More than reading: an engineering approach to memorizing information without cramming

We are inundated with information—from documentation to abstract architectural concepts—and the ability to truly remember what you read is a superpower. Have you ever read dozens of pages only to remember the title a week later? If so, this text is for you. It's not about reading faster, but smarter. I'll show you a systematic way to engage your brain, turning passive reading into an active learning process.

Turn off autopilot - Why you're wasting time

We love optimization and hate waste. Yet most of us read on autopilot. You know the feeling: you reach the end of a chapter and realize that your eyes were moving, but your brain was somewhere else entirely. That's what we need to fix.

Simply scanning text is incredibly inefficient. It may take two hours, but you will barely understand or remember anything from it. Over the course of a semester, that's dozens of wasted hours, leading to more hours spent cramming before an exam — or worse, before an implementation that requires you to actually know this stuff. True memorization requires a process that forces you to interact with the meaning of the text.

Marginal note-taking—a process that forces you to think

The method that guarantees you will remember what you read is to take notes in the margins, but in a very specific way that forces you to synthesize the information. It's about summarizing. Copying text doesn't work because you can do it mindlessly. Summarizing, on the other hand, requires understanding and condensing the material.

Here is the exact procedure:

  1. Paragraphs 1 and 2: After reading each of the first two paragraphs, write one sentence in the margin summarizing its main idea. You are turning 6-8 sentences into one. This is your first line of defense in the battle to remember.
  2. Paragraph 3 (and each subsequent paragraph): Here's where things get more interesting. After reading the third paragraph, you will write two sentences:
    • First sentence (synthesis): This sentence summarizes everything that came before—from paragraph 1 up to the one you just finished. This forces you to combine old and new ideas into one coherent thought. This is the hardest part, but this is where the magic happens, building strong neural connections.
    • Second sentence (local): This sentence summarizes only the paragraph you just read (paragraph 3).

You maintain this pattern throughout the text. By the fifth paragraph, your first sentence will summarize paragraphs 1-4, and your second sentence will cover paragraph 5. This system ensures that you not only understand small fragments, but that you are constantly integrating them into a larger picture.

True efficiency: slower at the beginning, faster at the end

This method takes more time at the beginning (say, 3 hours instead of 2), but it is much more efficient in the long run.

Why? Because the time you spend reading translates directly into top-level comprehension and eliminates the need for cramming. Instead of spending 25 hours frantically reviewing at the end of the project, you'll only need 2 hours to review your condensed margin notes.

By the way, if you're looking for shortcuts, speed reading is a scam. Studies (including some funded by NASA) have repeatedly shown that methods such as “V-shaped reading” result in the same level of retention as regular skimming. The order of words matters for meaning, and trying to skip them is just a waste of time. Focus on thinking about the material, not just quickly absorbing it.

Happy marginalizing!