How to retain what you read?

Hello everyone,

I have been reading a lot since joining an investment firm last year (books, past investment memo, research reports, news, etc.). However, one thing I notice is that I do not really retain much from what I read. I started taking notes but it did not work well. What do you usually do to effectively retain information from what you read? If you take notes (I guess most of you do), how do you take notes, and do you use any tools or software to help you with that?

Thanks

 
matayo:

I'd like to hear other people's opinions on this as well.
Currently reading Piketty's book, but retaining close to nothing.

This is a positive - nothing worth retaining.

Anyways, don't just take notes but review them as well. Spark conversations with colleagues on topics worth remembering to gain their insight and processing their opinions should make you understand and retain more.

 

not sure i'm understanding all the negative impressions of piketty's book it's lauded to be groundbreaking you know, right?

is it the thesis you disagree with? or the methodology

.
 

Love to get others takes on this as well. For me, a long time ago, I realized that much of what we read is fluff in that the major content could be a quarter of the writing if not less (not always the case though) and so I rarely "read" an article or anything all the way through. I think it goes back to mental capacity in terms of how much information the brain can hold. If you read every word of a 4,000 word report and only 500 words are useful information, you is trying is trying to remember 500 words out of 4,000 words which is a lot harder that remember 500 important words out of 750 words that you actually read because you skipped the information that wasn't important and so I take the approach of skim until I find something important to read. It seems to work for me very well. Taking notes and those kind of methods are good but taking notes on fluff information does not end up being helpful.

 

I've had problems with this as well, would be interested to hear others' strategies. A good solution might be to restrict your consumption of news content. Another solution is try to read as many books as possible, which I find helps to lengthen your attention span, concentration and ultimately comprehension. Another solution might be meditation to help you gain more control over your thought patterns and structure your thinking.

 
diverse_kanga:

I've had problems with this as well, would be interested to hear others' strategies. A good solution might be to restrict your consumption of news content. Another solution is try to read as many books as possible, which I find helps to lengthen your attention span, concentration and ultimately comprehension. Another solution might be meditation to help you gain more control over your thought patterns and structure your thinking.

I'll second this. I read through the WSJ everyday, and by read I mean skim. I'm only looking for articles that provide valuable insight, teach me something I didn't know before, or possible investment ideas. You'll only waste time by reading the whole thing when you're not going to remember most of it anyways. Spend time on the things that matter like a book teaching you a new skill or some history of the markets. Best to spread out the reading for informational books over several days and only read in short stints to retain the info.

 

To retain, especially in an essay or analysis format document: I start with the headings, read them all, then I read the first and last section (like bookends) I then decide, based on what I now know about the total condense, what sections I will now need to read in order to derive the information I require. It’s the fluff that kills your retention. Find what you need to read and read only that.

GTAA Mistmaker
 

1) I do a quick overview of the material, read headings, and skim 2) Read more in depth, and take notes. When I feel myself zoning out, I take a step back and take a break for a minute or two.

 

I like to jot down important themes or ideas by either copy/pasting the sentence into a word document or creating a sentence that's the most important takeaway of the chapter. Also I have been blessed with good retention which helps. The best way to memorize is to take any concept and make the idea personal. Use some pictures to associate with the certain idea if that helps. Then, try recalling that idea later that day or the next day.

On a side note, I used some of these techniques when memorizing the order of cards which is somewhat of a magic trick spoiler. You assign each diamond/club/spade/heart to a certain theme like elements, race, etc. Then for each number you assign a certain picture or action. Then, after like 48 cards you can figure out which 4 are missing by going through your created story. It's pretty cool once you try it a couple of times.

 

I second the idea of writing down the 2 or 3 most important arguments of an article to remember them. Especialy if you read those sentences once again at night before going to sleep.

It's also true that regarding news less is more. Don't read more than 4 or 5 articles everyday, depth is better than quantity.

 

A few tips that have helped me (though much room for improvement):

  • Read fast to only focus on the meat
  • Take notes on the side (or in onenote, etc.)
  • Especially this - after you read, teach yourself out loud what you just read. Give a succinct summary, think of questions to ask yourself, pretend like you are teaching it. This will help pull the info in a logical manner and reinforce it in your mind.
 
