It is one thing to be able to grasp new concepts quickly and effectively but retaining and transferring that information accurately is something that most of us have trouble with. Here are some tips that may be able to help you expand your ability to recall previously learnt information.

1) Do not multi-task when learning or doing something new. Multi-tasking means that you are not focused on the task at hand, making it difficult to understand, much less store the information accurately in mind. By switching from one activity to another, you will learn more slowly, become less efficient and make more errors.

2) Find different ways to learn. Use more than just one out of your five senses. For instance, instead of simply reading or listening to a podcast, describe what you have learnt to a friend or draw it out in a mindmap. This will help your brain connect better with the new data, allowing you store information much more effectively.

3) If you forget something, look it up again. Do not struggle to dig up a piece of information that has been accidentally buried. A study conducted by psychologist Karin Humphreys and Amy Beth Warriner suggests that the more time you spend trying to remember the correct answer, the more likely it will be forgotten again in the future.

4) Speed read. People mistakenly believe that speed reading causes you to miss vital information. In actual fact, speed reading results in filtering out irrelevant information. Slow reading actually hinders the ability to absorb general ideas. However, do note that technical subjects do require a slower pace of reading. Try the free Spreeder web-based application to test out your reading speed at www.spreeder.com.