The Learning Process –Part 3 of 5

Effective learning needs three things: variety, repetition and spacing out over time.

The last post looked at variety – what different types of study activities can you do with the material you need to know.  This week we will look at repetition.  This is easy to understand – you have to go over and over and over the material (in many different ways) in order to get it into your long-term memory.

Think of your memory as compartments.  Your sensory memory is where you decide what to pay attention to – what you are reading, for example, or the TV playing in the background.  Your short-term (or working) memory is what you are using when you are paying attention, reading, thinking, etc.  This is the part you are using when you study. You have to keep thinking about the material in order to keep it active your short-term memory.  You goal is to get the information into your long-term memory so you can access it when you need it – during a test for example!  BUT information does not just move to and stay in your long-term memory after one study event.  It takes repetition - going over and over the material multiple times.  So how do you do that?  Here are some ideas:

*Review your lecture notes after every class and at least once a week review ALL the notes that will be on the next exam.

*Be sure to go to every class – that way you are working with the information at least several times a week.

*Make study cards.  Set aside 15 – 20 minutes per day to study the cards.  This is especially effective in a class that has a lot of material and/or is very difficult.

*Don’t let too many days go by without any interaction with the material.  If it is a class that meets just once a week, be sure to work with the material several times between class sessions.

*If the class is online, don’t be tempted to put off the work.  Set up a schedule for yourself where you plan to study the material several times each week, just as if you were physically going to the class.

*Schedule weekly study dates with friends. This will force you to have more interactions with the material.

*Take advantage of Supplemental Instruction sessions, professor-led review sessions, what every your institution offers.

There is one last part – spacing your learning over time.  Watch for the post next week! In the meantime, look at your weekly schedule and plan ahead when you will study so you are interacting with the material as many times as possible throughout the week.

****

First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.