Page 221 - Keys to College Success

Study during short, frequent sessions
You can improve your chances of remembering material if you learn it more than
once. A pattern of short sessions, say three 20-minute study sessions followed by brief
periods of rest, is more effective than continual studying with little or no rest. Try
studying on your own or with a classmate during breaks in your schedule. Although
studying between classes isn’t for everyone, you may find that it can help you remem-
ber more.
In addition, scheduling regular, frequent review sessions over time will help you
retain information more effectively. If you have two weeks before a test, set up study
sessions three times per week instead of putting the final two days aside for hours-long
study marathons. 7
1 7 Use analytical thinking skills
CHAPTER CHAPTER Analytical, or critical, thinking encourages you to associate new information with what

you already know. Imagine you have to remember information about the signing of the
Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. How can critical thinking help?

■ Recall everything that you know about the topic.
■ Think about how this event is similar to other events in history.
■ Consider what is different and unique about this treaty in comparison to other
treaties.
■ Explore the causes that led up to this event, and look at the event’s effects.
■ Evaluate how successful you think the treaty was.
This critical exploration makes it easier to remember the material you are studying.

Organize the items you are processing
There are a few ways to do this:

■ Divide material into manageable sections. Master each section, put all the sections
together, and then test your memory of all the material.
■ Use the chunking strategy. Chunking increases the capacity of short-term and
CHUNKING
Placing disconnected
information into smaller long-term memory. For example, while it is hard to remember these 10 digits—
4808371557—it is easier to remember them in three chunks—480 837 1557. In
units that are easier
general, try to limit groups to 10 items or fewer.
to remember.
■ Use organizational tools. Put your note-taking knowledge to work using an out-
line, a think link, or another tool to record material and make connections among
the elements.
■ Be careful when studying more than one subject. When studying for several tests
at once, avoid studying two similar subjects back-to-back. Your memory may be
more accurate when you study history after biology rather than chemistry after
biology.
■ Notice what ends up in the middle, and practice it. When you are studying, you
tend to remember what you study first and last. The weak link is likely to be what
you study in the middle. Knowing this, try to give this material special attention.

Recite, rehearse, and write
The more you can repeat, and the more ways you can repeat, the more likely you are to
remember. Reciting, rehearsing, and writing help you diversify your repetition and
maximize memory. When you recite material, you repeat key concepts aloud, in your
own words, to aid memorization. Rehearsing is similar to reciting but is done silently.
Writing is reciting on paper. Use these steps to get the greatest benefit:

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