Make a connection between new information and things you already know. For example, try to think of where you have seen or heard something before. Think of something familiar that it resembles. That way, you visualize it and understand the information better. Because you actively create an image of the information, you also store it better in your long-term memory. It helps to ask yourself questions: how do things work, how are things put together, and why do they work that way? Then look for the answers in your study material and discuss the answers with your classmates. As you process the study material, you make connections between different ideas. You can then explain how they are connected and interact with each other.
Brown, P. C., Roediger III, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make It Stick. The Science of Successful Learning. The Journal of Educational Research, 108(4), 346.