We have all been there: the first few weeks of school breeze by, with the only homework consisting of collecting your parents’ signatures and reading a variation of the same the syllabus for every class. You start to think, “Hey, this isn’t so bad, I don’t know what people were complaining about,” but then something changes. Overnight, everything gets hard. Really hard. Suddenly your bed looks way more comfortable at eleven PM than your desk chair will ever be, and sleep seems way more important than that big history test tomorrow morning. Instead of panicking the night before a test, this year, try some study techniques that will actually work. With the help of Nicole Turgeon-Williams, an Advanced Placement Psychology teacher, here are some methods your brain will thank you for.
Sing it
Most of us are still singing our ABC’s well into our teens, and will probably continue to do so into adulthood. And have you ever wondered why you just can not get that song out of your head? Simply put: it is catchy. “Acoustic encoding works when you take [information] that you want to remember and you put it to music or a rhyme or some kind of beat. This is because the brain and the human mind are primed for music and musicality”, explains Turgeon-Williams. But, try not to just listen; involving yourself in the material will help you remember it better, and it makes studying way more fun.
Does it make sense?
If you have ever created an acronym for yourself, and then forgotten what every letter stands for during a test, this tip is for you. “We can’t remember things that don’t make sense to us,” says Turgeon-Williams. This is especially dangerous when memorizing definitions, as you may think you know the meaning, but it really has no significance to your brain. So how does this translate into actions? “If a teacher assigns a reading before class, the most helpful thing would be to do that assignment, because when they are lecturing, that information is going to make a lot more sense. Also, ask questions!” Everything is easier to remember if you give it significance.
Split it up
PEMDAS, anyone? You have probably been using the technique of “chunking” without even realizing. This is when one uses acronyms or similar techniques in order to remember large amounts of information in small pieces, because “it’s a lot more manageable, in terms of memory”. Turgeon-Williams adds, “Chunking also works through larger ideas, like hierarchies, where you take really big ideas and [organize them] so that they make sense”. By splitting a subject into manageable pieces, it makes more sense and is therefore easier to remember.
Give it time
“Anyone who has a hobby outside of school knows that the only way you get better at it is by practicing over time, and school is no different”. Believe it or not, pulling all nighters to study for tests will actually hurt your overall understanding of the material, rather than help. “The brain has an unlimited capacity for memory, but if we ask it to do everything all at once, it can’t take that in”. Instead, try studying over the course of a week or even a month leading up to an important grade.
Repeat!
This one seems obvious, but it is easily the most important. You can not expect to know a subject completely, unless it has been revisited over and over again. Rehearsal is key in recalling information, as the brain is going over the same material over and over again.
It is hard to switch up old habits, but it is definitely possible! This year make an effort to study smarter, not harder. These kinds of tips we know work, so why not give a few a try? Because these methods are psychologically proven, they are basically foolproof.
