Preventing too much info from overwhelming you

<p>I’ve done this before, but when I limit my eye sight to the tip of a pen(Moving my pen across as I read), I find myself speed reading so well on passages and catching KEY details on math questions(ie words like NOT, FALSE). The human brain doesn’t do too well when looking at a lot of things and taking stuff in. </p>

<p>Think about it like this: at a party, you hear everyone’s individual words and conversations, every detail, but you don’t understand a single word because it’s how your brain perceives it, and you only take in things that are salient. If someone talks about YOUR name or your girlfriend’s name, you immediately pick it up and pay attention. Still, you have trouble picking up your name since you have so many other things(people) going on. If you then try to listen for only your name, you can find it easier because you’re limiting your brain to just that. </p>

<p>What do you guys think about it?</p>

<p>I agree. Like sometimes you’ll see a math problem with a bunch of ‘x’ and ‘y’ symbols, and the problem’s like half a page long, and your brain is going “Oh crap oh crap oh crap!!” And then you look at it, and it’s actually really easy. :)</p>

<p>Brilliant. I wished I had thought of that during the test. Where were you? How dare you keep such information to yourself and make the lower folk suffer? ;)</p>