| The Art of Improving Memory |
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| The Art of Improving Memory |
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Note-Taking
Note-taking is a part of the process of learning and remembering. It helps fix the information in your mind as you organize and outline on paper the material you want to remember. Make your notes as useful as you can and organize them visually so that your mind can remember where information is as well as what it is. In this way you can sometimes visualize words and thus help to recall them. Read the LAC's electronic hand-out on The Art of Note-Taking.Repetition
The next step in the process is repetition. If you want to remember certain facts, reread your notes on those facts several times. Then put your notebook aside and write those facts down on a separate piece of paper or on index cards. You may want to use different colors for different subjects. Compare your results with the original notes to find out how much you remembered and what you have to spend more time on.
For certain kinds of memorization -- learning vocabulary words or formulas, say -- some students find that making up little flash-cards is a handy device. Write questions on one side and the answers on the other side of each flash-card. After a while, shuffle the cards and see if you still know the answers.
Using All Your Senses
Memory experts recommend using as many of your senses as possible when you are learning new information. Some suggest, for example, that you read aloud rather than silently when you are trying to memorize something because then you hear the words as you see them, and one sense reinforces the other. Try reading material into a tape recorder and then listening to it.Timing
Some experiments indicate that the best time to memorize is before you sleep rather than after. People tend to remember less of what they have studied early in the day than what they have concentrated on before bedtime. It's thought that sleep helps to set the information more firmly in your mind, while the distractions of a normal day tend to interfere with remembering what you learned in the early part of the day.
Keep in mind, though, that those experiments relate more to strict memorization than to general comprehension, so you certainly shouldn't rule out mornings as study times. But if there are a lot of dates or place names that you want to recall for a test, working on them before bedtime might prove a good strategy. Experiment and keep records of study times so you can find the best learning style for your own mind.
Concentration
One of the most useful skills you can develop is your ability to concentrate -- to pay attention and absorb the significant elements of a given situation, whether it's a lecture, class discussion, or textbook assignment. With your powers of concentration working at peak efficiency, you can devote more of your study and homework time to exploring subjects in greater depth.Paying attention in class will not only help raise your grades; it will also give you more free time for pursuing other interests. Learning to concentrate on your college studies fosters a skill that will carry over happily into every aspect of your learning and working life.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to concentration is anxiety, but there are a few simple things you can do to overcome that barrier. You can avoid a lot of anxiety by being well organized and coming to class prepared. If you do the required work as it's assigned, study and review your notes regularly, you don't have to worry about being called on in class because you can respond with confidence. More important, you can devote your full attention to the material being covered in class that day.
Being an Assertive Learner
The best way to maintain concentration is to be an assertive, active learner.
- Don't simply listen. Take notes and ask questions.
- Most students find that sitting near the front of the class and maintaining eye contact with the instructor is helpful in concentration, but that is a matter of personal preference. Find out early in your college career what works best for you. Don't shy away from the more active parts of the classroom. The more difficult you find the class, the more you want to engage yourself in the learning that is going on in that class.
- Speak up and ask for clarification if something isn't clear.
- Jot down comments and questions to yourself if the lecture prompts some train of thought you want to pursue independently (or some idea you want to approach the instructor with after class). Jot down such ideas quickly, however, and stay focused on the subject under discussion.
It's definitely to your advantage to work on overcoming whatever shyness you have about speaking up in class and asking questions. You can't be well prepared in a subject you don't understand. Remember that the only stupid question is one that isn't asked and you'll soon discover that other students had the same question and they'll appreciate you for asking it! Furthermore, it never hurts when your instructor notices that you are actively engaged in listening and trying to learn the material.
Based on material in Student Survival Guide: How to Work Smarter, Not Harder. College Entrance Examination Board. New York.
Learning Center
Capital Community College