Improving Memory
Forgetting is a natural process, with the greatest losses occurring within the first 24 hours of learning. It is essential to review readings and lecture notes within one or two days of initial exposure, with brief additional reviews interspersed in later weeks. Here are some basics ways in which we memorize:
Meaningful Organization: We usually remember only five to seven items at a time. If you can organize 25 items into five groups of five, you'll find them much easier to manage. Recitation: Most of us have forgotten just how powerful this tool can be. Recitation works. When you recite something in your own words, you pay more attention. You get immediate feedback. You know if you are able to explain something in your own words out loud that you understand it. And when you hear something, you have used an entirely different part of the brain.So recite as you read, as you review your class notes, and as you study. For material which you need to remember in some detail, reciting should take up 60%-80% of your study time relative to reading. Make use of flashcards as a recitation tool of anything you need to learn. And find a partner to ask each other questions and answer out loud. Mental Visualization: Most of us remember what we see more easily than what we read or hear. If possible, determine a way to visualize each new concept. Convert it to a chart or graph; draw it; make a mental video; find out what the people you are learning about look like, or even make a description up. Association: By making a link to something you already know, you should be able to remember new information more efficiently. Ask yourself: Is this like something I already know? Does it sound like something else? Can I use it for something similar? Is it related to existing information I know? Acronyms: take the first letter of each item to be memorized and spell a word or phrase. For example, in order to remember the names of the Great Lakes, remember HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior. An example of a phrase is "Kings play chess on Friday generally speaking." This refers to the the biological classification of organisms. The most basic division is "kingdom," so the "k" in "Kings" refers to it. The next is "phylum," which "play" refers to, then "chess" is "class," "on" is "order," "Friday" is "family," "generally" is "genus," and "speaking" is "species." Rhymes, such as "i before e except after c," can enhance retention as well.
Memory is "context dependent" and "state dependent." Studying in a physical situation and emotional mood similar to the one in which you will be tested increases your chances to recall information. Make your studying situation as similar as possible to the testing situation. When possible, go review your materials in the classroom. Being too relaxed during your study time does not match the level of activation you reach during your tests (the reverse is also true-- if you get too psyched-up during your tests, you will not be able to recall your material because your test mood will not match your studying mood).
Try to memorize material for each class on a different day, so that the information for one class doesn't interfer with another. It also helps to review the night before or a few hours before the test, so there will be less chance of other information interfering with the acquisition of the test material.
Review soon, and in frequent small doses. While longer study sessions are effective for writing or for creative projects, most study is best done in short sessions with breaks (for example, study for 50 minutes and take a break for 10). As you walk to your next class, recall the main points of the lecture you just attended. Reviewing lecture notes for just five minutes after class can be a great help in recalling information later. Then review your lecture notes again that day or the next.
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