The ability to remember a vast amount of data and information is vital to students and can truly be the difference between passing and failing a subject. So it's no wonder that there is so much focus on maximizing our memory ability!
But how does our memory actually work? How come we can remember some information without any effort at all (often useless information like the names and theme songs of the cartoons we watched when we were children) yet often we when really want to remember certain things for tests or assignments we draw a blank?
The truth is, our memory works in precisely the manner that it is supposed to work. The real issue is that we have very little understanding (or no understanding at all) of the way it operates and how we can manipulate it to our advantage.
For one reason or another, we all seem to think that by constantly repeating information to ourselves we will imprint the information into our memory. This works occasionally, but it's clearly not the best approach and it usually indicates that we don't understand our memory at all.
The smart approach to memory recall is to first take the time to learn how your memory works and then manipulate your memory (in a good way!) in order to recall exactly what you need to remember for that next test or exam.
In this article we are going to look at one of many possible approaches you can use to improve your memory recall. It's called the "What's in it for me" approach. This approach tells us that the more you can tie something to yourself, the better you will be able to remember it.
When it comes to memory, your brain always wants to know "How does this relate to me?" or put even more simply "Why should I even bother storing this as a memory?"
The fact is, if something seems important to you personally, you will be more likely to remember it - and you'll also remember it more vividly and in far greater detail.
Don't believe me? Think about it. What things do you remember? Those things that have some direct impact on your life (like what time you need to meet your friends at the movies this weekend) or those things that have zero impact on your life (like your mom's favorite ice cream flavor?) You remember those things, people, places, prices, products and details of anything that is going to impact your life in some way.
This recall doesn't happen consciously - it all occurs without thought. You didn't have to do anything special to remember the information. The information was already there wasn't it? You just remembered it without any effort. So, given that we now know this method works, the real question is what do you need to do to apply this method to your studies? Let's look at some basic examples.
In economics you learn about trends. Trends impact purchase power of individuals. Purchase power impacts your ability to go and that new pair of shoes you really want. So, does it make it easier to understand economic trends when you understand how it impacts you?
If you are learning about other countries with different religions, beliefs and customs, think about those ideals differ from your own and also how those ideals could also be common to you.
If you are trying to remember names and dates just focus on how do these names and dates relate to you. Ask yourself, "Do I know anyone by those or similar names? Do I like the name for some reason or do I think it's a weird name? Why is that? Did the people or dates that I have to remember ever impact my life in any way? Did anything happen on those dates that relates to me personally?"
The point is, take what you need to learn and make it about you. Most people enjoy being self-centered anyway so just extend on your natural inclination! The more you make it all about you and relate it back to yourself the more easily you will build memory traces and improve your memory recall. Give it a try, it really works. Good luck.
But how does our memory actually work? How come we can remember some information without any effort at all (often useless information like the names and theme songs of the cartoons we watched when we were children) yet often we when really want to remember certain things for tests or assignments we draw a blank?
The truth is, our memory works in precisely the manner that it is supposed to work. The real issue is that we have very little understanding (or no understanding at all) of the way it operates and how we can manipulate it to our advantage.
For one reason or another, we all seem to think that by constantly repeating information to ourselves we will imprint the information into our memory. This works occasionally, but it's clearly not the best approach and it usually indicates that we don't understand our memory at all.
The smart approach to memory recall is to first take the time to learn how your memory works and then manipulate your memory (in a good way!) in order to recall exactly what you need to remember for that next test or exam.
In this article we are going to look at one of many possible approaches you can use to improve your memory recall. It's called the "What's in it for me" approach. This approach tells us that the more you can tie something to yourself, the better you will be able to remember it.
When it comes to memory, your brain always wants to know "How does this relate to me?" or put even more simply "Why should I even bother storing this as a memory?"
The fact is, if something seems important to you personally, you will be more likely to remember it - and you'll also remember it more vividly and in far greater detail.
Don't believe me? Think about it. What things do you remember? Those things that have some direct impact on your life (like what time you need to meet your friends at the movies this weekend) or those things that have zero impact on your life (like your mom's favorite ice cream flavor?) You remember those things, people, places, prices, products and details of anything that is going to impact your life in some way.
This recall doesn't happen consciously - it all occurs without thought. You didn't have to do anything special to remember the information. The information was already there wasn't it? You just remembered it without any effort. So, given that we now know this method works, the real question is what do you need to do to apply this method to your studies? Let's look at some basic examples.
In economics you learn about trends. Trends impact purchase power of individuals. Purchase power impacts your ability to go and that new pair of shoes you really want. So, does it make it easier to understand economic trends when you understand how it impacts you?
If you are learning about other countries with different religions, beliefs and customs, think about those ideals differ from your own and also how those ideals could also be common to you.
If you are trying to remember names and dates just focus on how do these names and dates relate to you. Ask yourself, "Do I know anyone by those or similar names? Do I like the name for some reason or do I think it's a weird name? Why is that? Did the people or dates that I have to remember ever impact my life in any way? Did anything happen on those dates that relates to me personally?"
The point is, take what you need to learn and make it about you. Most people enjoy being self-centered anyway so just extend on your natural inclination! The more you make it all about you and relate it back to yourself the more easily you will build memory traces and improve your memory recall. Give it a try, it really works. Good luck.
About the Author:
HelpMeToStudy.org is the premier online resource for learning new study skills, changing your studying habits and finding the best study tips available. We will help change the way you think about study - and even better - we will show you how to study effectively: How To Study Effectively | Memory Training
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