My problem is that I have trouble with remembering the information I study. Despite that fact that I pay much attention to learning some information, I cannot remember what I learned at classes. So in this paper, I want to analyze and describe those strategies which can help me to make my studying process more effective. However, my problem is remembering of information, so in this paper I will discuss strategies of efficient comprehending, remembering etc. and will analyze which strategies are more efficient for my case.
Before recalling information people need to study, to learn this information. The first step of efficient learning is concentration. There are many internal and external factors which can distract an individual`s attention. Thoughts about personal issues, daily tasks, fantasies, dreams, etc. are internal reasons of the distraction of attention. Noise, friends and family members, TV and social networks are among external factors which interfere with human concentration. So if someone wants to make studying process more effectual he/she need to learn how to eliminate and to overcome listed factors. To do this an individual can, for example, to choose for studying the place with good lighting, with no noise or no presence of other people who can distract the one from studying. Also, it can be useful to develop a habit of studying at a particular time of a day. To cope with such internal factors as thoughts a person can record all important ideas in a special notepad. It is proved that recorded thoughts and ideas go from a mind (“Concentrating, comprehending, remembering”).
Comprehending is the next step of studying process. The quality of comprehending influences the ability to remember the information later. To increase the quality of this process a person has to know some features of it. Firstly, a person needs to understand a subject, a topic he/she study. It is necessary to find and understand main ideas of some information, to make information meaningful for one. It is easier to comprehend something new when you have the interest in the topic you study. Also, it is important to connect new information to information previously obtained and to fit all new information in the whole “picture” of a particular area of knowledge (“Concentrating, comprehending, remembering”).
Also, a person who wants to improve the process of studying new information must know that he/she does not need to remember everything, every detail ( that is why it is important to understand the main idea of something), that improving memory is hard work which requires time and personal efforts.
There are associations, visualizations, poems and rhymes, acronyms, word-part clues, acrostics and etc. among techniques which can improve recalling and organize new information. To make associations means to link new information to another facts, knowledge. For example, we can link new psychological theory to our personal experience. Later it will be easier to recall this theory through association of it with an example from our life. Making visualizations means to create “mental” picture of what we study. For example, we can link to the theory of Freud about conscious and unconscious to the picture of iceberg smaller piece of which is on the surface of the water. This picture will help us to remember the idea that conscious is only the small part of our mental processes and that biggest part of remains invisible for us. Another technique can be used for remembering that information to which association and visualization cannot be applied. For example, to remember some geographical titles we can create acronyms. To do this we form one word from first letters of titles we want to memorize.
Other rules which can help to learn new information are the rule of studying a small piece of information at a time, the rule of creating questions and trying to answer them after reading some book, paragraph, etc. Also, it is useful to make some notes and test yourself before a professor will do it. By testing oneself a person can check what she/he memorized better and what she has to read and try to learn one more time (“I Know the Material, But When I Take the Test I Go Blank!”).
Some strategies and techniques of efficient studying are also associated with an emotional dimension of remembering the process. We can remember even difficult information better if we study it with a pleasure if we enjoy studying process. Also, it is necessary to develop self-control. Some information can be easier and more interesting for learning, but sometimes the only one way to stimulate ourselves to study something is self-control and self-discipline. To control self a person can to use a timer and alternate work and rest time. For example, a person can choose that he/she works one hour and then has the break for 15 minutes, etc. After learning newer information, it is necessary to check and renovate older knowledge (“Study tips”).
So what strategies are more helpful for me in my studying process? After trying to use some of the described strategies I find it very helpful to make associations between some concepts, theories, ideas and examples from my life experience, from famous movies, from books I read, etc. Also, I find it efficient to verbalize information I try to remember. When I repeat information I read I do it aloud. I imagine that I`m a teacher who wants to explain a theory, an idea to students who know nothing on that topic, nothing about this theory or idea. When I repeat information in this way I can examine what ideas I understood better and what I need to read again.
When I`m bored and not interested in studying some information I ask myself why I need to study this information, what my main goal of this process is. Answering these questions I distract from the situational lack of interest or boredom and begin to understand the general meaning of my studying.
References
Advising & Learning Assistance Center(2016). Concentrating, comprehending, remembering.
Retrieved from http://alac.rpi.edu/update.do
Counseling Services (2016). I Know the Material, But When I Take the Test I Go Blank! Retrieved from https://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/stress/strestst.html
