You know the drill: Cram, test, repeat. But if youre a serious student, thats not good enough. Youre here to learn, not just pass exams. When you buckle down and study, you want to retain the information, both short- and long-term.
In the short term, you need to pass your tests in order to graduate. In the long term, youve got your whole career ahead of you, and preparing for that career is the whole point of your education. If you learn how to hold on to all the important knowledge youre gleaning now, youll be a lot better off later, when youre actually on the job.
There are some tricks you can use to help your study material stick, and there are some habits you might have now that you should break. Knowing what to do, and what not to do, can make a big difference in learning retention.
This Study Buddy session is about study skills for memory. Weve compiled a list of five best practices to better retain information when studying:
1. Teach Someone Else the Material
Were used to studying as an exercise in incoming information, but flipping the switch and directing the material outward can actually help you learn it better and hold onto it longer. Reverse the roles and teach your material to someone else. This is called , which means that you learn something better when youre going to be expected to teach it later.
The mere expectation of having to teach back instructs your brain to codify and consolidate the information. Its a challenge to understand comprehensively and be able to explain cohesively, and your brain wants to be prepared. And its effective that students who implement this technique perform better on tests.
This is a great exercise to do with your study group, or study buddy, if you have one. Take turns teaching the text back to each other. If your partner or team doesnt know the material, they can ask questions with fresh eyes, which might lead you to think more critically, or track down information to fill the gaps. If your partner or team already knows the material, they can use the questions to quiz you on the fly.
2. Use Relational Learning
Put whatever youre studying in the context of something you already know. You can use something youve learned previously on the same subject and see how the topics cross pollinate, or you can relate it to something else entirely.
When you have something thats already familiar and you make an association with something new, you create learning . This can be as simple as comparing one fact or set of facts to another. Heres an ABC example: Lets say you have three apples and four oranges. Because youre learning the number of oranges in relation to the apples, youre more likely not only to remember that there are more, but also other things about the oranges in relation to the apples (color, size, smell).
The same applies to a more complex comparison. Take the oranges and apples above and replace them with organs in the body for anatomy class. As you learn each body part, think about how its similar or different from another organ youve already studied. Double bonus: You wont just get relational learning with regard to the new topic, but youll be reinforcing what you already know about the other.
3. Take Practice Tests
Fun fact: You can actually learn during a test, not just beforehand. Doing practice tests puts your memory through its paces, and trains it to remember what you want it to. When youre taking a practice test, your memory may have to work to find the answers, but once it does (or you draw a complete blank and have to look it up after) you reinforce the recall for next time, when youre actually going to be graded.
Furthermore, taking a lot of practice tests is to enhance your recall and promote a deeper understanding of the subject. The brain is naturally selective, and cant recall everything it has seen, heard, read or otherwise learned. But you can train that selection if you teach your brainthrough testingwhat it is more likely to have to recall.
Theres one more upside to frequent practice tests. In addition to improving recall, youre also getting a grip on exam-day anxiety. Doing several low-stakes dry runs of the testing experience can help you fear the actual test less, so you can relax, recall, and score high.
4. Multitasking Is a Myth
Think youre a master multitasker? Weve got bad newsyou arent. Its not your fault. Its because multitasking is already figured out you cant watch TV and study simultaneously (and if you havent, well save you some time, you cant), you might still be under the hopeful illusion that you can jump around between tasks and topics to cover more ground while studying. This is also multitasking, and its actually a pretty inefficient way to learn. Its also a great way to make mistakes.
Instead, make friends with monotasking. Choose one topic or one exercise, and truly immerse yourself, even if its just for a short while. This might try your patience at first, because youre going to have to stop thinking about everything else you have to do and learn, but remind yourself that youre actually stockpiling time by learning the material correctly, so you wont have to relearn it later.
Again, this doesnt mean you need to dedicate a full day to one subject. In fact, theres value in studying subjects in proximity to each other, because youll create connections that will give you a deeper understanding of the larger educational whole. Your understanding of each topic can inform your understanding of the next. But make sure youre sincerely moving from one subject to another, instead of playing topic hopscotch.
5. Avoid Cramming
The pre-exam cram might seem unavoidable, even inevitable but please let go of this misconception. Coffee-fueled all-nighters are often cast as a habit of the truly dedicated student, but the benefits of cramming are a myth. In fact, it can do more harm than good. Heres why:
Theres a word for the instinct to make judgments about our own minds: . We believeand it seems logical enoughthat forcing ourselves to consume material in a concentrated fashion is an efficient way to learn it. The problem is that during a cramming session your brain is as focused on the act of learning as it is the material. You think youre laser focused, but youre actually splitting focus.
In reality, youre much better off spacing out your study over time, using This is equally logical. Think about it like exercise (hey look, were doing relational learning now!). Say you want to run a half-marathon. You have two training options: You can run 13 miles twice the day before; or you can slowly build muscles and stamina over months. Option two, right?
Lets take it a step further. Perhaps youre wondering, cant I do both? Lets go back to the comparison. Even if youve built up good muscle and stamina over time, will running two half marathons the day before help you perform the next day? No youll be exhausted, and you might even hurt yourself. So plan ahead and space it out.
Ready to Test with Confidence?
Stick to the tips above to maximize your testing memory, and youll not only be able to walk into exam day with more confidence, but youll set yourself up for the all-important longer-term retention of material for when its time to put your studies to use. After all, thats what your education is for!
WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student.
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