Best Response

As my first post I will provide some tips I learned during my communicology education:

The brain retains information in 4 ways: Through audio, feeling, seeing and taste. The best way to remember information is to reinforce the mental information through associations. For this purpose it is important to associate different strings of information with information you already know.

i.e. 1) When you read an update note on APL, reinforce that memory by directly connecting it to what you know about the company from before. Work through though patterns and streamline information. i.e. First this happened, then that happened and now this!?

2)Creating mental pictures will vastly improve your memory. i.e. if APL is launching a new phone and had operating issues leading to shipment delays. What is the first picture you get in your head? Associate that with the information.

3) Use different ways of obtaining information: TV, Reading, hearing; preferably at the same time as it creates more associations.

4) Some studies suggests reading while tired improves your memory of information as you dull other senses which reduces distractions. However, it reduces your attention span. (As an analyst constantly working in a sleep deprived state, I should be good, no?)

5) Taking notes: Remember the 1-1-1 rule? Review your notes after 1 day, then 1 week and 1 month.

6) I second the above: Skim reading should be 90% of your time. Focus on depth. Mentally review the text in your mind after each paragraph in your own words.

Besides from that I use several techniques i.e. The Roman Rooms. After some training I have created several rooms for each sector.(Google it!)

After teaching myself these techniques I've never read a text two times before a test.(I do review my notes though)

Hope this provides some help!

Haanil
 

I listen to "white noise" in order to focus, it helps drown out tinnitus from a lifetime of being around racecars. I'd also recommend making sure you have bright white or blue light. The right lighting can help you focus since blue and white can slow down melatonin production. I don't know if either has helped me retain more information but they make tedious reading for long periods far less stressful.

 

I can shed some light on it. 1. Stay interested. If a book is not interesting to you personally, you will retain nothing (Personally, I fall asleep if a book does not interest me). 2. Review it right after reading and the next day (English is not my first language, thus I was practicing new skills and knowledge right after classes and next morning; it was early 2008, and I still remember what I learned). 3. Association (Some of WSO users mentioned this one). 4. Picture what you read (Used it always as a kid), and recently used this technique and was pleasantly surprised that it still works nicely for me.

 
SYRYMFLASH:

I can shed some light on it.
1. Stay interested. If a book is not interesting to you personally, you will retain nothing (Personally, I fall asleep if a book does not interest me).
2. Review it right after reading and the next day (English is not my first language, thus I was practicing new skills and knowledge right after classes and next morning; it was early 2008, and I still remember what I learned).
3. Association (Some of WSO users mentioned this one).
4. Picture what you read (Used it always as a kid), and recently used this technique and was pleasantly surprised that it still works nicely for me.

You need to stop acting like a disgusting piece of trailer trash.

Keep doing that and I will verbally rip you apart in an email describing how your only intention as a professor is to sexually harass barely of-age girls.

The university needs to wake-up and get rid of you.

I would tell you to get off the internet...but clearly you have nothing better to do with your life than play dirty games with children.

 

If I'm trying to learn a fairly difficult engineering concept, I talk myself through it.

I will read something, understand it from the reading and then remember it by being able to talk about it in a brief convo through the mirror, hand gestures and all. I find it helps me condense it all down into a few key talking points and makes it all very logical.

 

Do you really need to retain most of what you're reading? Ideally, you should come away from each essay, article, or book with a few key takeaways that frame your thinking. If you need more details, then you can always revert back to the text itself.

Assuming you're reading for work, I would recommend reading as much as possible up front. Build a basic understanding of the industry, trends, companies, etc. (high level) and then use new material as a way to add to the overall narrative/thesis that you've developed.

I assume that most people don't have total recall of everything they read; rather, they process a lot of material and build an informed, nuanced opinion that is an amalgamation of a lot of different inputs. Over time, a single text becomes less and less important because a lot of the background information inherent to these standalone pieces is understood/known through prior experience. As a result, people can read more purposefully for new information or ideas that either confirm or challenge their understanding. Facts which reinforce/challenge assumptions are more likely to be remembered simply because they will trigger an intellectual or emotional reaction for the reader as the facts are processed.

In short, your long-term reading habits will have a bigger impact on your ability to retain new, relevant information than simply memorizing or trying to grasp every single fact.

 
CrimJC:

Do you really need to retain most of what you're reading? Ideally, you should come away from each essay, article, or book with a few key takeaways that frame your thinking. If you need more details, then you can always revert back to the text itself.

