“I read for long hours but the book doesn’t enter my brain”. This is the complaint I have been receiving from students lately.
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Many students are facing this challenge. If this is your problem, continue reading because it will be fully addressed in this article.
Now, It is one thing to study for long hours without losing concentration while it is another thing to remember and understand what you have read.
The only thing that makes reading for long hours sweet is when you remember everything in the exam hall. For every positive input, there should be a multiplied positive output.
At this point, a very good question comes to mind, what should I do when I study hard but the book doesn’t seem to stick to my brain? Let’s take the solutions one after the other.
1. Check What Enters Your Brain
According to Newton’s third law of motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. That is to say, actions and reactions are equal and opposite.
You may be asking, how does this change the price of garri in the market or solve my problem? It does. If book is not entering your brain, then something else is entering. That is the reaction I am talking about here.
Having so many things on your mind while reading can really affect your power of assimilation. If there are issues that need to be resolved, do that before picking a book to read. It could be worries, happiness, depression, and so on.
I have noticed that most persons who complain that to me that book doesn’t enter their brains have five things in common viz:
- Strong passion for something else, e.g music and dance.
- Emotional challenges ranging from heartbreak to neck break.
- Grudges in their heart or too much joy.
- Have many tasks at hand (i.e combining studies and other things).
- They are not properly informed about what they are studying.
If any of the above is in your brain, there is a chance that the book will refuse to enter. Try to put them aside and face your book. Few hours of reading with focus can help you understand and remember. Take it easy, it is not by duration but by donation.
2. Relax Your Brain A Little
You can’t eat your cake and expect to have it. It is imperative you relax your brain after daily activities. The more you stress yourself, the more your brain gets weak at that instant of time. Do not do study in that situation. Relax your brain a little.
You can now pick a book to study after much much relaxation or sleep. This will help you retain content in your brain. Also, it is advisable you relax your brain at intervals when you are studying for long hours
How long do I need to relax my brain before I begin to study? It is actually relative and varies for individuals. Telling yourself the trust is honesty but telling others is integrity. It is the truth you tell yourself that determines your freedom. You alone know when you are fit to continue studying.
3. Experiment With Your Brain
The best way to discover and maximize your potentials is by experimenting with different life situations. For some, they understand during the day, for others it is during the night. Some students like to study in noisy environment while others like to study in the library.
There is no best environment or whether to study. Experiment with all possible situations and see how many of them work for you. This is what we call permutation and combination in mathematics.
In addition, it is good you have the habit of discernment. Check what you do that affects your power of comprehension. Someone complained that masturbation makes him lose imaginative and retentive power. For you, it may be a particular association or something else. Remember, the unexamined life is not worth living (Socrates).
4. Check Your Use of Earpiece or HeadSet
Is it bad to use earpiece when reading? Absolutely no. In fact, in my article on how to study for long hours without losing concentration, I made reference to using earpiece once in a while to take away sleep.
However, using earpiece/headset while studying can concentrate noise in your earlier. This will send signal of confusion to your brain and ultimately make what you are reading not to enter your brain. This is especially true when you are reading non-calculation courses.
For calculation courses (e.g Mathematics and Physics), using an earpiece might be helpful. It all depends on you and what works best for you .
5. Love The Book
Don’t get it twisted, love is a beautiful thing. It is either you fall in love or fall into trouble. What you love will always be attracted by you.
No matter how you try to paint it, the fact remains that the books you love tend to enter your brain easily. You will always struggle with the courses or subjects you don’t like.
I have treated how to develop a positive attitude towards every subject in my article on how to fall in love with mathematics and the famous post on how to understand difficult courses. It is essential you go through them.
6. Review How You Read
So long the earth remains, your habits will always determine your habitat. The way you read will determine whether the book will enter your brain or the brain of someone else.
The following reading pattern should be discouraged:
- Reading and chatting on social networks.
- Reading and discussing with someone else.
- Forcing yourself to study.
- Studying in an environment not conducive for you.
- Other bad reading habits are best known to you.
You may want to embrace the following reading style to make what you study stick to your brain.
- Reading with a serious friend and explaining to each other.
- Forming a reading/discussion group.
- Meeting someone to explain the areas that refuse to “enter your brain”.
- Reading with full concentration.
- Having a background Idea of what you are reading.
The whole idea is to ensure that you are applying the reading style that works best for you. Remember, it is your attitude that determines your altitude.
