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Memorizing is easy. Yes. I know you
probably find that pretty hard to believe (that is, if you haven't
been reading my blog regularly. Shame on you.) While most students
find memorization painful and difficult, it doesn't have to be. In
fact, the fact that you find memorization painful and difficult is a
probably just a sign that you're not doing it right.
Memorizing in the way that most
students have learned to memorize is like doing a workout with poor
form. You're not going to see the results you want and you might just
injure your future attempts to study. Keeping the following 3
life-changing memorization secrets in mind you should be able to turn
your poor flopping around study routine into the easy process that it
should be.
One point is absolutely essential to
note though: Memorization is not the same thing as studying.
Memorization is remembering specific information. Studying is
attempting to use the information and be able to apply it for more
than just a test.
1. Memorization Requires Testing
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The majority of students try to
memorize by picking up their textbooks and reading. That is studying
but it's definitely not memorizing. Reading information does not help
you memorize anything. Your brain doesn't memorize any information
that it doesn't feel the need to memorize. When you're reading it out
of a textbook, you give your brain absolutely no reason to actually
remember the information. The key is to take the information off of
the page and find connections.
Reading is good for getting
information to stick in your short term memory but that doesn't help
you in most test situations. That information you read will be
forgotten completely in a couple of hours. What you need to do is
transfer that information from your short term memory to your long
term memory.
Transferring information from your
short term memory to your long term memory can be a little
unpredictable but there is one basic concept that you need to focus
on. To remember anything, you need to make connections in your brain.
Those connections link all the information you're learning together
in some way. The way you can make those connections naturally is
through quizzing yourself.
You need to quiz yourself (while you
can't just look at the answers.) The easiest way to think about it is
with flashcards. You need to ask the question (on one side of the
card) and find the answer only using your memory. If you can't do
that then you're not actually learning the information. Every time
you follow through with the question and find the answer, your brain
lays the framework for remembering it long term.
Many students wait until the test to
find out if the information they tried to study stuck. That usually
leaves them disappointed.
2. Understand Short Term Memory
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Notice how I mentioned your short term
memory storing the information while reading? That's important
because it introduces one of the most overlooked tricks of
memorization.
Most people's short term memory is
absolutely amazing. (Despite that, most people think they're slightly
deficient in memory anyway.) Short term memory can remember
information significantly quicker than your long term memory. If the
information has even the slightest bit of importance to your day then
you can remember it in the short term fast. The problem is that it
only lasts a little while before getting forgotten.
Despite that disadvantage, you can use
your short term memory to prepare for a test. If you need to memorize
a lot of information for a test then one way to significantly improve
your grade is to perform your memorization within 20 minutes of
starting the test.
Studying right before the test is one
of the most simple ways you can see a huge improvement in your grades
with almost no studying. While it's not a magical way to get a
perfect grade, with the right combination of preparation and last
minute studying, you can do amazing things.
That being said, it comes with some
disadvantages for some students. If you tend to get stressed before a
test then it might be in your best interest to save this study trick
for the least stressful of your tests.
3. Meaningful Memorization
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The worst problem students can suffer
from with their memorization goals is a lack of motivation. If you're
not absolutely committed to memorizing something then you're going to
be fighting against your own nature to memorize it. That's not good.
When you study something that you care
about, absolutely every ounce of focus in your body can be used to
make the connections. When you study something you're not too fond
of, the opposite takes place. Almost every ounce of your body is
looking for an excuse to get distracted. You can sometimes recognize
this when you're studying something like Abraham Lincoln and somehow
start thinking about your favorite television show.
When you have to memorize something,
don't memorize it. Yes. You read that right but I probably don't mean
what you think. Having to memorize something is trying to force
yourself to study. Guess what... you don't have to memorize anything.
Every time you pick up the textbook it's your choice. Every
distraction you let get in the way is your choice. Sometimes it's a
good choice. Sometimes it's not. You are responsible.
Do you not want to study? Don't study.
That being said, never forget to think
about the things you miss out on when you choose not to study. When
you don't study, you are sacrificing your grades. With that, you may
be sacrificing more. Does sacrificing them help or hurt what you'd
like to achieve in life?
Really, don't force yourself to
memorize. If you can't find a meaningful or interesting reason to be
memorizing something then you're doing something wrong. Try to find
meaning in anything that you are going to study. Without it, you'll
be fighting against your own nature and just hoping something sticks.
Do what means something to you and
you'll consistently be able to amaze yourself with the results.
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