Assuming you're reading for work, I would recommend reading as much as possible up front. Build a basic understanding of the industry, trends, companies, etc. (high level) and then use new material as a way to add to the overall narrative/thesis that you've developed.

I assume that most people don't have total recall of everything they read; rather, they process a lot of material and build an informed, nuanced opinion that is an amalgamation of a lot of different inputs. Over time, a single text becomes less and less important because a lot of the background information inherent to these standalone pieces is understood/known through prior experience. As a result, people can read more purposefully for new information or ideas that either confirm or challenge their understanding. Facts which reinforce/challenge assumptions are more likely to be remembered simply because they will trigger an intellectual or emotional reaction for the reader as the facts are processed.

In short, your long-term reading habits will have a bigger impact on your ability to retain new, relevant information than simply memorizing or trying to grasp every single fact.

Good points. As above posters said, visualization helps me a lot. For example, if I am reading about a target, I draw a circle that represents the target either a mentally or on a page in the book and add new arrows in if some thing is going in to the target (like sources) and having arrows out if the information I read tells me that the stuff is going out from the target ..etc

At school one of my profs once said (It is AI related) that if some one walks into a room first time, they only can remember few things in the room. If they visit again, they add new information to what your brain already knows about the room etc.. may be I did not articulate well, but you get the idea.

The more you get familiarity to the content, the more your brain absorbs.

 

I like to create a map in my mind. No, not the some "Mind Temple", but a space where ideas are placed and are connected to each other in unique ways. Since it's easier for people to remember locations than facts, creating this picture in your mind should help make retaining what you are reading easier.

 

I'm sure there are some who will claim "placebo effect!", but listening to Binaural Beats + Isochronic Tones with headphones while reading does wonders for me.

There are youtube channels (audio only) for binaural beat study aids that also give links to research about brain activity/response for the apprehensive. Whether it's a placebo effect or not doesn't really matter to me. I find that I can typically consume and retain information 2-3x more effectively at times that I'm tired or just plain unmotivated. On days that I am motivated, I feel it's even more effective.

It's easy enough to track down research on the effectiveness. Check it out, decide for yourself if you think it helps or not.

 

Mortimer Adler wrote a book on how to read on how to do this. He broke reading down into four stages: 1) Elementary, 2) Inspectional, 3) Analytical, and 4) Synoptical. In Elementary reading, you're figuring out what the hell is going on - an overview. In inspectional reading, you're skimming the text to get the gist. In Analytical, you're slowly and closely reading. Finally, in Synoptical, you're reading not just the book, but books and articles about the book to gain a broader understanding.

I haven't been around long enough to post links, but a google search of How to Read a Book will give you a PDF of the book as well as a great summary from the Art of Manliness.

 

If I want to retain the info that I read. I read slowly and often re-read parts that are important 2-3x if it is a very important concept. You have to know what to read to comprehend and what just needs to be read quickly. Also, something that has also helped me, focus on taking away 1 thing, just 1 thing from each thing you read/do. Doesn't sound like much, but most people retain nothing from what they read/participate in. Regarding notes, just write down that one concept.

 

For me, as an avid reader, the best way to retain information is by reading with a genuine interest in whatever topic I'm reading about, while highlighting AND taking notes of key concepts/points. For a physical book, I'll highlight key points and stick post-it notes on the side of pages for references. If the literature is digital, I'll still highlight key phrases and have a separate word doc for short notes and page references. During the process of note taking, I only write down 1-2 partial summarizing sentences, which is relatively easy to retain. If I ever need to use any of the information, I'll simply find the note, find the page and read whatever it is I highlighted. I believe solid note taking and referencing is more important in the research process than actually retaining information.

I also take an adderall, which helps greatly with focus and subsequently, retention.

Value investor working in the hedge fund industry. Portfolio Manager, Analyst at a $380+ million Texas-based value investing HF. Former Research Consultant, Analyst at a NYC-Based deep value and special situations HF.
 

This thread makes me feel good after I spent almost a month designing a study method. It really seems people never learn to properly read or manage information. Adler's book is a good start but is outdated as we have a lot more technology to help us, but he has the general framework.

I won't summarize his book as it's worth a read but basically you need to just take it slow and interact with the content in different ways. The more you play with the info, the more connections you'll make and the better memory you get. But you have to slow down your pace and practice recalling information as well to help your brain find right path to you to recall it.

