Just 11 Really Helpful Study Tips From A Memory Expert
A professor of cognitive science shares their tips for remembering the stuff you need to know before an exam.
1. When it comes to study, the most important thing to do is rehearse your information in an "active and meaningful" way.
"The more deeply you process information, the more likely you are to remember it," Amanda Barnier, professor of cognitive science at Macquarie University, told BuzzFeed. "Passive reading and highlighting isn't the way to remember information."
2. Always put your notes in your own words.
Again, this action creates a deeper understanding of the work, which will make it stick in your mind.
3. And take your notes by hand, rather than typing them.
"Often people can type a lot faster than they can write, so writing things by hand gives you more time to process the information," said Barnier.
4. Follow a "study, test, study, test" schedule.
"We know from a lot of psychology studies that the best way to check and see whether or not you'll remember something in the future is to test yourself on it. Study, then take a practice exam, study some more, then test yourself again. This way, you'll be able to identify the gaps in your memory and spend your next study session trying to fill them," said Barnier.
5. For this reason, it's important to set yourself a study schedule that allows time for you to test yourself.
"Say you want to spend six hours studying. You'd be better planning those hours out over the course of one or two weeks – for say, 45 minutes a day – rather than cramming over one six-hour session," said Barnier. "If you try and fit all your study into one day, you won't have the opportunity to study and test."
6. Don't listen to music while you study, as it serves as a major distraction.
Just like a phone that keeps vibrating or someone in the house that won't stop interrupting you, music prevents you from focusing your full attention on the task at hand.
7. Try making a mind map, connecting all the information you have for a subject.
By linking together different pieces of information, you will understand it more. "Seeing everything make sense to you, connected together, will make it so much easier to remember," said Barnier.
8. A great study practice is to explain your information to someone out loud, without notes.
"Talking to someone about what you've been studying is a great way to see exactly how much you really know about it," said Barnier.
9. Read over your notes before you go to bed each night.
"Sleep is important for consolidating information, so it's really good to study before bed," said Barnier. "Just make sure you're going to bed early enough to have a good night of sleep, as mental processes really don't work well when you're exhausted."
10. If you're having trouble remembering something specific, try to connect it to an image or something meaningful in your own life.
This technique can work when remembering character names that are the same as someone you know, or numbers that correlate to an important date in your world. If you need to remember a certain scene, try drawing a picture of it.
11. Space out your study sessions for each subject over a couple of days.
"Because our memory starts to decline over a day or so, this will allow you to take a practice test and see what you've remembered and what you need to revise more before the exam," said Barnier.
