Studying for exams can be a stressful time for students. You have to try and retain information in a short space of time, and then you need to put what you’ve learned into practice. Do you struggle to retain information when you study? You’re not alone. Many people struggle to remember their exam notes. But there is a way you can train your brain and improve your memory.
Today, we’re giving you three study hacks that will help you retain facts long after you’ve studied. Whether you’re following practical online courses like the ones at Newcastle Training, learning a new skill, or studying for an exam at college, these tips will help you.
1. Create Mental Association
Association as mentioned in psychology is a mental connection between events, concepts, and mental states. You can use mental association to help you retain study material. All you have to do is create connections that will help you remember important information, using creative approaches.
A mind map is the easiest way to create connections with a visual overview of your ideas. To create an effective mind map while you study, follow these steps:
-In the center of your mind map, write a title for the chapter you’re studying
-Read one paragraph of your study material at a time
-Pause after each paragraph and write down keywords or main ideas into your diagram
-Keep adding links and bubbles that connect to these ideas
By including words, colors, and branches in your map will help you memorize the information you’ve read. This is because you’re utilizing association and imagination to improve your memory.
2. Teach or Talk About What You Learn
The best way to test whether you understand the work you’re studying is to try and teach it to someone else. Alternatively, you could simply talk about what you’ve learned. This will help you remember the correct terminology when you’re explaining your work to others. Additionally, talking about your work makes it more enjoyable and interesting which could motivate you to study more.
3. Use Online Tools to Practice Exams
Do you want to train your brain to retrieve information? Use past exam questions to help you practice. You can create your own exam using realistic online tools to help you practice for real-life exam scenarios. With this method, you can train your brain to think fast and remember what you’ve learned.
Final Thoughts
The final tip for you is to go to bed at a reasonable time every evening. This may seem like an obvious tip, but there’s a reason for it. When you get the proper hours of sleep you’re improving memory consolidation. This is the process of turning short-term memory into long-term memory when you sleep. So if you want to improve your memory, catch those z’s. We hope these tips helped you with your study process. Good luck with your exams, and may you get straight A’s for all your hard work.
No Comments