-linear network of ideas helps in understanding the connections between concepts, mirroring how experts organize knowledge.