Study Skills - Memory Skills

Principles of Good Memory

Improving your ability to remember and recall information relies on five key principles: Context and Environment, State, Regular Breaks, Understanding, and Active Learning

1. Context and Environment- Where you learn

  • Memory is context dependent, which basically refers to the place where you learn. For example, studying in a similar environment to the one in which you will be tested increases your ability to recall information.
  • Your study environment has an impact on your memory, so make sure your environment suits YOU.
  • Your study space should:
    • Be free from too many distractions.
    • Be a suitable temperature with adequate ventilation.
    • Have adequate light.
    • Have appropriate furniture for study.
  • You should also ensure that you are content without hunger pains or thirst during your study session.

2. State - Your mood

  • Mood impacts your ability to recall the information you have studied.
  • When studying, a little anxiety is quite normal and can enhance your focus and attention.
  • However, being too anxious leading up to or during your tests and exams will hamper your ability to recall material.
  • If you do have problems with test anxiety

3. Regular Breaks and Small Chunks

  • Taking regular breaks when you are learning material enhances recall. Combined with regular revision, you will find that you will retain information far better!
  • One common suggestion is that you study in periods of 20-40 minutes, with a break following; but find out what time-periods suit you best.
  • Study small portions of material, take a break, and then study some more.
  • We retain a great deal more if we learn in small manageable portions, than when we attempt to learn a great deal of information at once.
  • Make these breaks mandatory even if you are enjoying your reading or studying because breaks not only aid recall, but they also prevent fatigue and, therefore, you can study longer.

4. Understanding - Just don't "get it"?

  • If you don't understand it, you won't remember it!
  • Try to understand the basic principles and then work your way up to the more difficult concepts.
  • Sometimes, dictionaries and introductory textbooks allow you to grasp the basic concepts that underlie a more complex idea.

5. Passive versus Active Learning

  • Don't try to absorb information ‘like a sponge’; this approach to learning is called "passive learning".
  • Do something with what you are trying to remember, and engage with the material.
  • Ask questions, think about the topic in relation to your own experience: put theories into your own words, or discuss issues with class members.
  • The key is to put associate what you are learning with what you know.

Resource: http://owll.massey.ac.nz/study-skills/principles-of-good-memory.php