Nu Courses News

Memory Tips Part One

Optimising your memory is a skill we can all learn.

Students, adult learners and employees all have the need to memorise something at one time or another. Students may need to memorise maths facts, poetry, or text for information heavy tests. Adult learners and employees often have the need to memorise facts for meetings or to give presentations. Each of these different memorisations can be done using different techniques. The trick is to figure out which technique or strategy works best for you or for your specific requirements.

Memorisation isn’t nearly as difficult as you might otherwise anticipate. The issue is that most people only try to memorise by reading the same text over and over again.

The brain works to retain memory through the use of neurochemicals, transmitters and synapses. These chemicals produce pathways in the brain. The more the pathway is used the strong the signal in the brain. Consider your phone number, because it is a set of numbers you use on a consistent basis they very easily come to mind when you want to recall them.

Other numbers may not be memorised quite so easily – such as you drivers license. This is a number you may write down infrequently so the chemical pathway is much weaker. The crucial point here is that the more you use the information the more firmly it is ingrained in your memory.

Here are a couple of techniques that will help you determine the method that works best for you:

1. For a lot of information try this 4 step process:
2. Using your computer type in any fact that may appear on the test or you may need for the presentation.
3. Take your notes to a quiet room and read the first sentence aloud. Now repeat it without reading it.
4. Repeat this with the second sentence; add on a new sentence until you have memorised every sentence in your notes.
5. Now take a nap – new memory is fragile and research shows that sleep will help them to be retained.

 

September 2, 2016

Study skills that must be developed, encouraged and defined are thinking skills, reading techniques, how to extract the right information and how to take and organise notes. Here are some quick tips to make the process simpler and easier:

1. Study space should be quiet, peaceful but not encourage sleeping – so stay off the bed.
2. Keep a waste basket handy for those scraps of paper.
3. Keep everything you need for studying in one place so you can always find it.
4. Never study within 30 minutes of going to bed – your retention will be significantly less and you won’t be able to go to sleep as easily.
5. Prioritise what you have to get done and erase what you only want to complete.
6. If it’s possible don’t study more than 40 minute stretches. Students retain more information when they take short breaks, stretch, get the blood moving and reflect on what they’ve learned.
7. Get rid of distractions in the classroom by sitting in the front of the class. Think during learning time and don’t ‘space out’ – think before writing anything down and pay attention to the outline or syllabus.
8. Students who want to improve their study skills do – those who are only doing it because others require it don’t do nearly as well. If you want to work harder and smarter you’ll reap the benefits. If you don’t want it you’ll be frustrated, aggravated and irritated with those who are asking you to make these changes.

Study Time is Golden

Your schedule should account for time that you take off from studying, classes, labs, lectures, social events, sleeping and free time. Any good schedule should be flexible and revised. Give yourself a rough road map to follow and rise it as circumstances warrant.

Study schedules can be revised and your time used appropriately. It is a valuable resource and should guide you in the allocation in the most productive manner. Follow the schedule you propose and revise it if you find that it isn’t realistic.

You can study anywhere but most students have one or two places or circumstances in which they find themselves the most productive. For instance, some students are more focused using music and studying at the library while others find that their desk without noise or distraction works best. The choice is up to the student.

 

Fail To Plan, Plan to Fail

There is no secret to being a good student.

The content taught at the elementary, high school and most college level courses can be successfully passed by most students who are willing to put in the hard work necessary to meet their goals. Study skills that are successful for most students include developing good reading techniques, study habits, prepare for the test, set appropriate goals, join study groups and work to improve their concentration level.

No two people study the same way or imprint material into their brains in the same way. Everyone is different and for some the motivation to do well comes naturally, while for others it is a struggle to learn, retain and retrieve their material.

It’s likely that if you are searching for information about studying more efficiently you aren’t one of those people.

There is hope for those who have trouble studying or who want help to improve their skills. Success in school, high school or college / university, depends on the ability to perform in testing and exam situation, which in turn depend upon study skills, they are critical to the success of every student.

The results of poor skills are wasted time, frustration, failing grades and angry parents. Time is a precious commodity – for students, parents and teachers – and shouldn’t be squandered. No matter what you believe or how you now function poor study skills are the bane of student existence.

There is no magic formula to developing great study skills. Studying any material, college or high school, requires work, time, effort and persistence. Effective skills must be practiced in order to improve and the process must be continue over time to continue to improve. The more you do it the better you’ll get.

Before beginning the process you must consider your schedule and developing a schedule that works for your lifestyle, family and situation. If you don’t have a schedule you have are fulfilling the axiom – “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” Planning your schedule is planning your process that leads to success in your results.

 

Survey Question Read Recite Review

Learning how to schedule your time and work within your time limits is something that is learned over time, with trial and error. Remember that you must be aware of your abilities to stick within your schedule and, if unable, must elicit the help of other students, helpers or professors to maintain your schedule.

One strategy that has been proven scientifically to help sharpen your study skills is the SQ3R program – Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review. During the survey stage the student gets an overall picture of what will be studied before getting into any detail

Many students recognize the effectiveness of using questions to guide their study habits. The questions you ask should emphasise the what, why, how, when, who and where of what is being studied. Ask these questions as the material is being read and reviewed. They help to focus the mind on the pertinent information that should be learned – and not rote memorisation.

Reading should be an active process, not just running eyes over text, but mentally answering questions and integrating the information into your conscious memory. During the reading process, stop every so often and recite out loud in your own words the information you’ve just read so that your mind reads it and hears it. This is a time to also make connections between what you’ve read and how you are learning.

And last, review the information that was covered. Reread any ideas that aren’t clear, go over notes, and be sure that you understand what you’ve read. This is a good time to go over notes from class and clarify any questions with fellow students that you don’t understand.

Study techniques are simple but challenging to put into effect. When students are diligent with the manner in which they learn and study they are more successful, get higher grades and have a better sense of achievement.