Page 202 - Keys To Community College Success

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How Developed Are Your Memory and Studying Skills?

For each statement, fill in the number that best describes how often it applies to you.
1 = never 2 = seldom 3 = sometimes 4 = often 5 = always

1. I know that not everything that I hear and read will necessarily stay in my memory 1 2 3 4 5
for long—or at all.
2. When I am studying, I try to choose what is most important to remember. 1 2 3 4 5

3. Through trial and error, I have figured out study locations and times that work best for me. 1 2 3 4 5
4. I write, rewrite, and summarize information to remember it. 1 2 3 4 5
5. I use flash cards and other active memory strategies to remember what I study. 1 2 3 4 5

6. I create mnemonic devices with images and associations as memory hooks. 1 2 3 4 5
7. I try to review material in several sessions over time rather than cram the night before a test. 1 2 3 4 5

8. If I find myself looking up something over and over again, I make an effort to memorize it. 1 2 3 4 5
9. I know how to study class and text notes effectively to prepare for tests. 1 2 3 4 5
10. My study strategies work for me; after a test or presentation is over, I retain much 1 2 3 4 5
of what I had to know.
Each of the topics in these statements is covered in this chapter. Note those statements for which you filled in a 3 or lower. Skim
the chapter to see where those topics appear, and pay special attention to them as you read, learn, and apply new strategies.
REMEMBER: NO MATTER HOW DEVELOPED YOUR MEMORY AND STUDYING SKILLS ARE, YOU CAN IMPROVE WITH EFFORT AND PRACTICE.

HOW DOES
memory work?

All learning and performance depends on memory, because the information you
remember—concepts, facts, processes, formulas, and more—is the raw material with
which you think, write, create, build, and perform your day-to-day actions in school
and out. Memorization also forms a foundation for higher-level thinking, because you
need to recall and understand information before you can apply, analyze, synthesize, or
evaluate it.
Through the effort of studying and a positive attitude, you earn the reward of a
memory that can help you move toward your goals. This chapter provides memory-
improvement techniques that you can make your own. First, explore how memory works.

The Information Processing Model of Memory
Memory refers to the way the brain stores and recalls information or experiences that
are acquired through the five senses. While you take in thousands of pieces of informa-
tion every second—everything from the shape and color of your chair to how your

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