Most things people see or hear on an average day enter the brain as fast as they enter. Once they take note of what they see or hear, they remember it for a bit longer. And the longer one ponders on a thought, the more it stays with them. An even higher level of clarity is offered when one is able to enunciate his or her thoughts. But the brain does not need more than a split second to interpret the input information (unless one chooses to formulate the idea into words in his or her mind). For example, you see a pretty flower and think “that is a pretty flower” conceptually first, then in words.

In my English1 class last year, my professor said numerous times that if you cannot say something clearly, you don’t know it. You might have an idea but if it cannot be out into words, it means that it is not clear in your mind.

Both of these concepts, spending time on an idea, and enunciating an idea, are extremely important for internalizing ideas. Relating to the chapter, talking over one’s experience as they are being absorbed into the brain is vital for understanding the incoming information since it involves spending time on and organizing the new set of knowledge. Asking questions is a clear sign of understanding; understanding which part of the whole body of knowledge is missing. This is another important step towards advancing the ideas to more complicated levels. This is also the reason all of the college professors I’ve had so far for biology and chemistry have practically begged their students to study for tests in groups.

I found the way the author broke up the different types of statements during learning experiences very interesting. It makes identifying one’s level of understanding of the topic at hand easier.