• Get a good night's sleep or take a power nap after learning something new, to help retain and retrieve memories better. Sleep deprivation and acquisition of too much information will not help you save those memories.
• Get moving, to improve the flow of oxygen-rich blood in your brain and to trigger neuron growth and new connections in the brain - critical for memory.
• Improve your diet. Fats from food can build up the brain, resulting to poor blood flow.

Any system or device designed to aid memory:

• patterns of letters or words (common mnemonics)
• ideas (memory palace)
• associations (chunking)

Taking a structured approach to note-taking is the best way. Put the outline notes by choosing four or five key points of the lecture, followed by in-depth sub-points. One way to review is to use the Cornell Method, which divides the note sheet into three sections:

• Cues: It includes key questions and main points.
• Notes: Which you write during the class using the outline method. 
• Summary: Which you can write after class while reviewing.

The mind map is a visual diagram of abstract concepts.

It works best in subjects like chemistry, history and philosophy, subjects having a neural network like interlocked and complex topics. 

Our brains are wired to work on tasks serially, and not in parallel. This means that we are not wired for multitasking - we are good at focusing on one thing at a time.

The problem is, there are so many distractions these days that we've unconsciously trained our brains to not be good at focusing.

Commit to what you want to study on a particular day, or for a few hours. Limit the number of tasks/distractions/subjects so that you keep your intense focus and actually complete the tasks you started.

Learning how to learn is critical for everyone. Most of us have to deal with a changing world and to learn how to manage tons of new information.

However, most of our learning methods are outdated and far from optimal. It may even be giving us an illusion of learning, like re-reading and highlighting that don't provide proper feedback to show what you haven't learned.

Focused and diffuse modes provide two models for how we develop, elaborate, deepen and broaden connections. Both methods are important.

• The focused mode of learning is about bringing related concepts together into a unit, called a chunk. 
• The diffuse mode operates through a wider net of connecting general ideas across different fields. We use this diffuse mode while we sleep, exercise or daydream.

It is imperative to sleep 7 to 9 hours for most adults.

An alarm clock or phone alarm can interfere with the body's sleep cycle to wake us up before a cycle is completed. It is healthier to sleep while not being simulated and wake up naturally.

Apart from rest, it is crucial to have a daily exercise routine and get some sun exposure regularly.

Human beings are designed to move and be in the sun, trekking and toiling for hours. If you are feeling tired, walking outside in nature and getting some sun will help.

Spacing out the repetition, rather than cramming it into one session, is more effective. To use this learning technique:

• Start by establishing a manageable study schedule. 
• Choose a method for storing and organizing information. 
• Don’t forget to test yourself periodically. Tracking your progress will boost your motivation to continue.

In addition to solidifying what we’ve already learned, reflection also helps spark new ideas. And it usually happens when you're not working.

Our most creative ideas don't come when we're consciously focused on the problem. but when we're interacting with people, gaining experiences and letting our minds make connections.

Cognitive activities like crossword puzzles, reading or playing music may delay memory decline among people who eventually developed dementia.

It happens when a person is in a situation where they are anxious that they may conform to a negative stereotype aimed at his or her social group.

Positive stereotypes, or success on previous memory tasks, can help combat this negativity. 

A big part of our forgetting is related to a healthy functioning of our memory: our brains select what’s important and dismiss the rest.

Studies show that forgetting plays a positive role in how the brain works - forgetting has the potential to increase long-term retention, information retrieval and performance.

When you deliberately remember something you’ve learned or came across recently, you signal to your brain that it needs to hold onto that piece of information.

When you are exposed to the same information multiple times, it takes less time to trigger and set in motion the information in your long-term memory and it becomes easier for you to fetch the information when you need it.

When you give yourself a few minutes to rest and think about what you just read,  you're allowing your brain to better connect the new information to what you've already done or understood.

You stand a better chance of the new memories being more powerful and easier to retrieve.

When you can remember information from your content better, you actually can end up saving time. 

You don't have to go back and look up as many facts or ideas, and you can apply the information on the fly better.