Study Skills - Use your memory effectively!

We have all felt overwhelmed by school at some point. That there was no way we could learn all of the material we needed in such an impossibly short period of time. Maybe it was your Intro Bio class when you learned the entirety of the human body in 6 weeks, or Gen Chem when Organic Chemistry was taught in four weeks. Or maybe when you had a cumulative final in a Math class that just finished going through a 400 page text book. We all know that in large, introductory courses, hundreds of pages of material are crammed into a few weeks, and every student can begin to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information. Because there is so much to know, many go about studying the wrong way. Below is a little advice on how to use your memory that might help your students study more effectively in their courses.

John is a pretty typical student taking a large introductory course. He really wants to do well, and is spending a lot of time studying. What is wrong with John’s study strategy?

Although there are some good things about John’s study habits, this is a very passive way of studying. It is also boring! John is going to get distracted easily. Studying ACTIVELY is much more effective.

Keys to using your memory effectively:

• ·        Structure
• ·        Repetition
• ·        Different Memory Types
• ·        Studying Actively

Structure:

Take 20 seconds to memorize the words on each list.

Repetition:

Retention improves with repetition. The things that are most difficult to remember need the most repetition.

**Indicate in your notes what you find difficult to remember so you can spend more time on it when you are reviewing for your exam.

Types of Memory:

•      Kinesthetic Memory – memory from movement (ie writing)

•      Auditory memory – listening (ie commercial jingles)

•      Visual memory – images, color, etc (ie remembering pictures on a page)

**We usually have a preference for one type of memory, but for best results try using a variety of strategies!

Study Actively!!

Reading and listening are PASSIVE activities (Passive à low concentration à less retention)

Study Actively with your books closed!

 If we study with our books open we tend to trick ourselves into thinking we know more than we do.

Always read through the text but then CLOSE THE BOOK when talking, writing, etc.

BEST WAYS TO STUDY ACTIVELY:

·        WRITE – be efficient because writing is slower than talking, so use abbreviations and shorthand

·        MAKE MIND MAPS – Visually connect different concepts

·        TALK – Teach an imaginary audience. Recitation is a very powerful study technique – it involves hearing, speaking and thinking and provides immediate feedback as to whether or not you know the material