Step 2: Think of What You Already Know

You might ask: Why do I need to do this? If I already knew something, why bother researching it? When you think about what you already know, you’re preparing your brain to make connections between the information you already know and new information. Making connections is the best way to remember new information as well as checking to make sure what you read makes sense. For example, you might know that there are different types of wasps but that you just learned that European Hornets are the only type that will fly at night. Or perhaps you knew that wasps were social insects but didn’t know that female workers were the only type of wasp that leaves the hive to find food. Connecting this new information to what you already know will help you remember it.