7. Be A Good Student
When you read, there are many things that will not enter your brain as a bad student.
You need to be a good student to get certain rhema stick to your brain. Want to know how this works? Quickly read my guide on how to become a good and great student.
8. Be Yourself And Appreciate Your Brain
After joining Engineering, I so much appreciate my brain which is divided into the right and left. In the right, nothing is left while in the left, nothing is right. This is on a light mood.
Now, let’s get serious. When was the last time someone told you that your are different from others? Be careful of unhealthy comparison. According to Joshua Abuwa, life is not to compete but to complete.
Appreciate your brain and give it what it needs for optimal performance. Remember, brain can neither be created nor destroyed, but giving enjoyment to the brain cells make you a better person.
9. Don’t Please Everyone
I have said this before, and I will say it again. The best way to please nobody is to please everybody. When you directly please everyone, you are indirectly pleasing no one. Don’t harm yourself by making other happy.
Do not let anyone make you to do what will affect your study life. It is better they hate you and you finally succeed than for you to be liked as a failure.
No wonder Muammadu Buhari made a statement, “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”.
10. You Need A Mentor
A mentor sets you free from tormentors. Meet someone who you want to be like and who has a solution to your problem and look up to him.
You need a mentor to go far. I explained this in my article on five persons you need to succeed in academic and business. If you do not have someone you look up to, you will look down on everybody.
You may want to read the complete steps to remember 90% of everything you read here.
If you find this article helpful, Do not fail to share with friends using the share buttons or drop your comment below.
Blehsin says
This is encouraging
I like it !
U were hitting the nails on the head
Mathematics has always being a problem to me
has never ever entered bfor
Still really dont know what to do about it, buh i guess this would help
Thanks
Blehsin says
This is encourage
I like it !
U were hitting the nails on the head
Mathematics has always being a problem to me
has never ever entered bfor
Still really dont know what to do about it, buh i guess this would help
Thanks
Jonah Nma says
Thanks Mr. Isaac, your posts are encouraging, God bless you with more wisdom.
loveth Chi gal says
but sir I want to ask a question.
can one go to school n become a graduate without a sponsor, without a help from d family members.
Loveth Chi Gal says
thank you so much sir ur words are encouraging. I appreciate Sir
temitayo says
ur words are encouraging thanks so much
Isaac Inegbenehi says
You welcome
Peter Micah says
Thanks bro.As in you have say everything someone needs to be successful in the educational scheme
Anonymous says
this is really encouraging thanks bro nice one
nice i love this says
nice i love this
Isaac Inegbenehi says
Thanks dear
Uchechukwu says
It’s interesting, I hope I will keep receiving jamb informations any time I check on this site.
Isaac Inegbenehi says
Sure!
Tim berners says
I appreciate that
ODION GODSWILL OHIMAI says
I thank God for this now i know what to do
Isaac Inegbenehi says
Good
Kelechi says
pls sir I need a mentor how do I get one
Isaac Inegbenehi says
You have to choose who you really admire and want to look up to. Mentors are always around, both online and offline.
ambition says
hmmm tank u so much sir for the unique enlightment you have laid on,I appreciate ur effort.
Isaac Inegbenehi says
I am glad you like it
Peace says
I need a mentor pls how do I have one
Thanks.
Isaac Inegbenehi says
You are in the best position to choose a mentor. Meet someone you admire and tell the person about it. It could be by sending him/her message online.
Trishajoy says
Thanks so much.was really helpful. God bless you
Isaac Inegbenehi says
You welcome
Shukroh says
Thanks Alot Bro, I’ll Embark On The Remedies You Listed Up There. Tnks So Much!
Isaac Inegbenehi says
You welcome
Sotubo magret says
Tnx bros
akpelu john says
i enjoyed ur advices, kudos to you
Isaac Inegbenehi says
Thanks dear
idrisbashiru says
should I drop mine pls
Okunade Adepet says
Thank you sir, we are so greatfull
Isaac Inegbenehi says
You welcome
idris bashiru says
bro please I really need your help on my waec result pls, I will be glad if we can talk about it on whatsapp pls pls pls
Grace says
Great one. Keep it up
Isaac Inegbenehi says
Thanks dear
Benson says
thank u so much
Isaac Inegbenehi says
Welcome
Ibrahim Mahmoud Labaran says
Thanks a lot bro. This is so helpful.
Isaac Inegbenehi says
I am glad you like it