Memory and Learning Strategies Part 2 of 2

Here are four more important factors for successful learning:

1. Distributed Practice - Successful learning requires varied repetition spaced out over time. Here are two ways to incorporate this into your studying:
1. Review difficult information 15 - 20 minutes a day almost every day of the week.  This is above and beyond your regular studying!
2. Plan to study for exams over an extended period leading up to the exam.  Start about one week in advance.  (See my next blog about specifics regarding studying for exams and when the learning actually starts!)
2. Organization - It is important to see how the information you are learning is organized.  You cannot learn a large jumble of unrelated information.  This is true for both lecture notes and textbook reading.  Be sure to keep the big picture in mind.
3. Association - Relate what you are learning to what you already know or to your future career.
4. Interest - It is easier to learn what you are interested in than information you do not care about.  Try to act as if you are interested and do what you would do in that situation.  My students report that sometimes they just make a decision to be more interested in their education as a whole and that makes a difference!

The next blog will address how to study for exams and the one after that test-taking strategies.  Stay strong and work hard!
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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.