Organization is one of the most important mechanisms supporting your memory. Tree diagrams, for example, include categories and sub-categories, all linked so that one idea gets to several others and each of those gets to several others, etc. Think about the way the typical house is built. It is only after the frame is up that you can begin to add the windows and doors, insulation, inside walls, electrical and heating systems, and paint. Reviewing the course goals or seeing the objectives for a particular lesson can help you with this overview, especially when you got lost or the class gets sidetracked on some tangent.
Linkages can also help.
Connect new information to what you already know. Look for ties to earlier points or readings. Reviewing for exams can help you see these. Getting a preview of where a class is heading is like the advance organizer described above. In the section on development, we mentioned the work of Jean Piaget and his use of the concept of assimilation to describe that process of incorporating new information into the way you think about things.