28-03-2012, 02:39 PM
IMPROVING YOUR MEMORY
IMPROVING YOUR MEMORY.doc (Size: 58 KB / Downloads: 65)
It’s frustrating to a student to find that after all the hard work; you’ve forgotten what you studied. But wait!
Before you call yourself or someone else names, there are various strategies that you could use to prevent memory loss and in fact jog it up so that you do well in the exams.
Memory is not a quantity of something that we are born with
Memory is affected by many things like
Amount of study,
Time and pace of study,
Effort put in while studying,
Techniques employed while studying etc.
Therefore, it would be fruitful to keep a few facts in mind.
1. Start Ahead
Memory is Short term and Long term.
Anything that you learn goes into short term memory, only after continuous repetition will the learnt material pass into long-term memory from where it is retrieved.
You need to start preparing well in advance and avoid last-minute cramming.
2. Attention and Intention
Pay attention to what you're learning, and decide to remember it.
We learn and retain information best when we have a strong motivation for committing the material to memory.
3. Set reasonable goals
4. Aim to study a reasonable amount every day.
5. Studying in short sessions is better than marathon sessions.
6. Eliminate distractions while studying.
Use a "cue" - e.g., when you are wearing a certain baseball hat, you are not to be disturbed. Use your desk to read, review, write letters but use your bed only to sit on for a relaxing break.
Remove obstacles, a sound or visual background which is unobtrusive may help to screen out distractions
Have all of your equipment available before you begin, lamp, pencil, good comfortable chair, books and paper clips, etc.
Record stray thoughts on a note pad, but don't act upon them. Call this your worry pad, e.g., personal tasks that need to be completed. Make your to-do list for the week before you start, or to get random thoughts out of your head.
Organize the material
Use external organizers to help you remember, like:
Alarm watches
Calendars
Coloured stickers
Daily action plans
Diaries
Electronic calculators and organizers
Organisers [such as the Day Runnes or Filofax systems]
Lists
Note pads or jotters
Post-it notes
Pin boards and wall charts
Techniques to Improve memory
Use rhymes. Make up a simple poem to remember information.
Use acronyms. Take the first letter of each word you want to remember and make up one word to stand for all the information.
Example: the word homes is an acronym for the names of the Great Lakes.
Use acrostics. Take the first letter of each part of information you want to remember and make a new word. Then make up a phrase with these words.
Example: “Mary's Violent Eyes Made John Stay Up Nights Pining" is an acrostic for the names of the nine planets in our solar system.
Create structures.
a) Sequencing: numerical, Alphabetical or chronological.
b) Categorizing: put things in groups with similar things.
c) Relational imagery: associate things that is visually similar.
Don't forget to remember. Make an effort to remember. Personalize information so that it's important to you.
7. Use all your senses while studying:
Read aloud and recite your answers.
Use color to highlight important points.
Draw out diagrams, do practice maps , make charts or tables to classify information.
Use flashcards to note down important points.
Visualize the material learnt.
According to Dr Bruno Frost On an average we remember
25% of what we read
35% of what we hear
50% of what we see
60% of what say
75% of what we do
95% of what we read, hear, say, see and do
Review the Same Day.
When you learn something new, go over the points the same day.
You will recognize it better the next time you study and therefore recall will also be better.
Understand the “Brain Fade” phenomenon
It is normal for the brain to forget things sometimes.
See your brain as depositing layers of knowledge.
As more layers are deposited, the lower layers will be covered.
The trick is to create a review schedule. Once every 2-3 study sessions, review the material learnt.A quick overview will often be enough.
Sometimes, maybe after 10 study sessions, you could do a complete review of the material learnt.
The trick is to create a review schedule. Once every 2-3 study sessions, review the material learnt. A quick overview will often be enough.
Sometimes, maybe after 10 study sessions, you could do a complete review of the material learnt
Last but not the Least
PRACTICE,
PRACTICE ,
PRACTICE and PRACTICE
Only if you PRACTICE these techniques will they work for you and become a habit too.