This largely means you won't understand or remember most the news, because most of you don't even think it's worth the time. It also means speed reading won't commit anything to memory for the long term.

 

Just share what you have read with other people and do it more often- it might help you to retain some.

“It is our fate to be tormented with large and small dilemmas as we daily wind our way through the risky, fractious world that gave us birth” Edward O. Wilson.
 

I like to print out the important stuff. I highlight key points and jot down notes in the margins.

[quote=Matrick][in reply to Tony Snark"]Why aren't you blogging for WSO and become the date doctor for WSO? There seems to be demand. [/quote] [quote=BatMasterson][in reply to Tony Snark's dating tip] Sensible advice.[/quote]
 

what i do is if i read the book like Picketty's which has a lot of numbers in it, i highlight which i think is important data for me and whole sentences. i keep reviewing them for like 2 or 3 times in coming days.. The more i review again, the more information sticks with me.. sometimes, if a book is interesting for me, i even review once after a month personally, for me, taking notes in another notebook doesn't work.. i write everthing on the book itself..

 

What works for me is trying to connect important ideas/points from the material that I'm reading to applicable situations that I recently experienced. For example, I was reading about affect heuristics and I was able to make a connection between the way I view mainstream EDM and why I don't enjoy dancing to it as much as compared to other genres of music.

 
kamikade:

Hello everyone,

I have been reading a lot since joining an investment firm last year (books, past investment memo, research reports, news, etc.). However, one thing I notice is that I do not really retain much from what I read. I started taking notes but it did not work well. What do you usually do to effectively retain information from what you read? If you take notes (I guess most of you do), how do you take notes, and do you use any tools or software to help you with that?

Thanks

My way is hard to do... but by far this is the only thing that has worked for me...

Flashcards... digital or physical.

 

Talk about it with your analyst/PM/MD, whatever. It'll help you not only better retain the information, but put it into better context of how to understand it.

Even ask your manager what they would focus on when reading (pertaining to OM, primers, research, etc) since a lot of it is noise and not worth focusing on when you're main purpose is to garner the most practical info in order to actually utilize the knowledge you've hopefully gained.

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for freedom of thought which they seldom use.
 

Spend a lot of time reflecting upon what you read during the day and try to make related connections (this becomes easier as your 'mental database' improves over time). Sometimes you'd have to re-visit something after a week or even a year or two if it is important. This is a critical skill worth cultivating if you want to trade/ invest, regardless if its value or macro.

Taking notes is a waste of time for long term memory.

 

The best way to retain what you read is by taking quick notes and reviewing them a couple of time within the next few days of reading it, usually right before you go to bed. I use Microsoft OneNote. Brillian program, all synced via the cloud. Especially when travelling I flick through my notes and valuable lessons i wrote down. Helps remember and once you are used to taking notes it also doesn't take much longer than just reading an article.

 

Great STuff everyone, and really good topic. What I typically do that helps is Underline important sentences as I read. Just a trick to visualize and read twice. I agree with the guy about fish POil, and a "bio-hacker" buddy of mine SWEARS by MCT-OIl I just got some and I like it so far. Discussing or explaining what you read with others is probably the best wail to retain and understand something, as well as immediate reflectino. I presonally get into obsessive fits with reading, tearing through thousands of pages in short complusive spans and retaining very little of it. Here is a very interesting article abotua penonmen called deep-reading, which I have heard more and more about recently and has really been helping me. http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/102396/Our-Deep-Reading-B… HAppy Friday MOnkeys.

 

When I was going through my economics program, I made a point of playing devil's advocate the entire time I read. In other words, I was constantly trying to pick holes in arguments. By finding their weak points (or what I couldn't totally understand and struggling with it), I was able to retain far more of what I read.

When I'm reading books now, I literally go through with a pen and write out quick counter-arguments around key points. If I can't come up with one, then I'll ponder why it's right/wrong/interest. It's almost like being in a sort of contrarian mode.

Another good thing to do is to try to think out exactly how the content you're reading would apply to your job/role. For me, this literally entails doing, "Step 1: this happens, Step 2: this happens, Step 3a, Step 3b," etc. etc. That, to me, is creating a story, and stories tend to be far easier to retain.

 

Read to actively search for the main message rather than just chunk by chunk like a scanner. 80-20 rule here too; only 20% or even less of the content is useful and meaningful to remember

 

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