Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Memorization: My Best Tips and Tricks


High school and college students often need to memorize a lot of material. Personally, I would love it if every student could use a sheet of notes on every quiz or test. I believe American education tends to emphasize memorization a little too much; we could stand to shift our priorities a little more toward applying knowledge and critical thinking.

But in the absence of giving students that option, I have a toolbox of tips and tricks to make memorization a little less painful. Many of my tips focus on figuring out what you already have memorized and therefore don't need to spend extra time studying. Don't waste time "memorizing" things you already know!

In this post, I'll describe the strategies that help me memorize material, which is useful to me as a tutor. I'm also going to muse about the neuroscience that may explain the technique, drawing on my background as a PhD in neuroscience and my on-going studies in learning and education.

* Include Equations and Other Relevant Details when Doing Your Homework

This tip may seem very obvious, but many of my students skip this important step. Write down your equations when you are working practice problems. This will help you memorize the equations in the context in which they are used. You could also add details about which concepts or other information you are using in your work. Adding information will build a mental framework in which equations and concepts are woven together rather than being separate pieces of information. Part of how our memory works is with association: thinking about A reminds me of B and C. On a test, it will be useful if you remember A, B, and C as part of a cluster of information.

Write down your work. Include equations, units, and any algebra used to solve the equation. Do it even if your teacher lets you get away with showing little or no work.

* Mind Map

I've written about mind maps before. I still think they are a great study tool! Basically, you give yourself a big sheet of paper or a whiteboard to brainstorm ideas and connections for the material you are studying. You can include diagrams, equations, drawings, and text--anything, really, that you think is important or relevant.

After you've created your mind map, take a moment to think about what's missing. Was there anything you wanted to include but couldn't remember all the details? Those missing pieces of information tell you what you should deliberately study in order to memorize them.

* Prepare a "Cheatsheet"

You might not be able to use this cheatsheet on your quiz or exam, but it's still a great tool for exam review. The idea here is to write out the cheatsheet that you would want to have for the exam. The practice of writing things out will show you what you need to memorize and thus streamline the time you spend actively memorizing things.

For the cheatsheet, I'd recommend using your class notes and other resources. Then go through it and ask yourself: what information is here that I don't have memorized? What data would I struggle to reproduce from scratch?

* Do Extra Practice

When you prepare for an exam, do you ever seek out extra practice? Some teachers and professors will provide extra practice questions or even full-length practice exams. For some courses, there is a lot of practice material available online; I frequently recommend Khan Academy to my math students for extra practice.

Doing extra practice, even just a little bit, can strengthen your skills and boost your confidence before your exam. If you practice using only the resources that will be allowed on your exam, you'll discover what you need to have memorized. 

* Write Your Own Practice Problems

The beauty of this tip is that it asks you to spend time with this material in a new way. You aren't answering questions; you are asking them! In learning, it can be useful to look at things from a different perspective. The novelty of it will strengthen your understanding of the material. For extra practice, you can write out your own answers as well. (And quiz yourself: can you answer your own questions without looking at the course materials?)    

* Quiz a Friend or Have a Friend Quiz You

This tip is pretty self-explanatory. You and your friend can make the questions as easy or as hard as you want. You can make it timed so you can practice your speed. Hearing your friend's questions may help you identify areas of weakness in your own understanding of the material (and vice versa for them).

In general, I am a big fan of having study buddies as long as you know you can get some work done. But be honest with yourself about whether the time spent with a friend is for fun/pleasure or to get schoolwork done.

* On the Exam: Immediately Write Down Your Memorized Information

This is a tip I discovered in college when I was taking either organic chemistry or biochemistry. If you are nervous or anxious about remembering a lot of information for a test, you can start the test by writing down everything you have memorized. Do this before you start answering questions so you are less likely to lose any details. I think this is a great way to "download" your brain before you have to dig into a challenging exam. You'll free up your working memory to focus on the questions rather than trying to hold onto whatever you studied.

OTHER TIPS

I wanted to add a few more tips that I think can be useful. They aren't my preferred strategies, but they might work well for you.

* Flashcards

Lots of people love flashcards to drill themselves on basic information for a class. They're convenient too, as you can review your flashcards several times a day to use repetition to build your memory.

* Rewrite Your Notes

This strategy is pretty self-explanatory. I think it can be useful to find ways of explaining the material in your own words or with your own edits (perhaps adding additional material like acronyms, new connections you have made, etc.). For me, the cheatsheet I described above is like a condensed version of my notes.

I've been getting into making new note sets for some of my core tutoring subjects, like chemistry and physics. It's fun for me because I enjoy learning. Over the long run, all the efforts I have put into studying have made me more effective at this work. My hope is that the same is true for you when it comes to your academic performance.

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What are your favorite strategies for memorization? Did I miss any good ones?

Image courtesy of Green Chameleon via Unsplash.