If you have to remember lots of information to pass your subject and get a good grade then having a "great memory" is a must - and let's face it, what student wouldn't love to be able to recall facts and figures without any effort at all?
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.
The approach that most students take to memorization (re-reading information or repeating information many times over) is not consistent with the way that the mind creates memory recall. Nonetheless, we just keep on using this technique desperately hoping that something will stick! Unfortunately, while you may retain some small amounts of data this way, it's a really silly approach when you understand how your memory really works.
Accessing the amazing power of your memory is about understanding how it works and then using that information to ensure you can remember whatever you want to remember.
There are many techniques you can use to improve your memory recall but today's lesson is about just one of them - the "What's in it for me" method. This method states that the more you can make something relate to you personally, the more about it you will be able to remember.
It's simple really. Your mind has a filter that is constantly questioning what data needs to be stored. A trigger for creating a memory is to make the information about the most important thing in your world - you.
Therefore, when a bit of information or data is personally significant to you, your memory is far more likely to store that information for you (and the real kicker is that it will remember all the little details about it as well!)
You remember to do things that are going to impact you directly (like making sure you buy a ticket to the next Green Day concert). You remember names of people and places and locations that are really going to impact your life. You remember prices of things that you really want to buy. You remember where, what time and with whom you are going out with on Saturday night. You remember the name and phone number of that girl or guy you like.
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?"
Remember, it's all about you! The more you tie something to yourself and make it about you the easier it will be for your memory to create the traces needed to make memory recall a breeze. Try it for a week. You will be glad you did!
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.
The approach that most students take to memorization (re-reading information or repeating information many times over) is not consistent with the way that the mind creates memory recall. Nonetheless, we just keep on using this technique desperately hoping that something will stick! Unfortunately, while you may retain some small amounts of data this way, it's a really silly approach when you understand how your memory really works.
Accessing the amazing power of your memory is about understanding how it works and then using that information to ensure you can remember whatever you want to remember.
There are many techniques you can use to improve your memory recall but today's lesson is about just one of them - the "What's in it for me" method. This method states that the more you can make something relate to you personally, the more about it you will be able to remember.
It's simple really. Your mind has a filter that is constantly questioning what data needs to be stored. A trigger for creating a memory is to make the information about the most important thing in your world - you.
Therefore, when a bit of information or data is personally significant to you, your memory is far more likely to store that information for you (and the real kicker is that it will remember all the little details about it as well!)
You remember to do things that are going to impact you directly (like making sure you buy a ticket to the next Green Day concert). You remember names of people and places and locations that are really going to impact your life. You remember prices of things that you really want to buy. You remember where, what time and with whom you are going out with on Saturday night. You remember the name and phone number of that girl or guy you like.
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?"
Remember, it's all about you! The more you tie something to yourself and make it about you the easier it will be for your memory to create the traces needed to make memory recall a breeze. Try it for a week. You will be glad you did!
About the Author:
HelpMeToStudy.org is the best online resource for learning new study skills, transforming your study habits and discovering 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
No comments:
Post a Comment