How to learn vocabulary with a short-term memory?

I appear to have a very short-term memory. I look up a word, and when it appears again in the text soon after, I can't recall its exact meaning, but only a vague recollection.

I am still rather young and hope there is a way to improve my perception of words. Please share your experience if you had the same problem.

When you learn a new word, you could right it down with it's definition so that it gets ingrained into your memory more. They say that writing something down makes it easier to remember.

Review you newly-acquired words from time to time. I'd suggest that reviwing words should be your second nature if you dont want to forget them. You need an electronic program for putting your words into it and reviewing them daily. There is a freeware program of Freerecall that does the job but it has a limit of 500 elements then you need to buy it for unlimited space. http://www.fullrecall.com --- it is simple and straight forward.

The more you use the words, the better chance it is for you to retain its meaning in your memory. Don't be afraid to use big words if you think this is necessary.