| Overlearn
the material |
Short-term
memory is not very effective in test situations. Our short-term memories have
limited capacities and do not respond well under stress. Long-term memory is much
more reliable in stressful situations and long-term memory has an unlimited capacity.
Moving information from short-term to long-term memory requires time, energy,
understanding and repetition. When you are studying material, study it multiple
times using different study techniques. Also vary the order in which you study the
material. The "recency effect" says that we remember what we heard or
learned last the best. The "primacy effect" says that we remember what we
heard or learned first the best. If we always study material in the same order, the
same material is always first, last and in the middle. It is likely that one will
have the least recall of the information from the middle of study session so it is
important to study this information first or last some of the time. |
| Adjust
your attitude about learning |
If
you find a subject boring or uninteresting, it will be harder to learn. If you are
taking flying lessons to become a pilot, you will tend to pay close attention to the
instructor because learning the material is very important for your safety. While
classes do not present the same life or death concerns, try to have a positive attitude
about your classes because it will enhance your ability to recall the information.
If you believe something is going to difficult and you will never learn it, it probably
will be difficult to learn the material. Wanting to learn the material and believing
that you can will contribute to the ease with which the material is learned. |
| Practice
multiple techniques for each class |
Use a variety of study techniques to learn the material. If you are
trying to learn how to solve math or engineering problems, do the problem, talk yourself
through the problem to ensure that you understand how you got from Step A to Step B to
Step C, and then review the process with a friend. If you are trying to learn
material from a chapter in a sociology book for a test, use SQ3R to read the chapter,
review your class notes periodically, and write new terms on note cards that you carry
with you and review when you have a few idle minutes. There are many techniques that
can be used for different classes. The same techniques are probably not the most
useful techniques for all of your classes so it is important to decide which techniques to
employ, given the type of material you must learn for each class. |
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