Do you ever talk down on yourself because you feel like a failure for not being able to remember anything in class? Do you always feel like you’ve bombarded your brain with every single detail you are learning in class?
If you do feel like this, I want to tell you something. You are not a failure and you are not expected to remember EVERYTHING the way it was presented to you in class. You have the ability to alter the content learned in class so that you do have a better understanding of the information/knowledge that was taught.
In this day and age, there is great emphasis that memorising more information and facts will result in successful academic achievement. What is less emphasised, is that the balance between forgetting and remembering needs to be maintained in order for the brain to function properly (Sankey, 2010). Therefore, by forcing yourself to consistently remember things is unhealthy for the brain and disrupts the healthy balance between memorising and forgetting.
That is not to say, you are allowed to keep forgetting everything you have learned. Rather, you shouldn’t focus solely on retaining all the information said in class and instead, aim to develop critical thinking skills by linking concepts and ideas for more proficient learning and better retaining of information.
So what are the hot tips for retaining information better? What do you need to do and how do you do it?
#1 Don’t write everything your teacher says/writes word for word
If you break up what your teacher says into notes that are more digestible (i.e short and sweet), you WILL remember information so much more easily.
Example:
Teacher: “Julius Caesar was assassinated by an attack led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Cassius Longinus, and Decimus Brutus on the 15th of March 44 BC in Rome, Italy.
Note Form: Julius Caesar death -> Marcus Brutus + Cassius + Decimus Brutus’ plan -> 15.03 44 BC Rome
#2 Creating a definitions/glossary list that actually sticks
If you learn a new word in class, make an effort to learn the meaning of it. I suggest that rather writing the definition next to the given word, you should only write the word without the definition on a sticky note stick it on somewhere where you can easily see it (eg. in front of binder folder). Then make this promise to yourself. Every time you see that word you have to define what it means verbally. If you’re around people and you don’t want to disturb them, do it mentally.
Important: If you don’t remember the definition, instead of going back to the definition in your workbook to see the answer straight away, try to really think about which keywords of the definition you can remember. What were some key terms/ideas? After that do you go back and read your definition again.
Example:
Power: the capacity of an individual and/or group to influence others to do something and manipulate the conditions to suit the individual/group best.
A helpful thought process if you have forgotten the meaning of the definition:
“I’ve forgotten what it means! Let me think first….I remember it was something got to do with influencing others….” -> Here you’ve given yourself a headstart to remember the definition properly. This trains your brain to remember the meaning more easily in an active process.
#3 Before you race off to break, write 1-3 things you learned from the class. If you seriously don’t have the time to put it on paper …
Make it a habit to think about one thing you learned from the class in your head. I swear, it works. I’ll be heading off to break thinking about how Alexander the Great made the officials blow a kiss at him to respect him and yeh…you get the point.
#4 Connect real-life experiences with your learning
How does your real-life experiences even relate to what you are learning in class?
You’d be surprised when you find out how many ways you can connect your real-life experiences with the content you are learning in class.
Example:
For instance, you may like to think about how the issues evident in your prescribed English text are relevant to present political and social issues. When you notice that these past issues parallel the present, you will see the great relevance of your learning to your daily life. You will remember the content and ideas more in class because you’re making the connection between the issues between the English text and your own social context.
References:
Sankey, D. (2010), Guest editorial: The ethic of forgetfulness. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 42(2).
Are you feeling unmotivated to learn? Here are some tips that will help you get you the mind power you need in order to study.