How do I understand (rather than memorize)

[Aurgelmir]

Overall/TLR
What ways can I represent a wall of text into a more visual and engaging experience (more out of the ordinary methods)

As I mentioned in my previous post, trying to explain it to a class mate, and having him try and explain the same or a different topic back is a great way of learning.

Movies and games are more memorable because they involve you in a way reading a non fictional book might do. So by talking about the subject you are engaging different parts of your brain to the topic and it might stick better.

Another trick I learned once, but hardly ever use is to take notes in form of little words but more drawings. Make drawings to illustrate what you are reading about, with small notes next to it. I am not sure if that helps on the memorization or the understanding though, I would guess its just the memorization though...

 

[Your Nightmare]

While I can definately see the point in what you're trying to do, I will say that reading is completely non-optional. Not sure exactly you mean by college, whether you mean A-level or university level, but certainly if it's the latter you won't be able to get past a certain point without reading, even more so if you want to go any further.

Do not completely throw everything into alternative learning methods, because there will come a point where you have to pull back and just learn to read for meaning.

That said, I often make spider diagrams to supplement my reading. It makes revision a lot easier and clearer.

Uk college, sorry.
And I'm not trying to avoid reading, just find some alternative methods which are more engaging. I know sometimes reading is unavoidable, but like the post above yours, he suggested a way in which you can make reading more engaging rather than the same old "Keep reading until it sticks"

Make jokes, especially bad ones.

My lecturer/tutor gave us a joke to remember the Lamboidal Suture in the skull. You see it's lamboidal because it's in the baaaaaaaaaaa-ck (sheep voice and all). (For anyone that doesn't get this, it's the suture between the occipital bone (the furthest back bone of your head) and your two parietal (parental, because they're above you) bones.)
I'm not kidding every single person got that question correct in the test.
She went through our tests to check just that, and all 500 and something students got it right.

I also managed to get like 98% on a test in high school when I was in year 11 and my mate got half a percent better than me because we had made jokes about the topic in class, we had carried them over into our social life and we remembered almost everything in that class with no study whatsoever.

I see where you're coming from, but I'll probably have a hard time thinking of jokes regarding Research methods ..
Nevertheless, I shall give it a go. Thanks