Better Memory Equals More Effective Study
In many ways, study skills are synonymous with memory skills. Your study will only get you better test grades if it leads to your memorizing the material for which you’ll be quizzed. So let’s take a look at some tips that are sure to improve your memory and make your study time more effective.
TIP #1: Over-learn the material rather than learning it just well enough to pass the test. If you’re like most students, you’re probably tempted to study material until you get a single error-free recitation of it. But to really memorize it well enough to ensure that you know it for the test, you need many error-free repetitions.
TIP #2: Use the word-substitution method. This is good for memorizing information which is difficult to visualize. For instance, the word thermodynamics could be turned into the two words, Thermos and dynamite. Now you can create a visual image of a piece of dynamite carrying its Thermos to work–to remind you that thermodynamics is the conversion of energy and heat to do work.
TIP #3: Create your own handouts. Did you ever wonder why your instructors give you handouts with maps, outlines, diagrams, etc.? It’s because visual aids help solidify information in your memory. So even if they don’t give you the necessary handouts, you can create the same effect by making your own handouts.
TIP #4: Desecrate your textbooks. Your class books are not collector’s items; they’re made to be used and abused. So underline, highlight and jot down important key words as you read through the chapters. Just don’t go overboard with it. Remember: emphasizing everything emphasizes nothing.
TIP #5: Create practice tests and take them before the real thing. This does more than to check if you’re ready for the real exam. It’s a known fact that your memory is enhanced when you engage in retrieval practice (recalling data from your long-term memory). And taking a test is an excellent retrieval practice.
TIP #6: Teach the material to somebody else. Set an appointment with a friend, preferably from the same class, when you will teach him some challenging material from the unit and when he will teach you something else challenging. Knowing that you have to teach it to someone else makes the information more important to you. And it’s a known fact that we remember the things we consider important.
There are other things you can do to improve your memory, but these six should do a lot to make sure that your study time is effective time.
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this post is very usefull thx!
great post as usual!
I am shocked to be writing a comment on any post, but this one was so easy to read and right on with your points, I had to write! You should be writer of the year with this one!
this post is very usefull thx!