Why taking evergreen notes can make you a better learner?
Most note-takers are not good learners. They stop at collecting information. Their knowledge is fragmented, fragile, and has little practical use.
That's because newly acquired information is only stored in the short-term memory and vulnerable to losses.
To deepen the connection with knowledge, note-takers must take initiative in converting short-term memory into long-term memory. That is, in addition to acquiring new information, they should consolidate it.
“A short-term memory's conversion to a long-term memory requires changes within the brain that protect the memory from interference from competing stimuli or disruption from injury or disease. This time-dependent process, whereby experiences achieve a permanent record in our memory, is called consolidation.”
(Source: Scientific American)
The consolidation process creates new synapses (neuron connections) which strengthen your memories while shielding them from potential losses.
This process is so powerful that even when your brain is damaged and you can't remember anything new, past memories that have been consolidated live on.
Some popular ways to consolidate knowledge include:
- Structure and organize.
- Elaborate and rehearse.
- Visualize concepts.
- Relate to something new.
- Pay extra attention to difficult information. (Source: Very Well Mind)
That's where evergreen notes come in. When you take evergreen notes, you are forced to write things down again in your own words. This creates the first layer of impression on your brain.
Then you need to sort your notes into a structure of categories, tags, and interlinks. This allows you to see how ideas are connected and deepen your understanding further.
As you add a new note, you also have to visit the old ones and create a connection, thus strengthening your memory.
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