My friend James did some first-aid training last week to learn the fundamentals of the CPR. And he asked if I'd ever done the same.
"Yes," I said, "... and no."
Because, yes, I've attended several resuscitation （复苏） sessions over the years. In fact, despite being shown all the key information at various points in my career, I don't think I can remember any of it now.
What's the problem? Every time I've had this type of training, it's been a perfectly good opportunity to learn: an important topic, taught well, in a focused environment, with plenty to see, hear and do. I've always taken it seriously, too, and been focused. And I've always come away with a wealth of information.
Here's what I should have done—and what you can do now—to make sure any training doesn't go to waste.
• You might be surprised to find that you've got some foundations of knowledge to build on. Pre-testing sparks your curiosity and puts you in a frame of mind to remember.
• Challenge your recall later. If it's hard to remember, but just about possible with effort, then that's perfect. You need that little bit of struggle to start embedding （把……嵌入） information in your brain.
• Keep coming back. Put a note in your diary to test yourself again in a week, then ten days after that, then a month on—leaving longer gaps between checks.
Talking to James has inspired me to book myself onto yet another CPR course. But this time I'm determined to do it right. Remember that it's the next day when the real training begins.
A.Test yourself before you start.
B.Wait a day, then see how much you still know.
C.Stay curious about what you are eager to know.
D.All the basic information has stuck in your mind.
E.But no, I don't exactly feel "trained" to save lives.
F.Yet virtually nothing has ever made it to my long-term memory.
G.Use the questions you wrote on the day to keep challenging yourself.
