Improving
Memory
Make a Conscious Decision to Remember Information
In order to remember something, you must actually decide to do it.
Sleep on It
Sleep helps consolidate new material and optimizes learning.
Relate New Material to Information You Already Know
When you link new material to stuff you know, you understand it better and it becomes easier to access because you can relate to it.
Overlearn It
Once you think you’ve “got it,” go over it once more. Repetition makes new material easier to recall, especially in stressful situations
(like exams).
Organize Material Into Groups
What makes lots of information easier to recall? Grouping or “chunking.” Color coding your notes or putting material into catagorical charts are ways to organize them visually.
Use Images and Pictures
When you are reading or studying about anything that could be visualized, form a mental image of each step along the way.
Learn Actively
Talk about new material with a study partner; take notes; draw pictures; try standing while studying or using your hands to gesture or reciting material aloud.
Find Meaning
Try to find an interesting
angle to help you remember, consider possible future uses, and relate the information to your goals. Instructors can help illuminate the relevance to future applications or "real world" issues.
Space Study Sessions
Plan regular periods of short
study sessions instead of a couple long ones. This type of study, called distributed practice, helps move new information in your long-term memory and repeated practice helps you retrieve it easily.
Test Your Knowledge
Practicing recalling what
you studied ensures that you truly know new material, rather than just understand it. Some ways to test your knowledge include:
Turn headings from your reading into questions. Write out the answers or write a summary of what you have read.
Use Mnemonic Devices