Whether you’re trying to cope with some mental health issues or educate yourself on different topics, podcasts are the way to go.
But what happens if you can’t remember anything you hear on a podcast? Try these methods to learn and remember what you hear in a podcast.
1. Take Notes When Listening to a Podcast
Making notes is an important part of everyone’s life. Take out your favorite pen and notebook or use one of the best notes apps, and write down everything in the podcast that matters to you.
Make sure to keep the writing clear. Avoid writing down everything but make your notes in a way that makes sense to you afterward.
Since it’s possible to pause podcasts, users can stop in between to write down the main points. Taking notes keeps you alert, engaged, and helps you understand the content better. That way, you will probably remember everything by the end.
Podcasts are like an ever-evolving library that comes with the latest editions. Making notes means that you are keeping track of previous episodes to connect the dots effortlessly.
2. Use Mnemonic Devices
Do you remember learning “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Potatoes”? Mnemonics are learning shortcuts to help people remember things. We have used this method from school to improve our learning capability. Different types of mnemonic devices are available in the market.
Some standard methods that these devices focus on are:
Word-based: Remember the first word of each sentence to gain fluency. Letter-based: Create an easy-to-remember sentence with the first letter of each word. Associate: Connect the mnemonic devices with someone/something that quickly appears in your mind. Chunk: Divide the information into pieces to make it memorable.
3. Pause and Comprehend What You Heard
Starting your podcast journey means entering a world of modern radios. But unlike radios, podcasts are much more interactive. Users can run a live podcast with a pause and rewind option.
Recorded versions come with both pause, rewind, and forward options. To review the content, you can pause it and comprehend what you just heard.
For users who listen to mental health podcasts or something related to fashion and beauty — anything that does not require you to take notes every time — pausing to comprehend the content is a great way to remember.
4. Replay the Podcast for Better Understanding
If a podcast means so much to you and provides essential learning material, there is no harm in replaying it as many times as you need. Replaying a podcast improves content retention and helps you remember it for longer.
There is always an option to replay and go through an episode once again. You can start from scratch, but that might be time-consuming, so it’s better to replay where you wish to start. It is a time-consuming technique as you have to go through everything again.
Apart from learning, replaying the podcast also clarifies the central concept and motivates you to learn more.
5. Discuss the Podcast With Someone Else
You cannot disregard the importance of discussion; it encourages people to learn different perspectives and enhance their skill sets rather than just receiving unidimensional information.
The discussion also enables you to see how other minds function. Since the main aim of dialogues is to allow listeners to practice what they have learned, you can grasp material much more quickly than cramming your notes.
Sit with someone with equal excitement about the podcast. You can listen, take notes and then talk about your thoughts. You can also write down some questions and elaborate your thoughts on them. Apart from learning, the discussion enhances your thinking and speaking skills as well.
6. Digest Only the Important Things
Podcasts can quickly become a tiresome chore if you go through hours of extended content and meaningless pointers. It’s better only to learn things that are useful for you. Skip through the episodes and forward them to points that can be worthwhile.
If you feel that a particular episode is not made for you, or it might not benefit you in any way, skip it and avoid wasting your time. For instance, guests in the podcast share their opinion and repeat things — is it actually worth it? You decide.
Apple podcasts has extensive controls that encourage users to listen to content that matters.
Skipping content also means refraining from stress. You can no longer dedicate hours from your already busy schedule to listening to what might not be fruitful. Learn and enjoy the things that actually matter and bring value to your learning experience.
7. Keep Learning About the Subject
Podcasts are a series in audio form. Like you start enjoying Netflix shows after a while, podcasts also take some time to develop interest, and they never stop evolving. You can search for one topic and learn from so many podcasts.
Listen to all the details, research the intent behind each episode and follow the series to learn new stuff. As you expand your knowledge and horizon, it will become easier to memorize things, talk about the concepts and apply them in your daily life.
Consistent learning also opens your doors to new perspectives and increases motivation. Use podcast discovery apps to learn more about what you like. Who knows, maybe you can start your own podcast one day.
Take yoga, for instance. Do you think one episode is enough to give you all the material to become a yogi? You must focus on more episodes to take your skill to the next level.
Listen to Podcasts and Learn More Every Day
Podcasts are an interesting way to keep users engaged. You learn the material by establishing different protocols.
Older methods like notes and mnemonics are good for keeping you entertained and focused. You can also bring the discussion to the table, a relatively modern method that enhances your speaking skills.
Podcasts constantly evolve, so users should maintain a learning and motivational mindset to seek benefits. Try not to burden yourself with unnecessary content that makes podcasts seem tedious.
