Ask HN: How do I consciously improve my reading and retention skills?

Fiction: For fiction the best way I found is to either at the end of each chapter, or pages (before you turn the page) is to stop for a bit and think back as to what happened. This allows me to retain what I am reading. I also find this is very interesting method to help your logic skills. I tend to find as I do this I will be either thinking of what is going on and trying to think ahead, or I would try to imagine what I would do instead. Do this practice has allowed me to vividly remember a book I read years ago.

Nonfiction: For nonfiction I use two techniques that go hand in hand. The first is the same as for fiction, the only difference is that I will stop a bit more often. The second skill is to try to explain what I just read to myself, as if explaining to someone else. This is a way for me to test if I really took in the information I just read, if I find that I can't I will go back and read until I can.

Summary: I believe that if you make an effort to do this, one; you will find the books WAY more interesting, and two; you will find you brain actually mulling over what you are reading and focusing on it instead of just quickly reading and moving on.

Two books I highly recommend that can help you with improving reading and learning skills: 1) "Make It Stick" by Peter C. Brown 2) "How To Read A Book" by Mortimer J. Adler.

Good luck!

- Do I care about this article, is it useful to me next week? -> Skim read it

- Do I follow this author? -> Skim read it

- Is it news? -> Skim read it

I find that it is better off not deep diving into everything I read, and take most things with a grain of salt unless proven otherwise. This all of course depends on what you are reading, if it is all useful factual information, more consideration will be made.

If a topic interests me a lot, or an author I really trust, I will spend significantly more time reading slower. I only read nonfiction books recommended by people I follow, so I'll naturally read these slower.

For retaining information - I just use triangulation and swim in a sea of related topics. It becomes easier to tie information together later, when you've seen keywords and concepts already.

Anki is useful but I never have the time to write any flashcards down.

I think the best way to improve skills is to go through many rapid cycles of learning. Skim read, get your hands dirty with code if possible, reflect & write things in hackernews etc/talk to someone about it, repeat process as soon as possible. The faster you do this the more you can retain, read, and pickup new concepts.

After many rapid cycles take one slower cycle and spend more time reflecting on things learned

And unfortunately, my solution has been to take notes or do something else to otherwise use/process the information. Alternatively, if I can listen to the information instead of read it, I can doodle while listening and that seems to work as well.

And to be clear on notes: They don't need to be comprehensive, just notes. With some subjects (ones I find dry and boring) it also helps to summarize every so often.

I'll also point out that I know I have a limit to how much of the same subject I can take in per day. I do much better if I take actual breaks, make sure I sleep, and then do stuff again the next day. I will take entire days or weekends off and occasionally take an actual vacation from whatever subject I'm learning. I think this is why I'm likely to remember what I read on the toilet: I read a bit, take a break and think about it, and then read a bit later on.

For retention, the more times you recall the same information, the more it is ingrained in your brain. Recalling literally builds neural pathways.

http://www.human-memory.net/processes_recall.html