Ellie Swain
Many courses and classes require you to study mass amounts of information, which can be overwhelming. And, often, people feel like they don’t have strong enough memory skills to retain everything they learn.
But the good news is that anyone can train and develop their memorizing skills. Some people practice visualization techniques and memory tricks to help them remember large chunks of information.
Memory tips and tricks help people expand their working memory and access their long-term memory. These techniques can also help you remember some concepts for years or even for life. Some memory techniques also lead to understanding and higher-order thinking.1
Here’s how to remember what you study with some effective memorization techniques.
Why Rote Memorization Doesn’t Work
Rote memorization is a learning technique used in schools in which one repeats facts or figures repetitively to try to remember them. One example of the rote memorization technique is repeatedly writing vocabulary words or solving the same mathematics problems over and over again.
However, rote memorization doesn’t allow for a deeper understanding of the topic or subject. You only memorize the bare facts of a subject.
Rote learning also doesn’t allow for complex links between previous and new knowledge. That’s why it can be challenging to fully understand concepts using only rote memory.
10 Tips to Remember What You Study
Here are six techniques that actually work to help you remember what you study.
1. Use spaced repetition.
Spaced repetition is a method of studying material at systematic intervals. At the beginning of the learning process, intervals are spaced closely together. For example, one hour, four hours, one day.
As the material is reviewed, the intervals become purposefully longer. For example, four days, one week and two weeks.
The spaced repetition method allows you to review the material before it’s forgotten. This helps you retain it in your long-term memory.
Spaced repetition can be seen as the opposite of “cramming.” Instead of learning information in a short timeframe, which can lead to forgetting, spaced repetition focuses on the long-term memory of new information.
For example, if you learned material from a textbook in the first week of the semester, you should review it on a regular schedule. You can review it again during the second, fourth, eighth and last weeks of the semester to remember the information long-term.
2. Test yourself.
Aim to quiz yourself every so often by recalling the information you’re trying to study. However, don’t simply reread your notes or a textbook. Make sure you actively test yourself.
Many people think they remember material just because it’s familiar to them when they reread it. Instead, ask yourself questions and force yourself to recollect the answers without looking at the material. This allows you to identify the areas with which you’re struggling.
You should also avoid quizzing yourself immediately after trying to remember something. This is a great way to practice spaced repetition. By waiting a few hours, or even a day or two, you can see if the information has stuck in your memory.
3. Practice interleaving.
Interleaving is the concept of mixing or alternating the skills or ideas you want to memorize. For example, try learning vocabulary words for your English class and then immediately switch to studying dates for history.
Follow this with practicing a few math problems and switch back to science definitions.
This may sound confusing and complicated at first, but it often produces better results than spending long periods of time on the same concept.
4. Link information.
Try connecting the information you’re trying to memorize to something you already know.
Your study materials alone are more challenging to remember than information that you connect to other concepts. If you can’t think of a way to connect the material to something you already know, make up a unique link that you’ll remember.
For example, say you’re trying to remember that water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit and 212 happens to be your door number. You could link these two by imagining opening your front door to someone holding a pot of boiling water.
It seems like a strange link, but it can help you remember key figures and facts.
5. Optimize your sleep and exercise.
Our brains absorb information best just before sleeping and after exercising. People that study before sleeping or napping often have higher memory recall or activity in the hippocampus. This is the part of the brain that creates new memories.
Meanwhile, exercise stimulates the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which prepares the brain for learning and creative thinking. As such, after training, you’re more likely to form creative connections between ideas and remember them better.
Be sure to time your sleep and workouts to optimize your learning sessions if you’re wondering how to remember what you study.
6. Take directed notes.
Ask yourself what you don’t understand about a particular topic. Dig deep into the root of the problem so you can understand it.
To do this, first, spot your problem areas. Secondly, ask questions that address your problem areas. Then try to answer your questions.
Use all of your resources to answer the question, such as your lecture notes, library books and the Google search tool.
Don’t allow yourself to move on until you’re confident with your answer.
7. Study with a partner.
Study buddies exist for a reason. When you study with someone else, you can swap information or talk through things out loud together. Your study buddy might have new ways of thinking about something that helps make it stick better for you. Or just the act of verbalizing it might help it become more memorable.
8. Use tools to help you.
There are tons of free resources out there that can help you study better. Apps like Dorothy or online course websites can help you study smarter, not harder. Many of these resources take very little time—such as reviewing materials in your Dorothy account or watching a video for an online class.
9. Don’t cram.
It can be tempting to try to study a whole bunch at once, but cramming can be overwhelming. And an overwhelmed brain is a forgetful brain. When you study smaller bits at a time (a practice called microlearning), you have an easier time recalling that information.
10. Get personal about it.
Chances are that, if you care about something, you’ll have an easier time remembering it. Maybe you’re having a hard time remembering the elements on the periodic table because science simply isn’t your thing. But you can recite most of your favorite novels because you love literature. Look for ways to enjoy what you’re studying, even the topic wouldn’t be your number one choice.
Summary
- Memory tips help people expand their working memories and access long-term memories.
- Rote memorization is often used in schools, but it doesn’t allow for a deeper understanding of a topic or subject.
- Spaced repetition is a method of studying material systematically so you can remember it long-term.
- Other ways to remember what you learn include testing yourself, linking information, practicing interleaving and optimizing sleep and exercise.
What’s Next?
At the end of the day, we’re all only human. But Dorothy, despite the name, is not. And Dorothy is here to help you actually remember what you study when your human brain inevitably forgets it.
The next time you’re studying for a test or learning a new language, let Dorothy know. Type in questions that you want Dorothy to quiz you over time. The app will ping you at optimally timed intervals to remind you of the information so you don’t lose it.
This process helps you remember material with minimal effort and time.