I am finding it very hard to retain information I need to learn. I have a 900+ page book to study for an exam and I have gone through the first two chapters at least 4 times and taken the chapter review exams. I just cannot get it. It is very, very dense material (110 pages just in the first 2 chapters) and so much is covered in each chapter that by the time I get to the end, and the test, I can’t remember the first part of the chapter. I just read chapter 2 and immediately took the review rest, 20 questions, and I got 5 wrong and couldn’t even answer another 4 of them.

I’ve never had problems like this. I am not just reading, I write notes as I go, think of tricks to remember things but, it’s not working. I feel so defeated every time I do these two chapters again, and again, that I just want to give up.

Don't give up! As we get older our learning methods change, just like our metabolism changes...Now I read the material onto a digital recorder, make a cd and play it back in the car...for a short cut see if they have it in an audio format. However, reading it aloud is part of the audial tool for learning and remembering. For some people writing it verbatim works...I hope this helps. Good luck.

I've been studying a lot too (currently taking pharmacology - required to become a registered nurse).
One thing that sometimes helps if I'm not "getting it" is to rephrase your notes as a question.
Another thing is to go to the end of the chapter, read the questions & maybe take a few notes on the questions, then go back and read the sections of the chapter that pertain to that question and figure out the answer as you go.
It also helps to tell someone (even if it's the dog or cat - stuffed animal if you don't have real ones) about what you've just read. It sticks in your head longer if you try to explain it to someone else.
If it's a subject that you can sketch diagrams of, that might help too. I've had to draw pictures of kidneys, heart, etc and draw arrows pointing to what part of the body certain drugs effect and what they do ... increase or decrease heart rate, increase or decrease blood pressure, etc.
Removing distractions also helps (or turning off TV, computer) ... and here I am instead of studying! LOL!
Hope that helps. Don't give up, you'll "get" it. :thumbup:

I also have the book on my Kendall and I have had it read to me. It hasn't helped.

What is that supplement that is supposed to help with memory?

Maybe I should take one small section and do it over and over until I can't possibly (!) forget it.

ginko
i have adhd and didn't find out tll i was 34, what a relief it was when i found out, it's easier to deal w/whenyou know what's going on
good luck

You did not mention what the subject is -

What if you "just" read the next two or three chapters - if you have time - and then come back to the first ones.

Sometimes I need to know more before I "get" what the the first part was about.

(Okay, so I process bass-ackwards, sometimes.)

This was a trick I used when I went to nursing school. I would also set it to play as I went to sleep. Amazing how much it helps!

It's networking. Chapter 2 is about DoD (Department of Defense) and OSI modeling, what protocols are used at each of 11 layers, what each does and how it works, what ports are used for what process, the classes of IP addresses, what ranges for each class, etc. etc. etc. All in one chapter.

What if you think of it in the same way as building a complex quilt block?

Edited - great minds - look at the times of these last two posts!