Studying: LEARNING AND REMEMBERING INFORMATION

Studying involves two activities: the learning and remembering of information. Many students view studying as merely rereading their textbook chapters and lecture notes. However, this method is usually ineffective when learning new information. Even after rereading the material several times, students still have difficulty remembering it because it was probably never encoded into their memory system. The learning of new information requires conscious effort. Use the strategies below to help ensure that information is being learned well and stored securely in your memory system.

Make the Material Meaningful

It's difficult to remember information that is confusing and doesn't make sense, and often the author's explanations of concepts and vocabulary terms are unclear. Instead of trying to remember the author's words, put the information into your own words as your words are likely to be more meaningful than the author's. In addition, try to "personalize" the information by thinking of examples and relating it to other information you've learned and/or your own life experiences.

Example: Suppose you had to learn this definition of "folkways" for your sociology class: folkways are norms that are concerned with standards of behavior that are socially acceptable but not of moral significance. Although you may not have difficulty reading this definition, its meaning may not be clear to you. Instead of trying to learn this definition, you can reword it so it's easier to understand: folkways are rules that state the way people should act in social situations but do not include what is morally right or wrong.

To further enhance the meaning of the definition, you can think of examples of violations of folkways: using "slang" when interviewing for a job, talking on your cell phone during a class lecture, or arguing loudly in public. By putting the definition into your own words and thinking of examples, it will be easier for you to learn and remember it.

Note: Many students try to memorize information they don't fully understand which is one important reason why information doesn't "stick." Try to understand the information before you try to remember it.

Organize the Information

Organizing material into meaningful categories helps you learn and recall information more efficiently than studying separate pieces of information. For instance, if you have numerous vocabulary terms to learn, group them into categories according to the textbook heading they come under rather than studying them individually.

Example: Below are vocabulary terms from a sociology chapter. They're listed individually and in alphabetical order as they might appear in a glossary at the end of a chapter.

Below the same vocabulary terms listed above are grouped into categories using the textbook headings they appear under.

Notice how much easier it would be to learn four groups of terms instead of fourteen individual terms. Information that is well organized is much easier to learn and remember than information that is unorganized.

Use Imagery

Since our memory for pictures is often better than our memory for words, creating mental pictures can enhance your memory of verbal information. High-image words which easily lend themselves to visualization are remembered better than abstract or low-image words. For example, the terms manifest function and ethnocentrism would probably be more difficult to remember than culture or minority group which lend themselves to visualization. When attempting to learn abstract words, try to think of vivid examples of the concept or term. Whenever you can incorporate a mental picture along with the definition, you are encoding the information into you memory system in two ways, and two forms of encoding are better than just one.

Example: The term manifest function refers to the intended outcome of an action or event that is noticed by others. To help yourself remember the definition of this term, you might relate it to your reason for attending college. For instance, the intended outcome of attending college is usually to earn a degree. Therefore, you might visualize yourself at your graduation ceremony walking across the stage to accept your diploma with your family cheering you on. You might also visualize the festivities afterwards.

Mnemonic devices

Mnemonic devices are memory tricks that are used to remember factual information such as a list of words or phrases, and they often produce a visual image in the learner's mind. Some common mnemonic devices include acronyms, nonsense words, nonsense sentences, and rhymes.

Example: To remember the names of the Great Lakes (Michigan, Ontario, Erie, Superior, and Huron) you can make an acronym by taking the first letter of each word and rearranging them to make the word HOMES. If, however, you needed to remember them geographically from west to east (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario), you could make a sentence using the first letter of each word: Sara Met Hilarious Eric Online.

Rehearse Using Elaboration

Rehearsal is the conscious repetition of information. There are two types of rehearsal: rote rehearsal and elaborative rehearsal. Rote rehearsal consists of repeating the same words over and over again with little or no variation. This is not a very effective method for learning and remembering new information because often the full meaning is not grasped. Elaborative rehearsal, on the other hand, involves expanding on the information by analyzing it further and relating it to information already stored in your memory. This type of rehearsal is much more effective for encoding information into your long term memory for retrieval later.

Example: Suppose you had to know the following definition of the term "norm" for your sociology class: norms are standards of desirable behavior that people are supposed to follow in their interactions with others.

If you were to use rote rehearsal, you would repeat this definition over and over many times. If, however, you were to use elaborative rehearsal, you would expand on the above definition by adding additional information and associating it with information already in your memory. Below, the meaning of the term is analyzed in greater detail and also includes examples that connect the information to knowledge you may already have in your memory system.

• Norms often differ depending on the situation.

Example: It's okay to tell my problems to my parents or friends but not to strangers.

• Norms vary from one society to another.

Example: The Chinese use chopsticks when they eat while Americans use forks.

• Norms sometimes change over time.

  Example: Years ago body piercing and tattoos were not accepted as they are today.

Too often students merely have surface knowledge of the material they're learning. Be sure you have a deeper understanding. The more you elaborate on concepts, the more likely you are to remember them.

Study Actively

As mentioned previously, studying does not consist of passively rereading your text, lecture notes or study sheet. Instead, actively think about the information by explaining the information out loud to yourself using your own words. In succeeding sessions, try to recite the information a little differently each time by rewording it or thinking of different examples. In addition, you should also think critically about the information you're studying by noting relationships among ideas, asking yourself "how" and "why," comparing and contrasting information, determining the significance of events, etc. Actively thinking about the material numerous times and in several different ways helps keep the information "alive" in your short term memory and enhances your comprehension and retention of the material.

Note:

Don't be deceived! Many students think they know the material but in reality they're only familiar with it. They've heard it in lecture and/or read it in their text, but they don't really know it. If you really know the material, you can explain it to someone else in your own words.

Review Often

Ideally, you should review after each lecture and after reading each textbook chapter. After each lecture, read through your notes and highlight key points and/or use the left margin of your paper to indicate important information such major concepts, vocabulary terms, possible test questions, etc. Also check for inaccurate and/or missing information. After reading a textbook chapter, go back and reread the headings and subheadings, portions of the text that you highlighted or marked and, finally, the summary. Since much of what we learn is forgotten quickly, frequent reviewing helps to keep the information fresh in your mind and reduces the amount of time you will need to spend later in the semester when studying for an exam. As you review, identify early on information that is confusing or difficult to understand and seek clarification. Know what you don't know!

Space Your Studying

When preparing for a major exam, avoid cramming! Instead of trying to learn and remember several weeks worth of information a day or two before an exam, spread your studying out over several days. Material should be studied in small amounts - perhaps one chapter or topic a day depending on the amount and depth of the material. You can begin by studying the oldest information first and end with the most recent information. Each day the material that you studied the previous day(s) should be reviewed before beginning the next topic. Overlearn! Even when you think you know the material, study it some more. Learning and remembering do not occur accidentally. They both require a great deal of time and effort.

Susan Ziegert, University of Wisconsin – Waukesha, Studying: Learning and Remembering Information