Page 78 - Javanan Magazine Issue # 1853

PSYCHOLOGICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE No. 1853

PERSPECTIVESPERSPECTIVES JAVANAN
Dr. Alan A. PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Modarressi
Clinical and A SOCIOCULTURAL AND MIND AND BODY OUTLOOK
Neuro-Psychologyst
In this column, we examine the mental health issues in the context
of social, culture, and physiological concerns of the Iranian community

WAYS TO LEARN FASTER AND REMEMBER BETTER One of the most popular mnemonic
devices is one we learned in kinder-
Scientific Ways to Improve Your Study Habits garten -- the alphabet song. This song
helps children remember their “ABCs,”
and it remains deeply ingrained in our
involves distributing multiple practices memory as adults. Another is “i before
(or study sessions) on a topic over a e except after c” to help us remember a
period of time. Using short, spaced-out grammar rule.
study sessions will encourage meaning- Use brain breaks to restore focus. Infor-
ful learning, as opposed to long “cram mation overload is a real thing. In order
sessions,” which promote rote learn- to learn something new, our brains must
ing. The first step is to take thorough send signals to our sensory receptors to
notes while the topic is being discussed. save the new information, but stress and
Afterward, take a few minutes to look overload will prevent your brain from
over your notes, making any additions effectively processing and storing infor-
or changes to add detail and ensure ac- mation. When we are confused, anxious
curacy. or feeling overwhelmed, our brains ef-
Do this quickly, once or twice follow- fectively shut down.
ing each class or period of instruction. Stay hydrated. We know we should
Over time, you can begin to spread the drink water because it’s good for us --
sessions out, starting with once per day it’s good for our skin and our immune
often hear from students or other col- and take notes the old-fashioned way, and eventually moving to three times a system, and it keeps our body function-
leagues about wanting to lean faster with pen and paper. Research has shown week. ing optimally. But staying hydrated
and
l retain the information better. that those who type in their lecture notes Study, sleep, more study. You have a big is also key to our cognitive abilities.
learning new things is a huge part of life process and retain the information at a project or a major presentation tomor- Drinking water can actually make us
-- we should always be striving to grow lower level. Those who take notes by row and you’re not prepared. If you’re smarter. According to one study, stu-
and learn a new skill. Research shows hand actually learn more. like many of us, you stay up too late dents who took water with them to an
that we can increase our learning capac- Have effective note-taking skills. The trying to cram beforehand. Surely your examination room performed better
ity by making some adjustments to our better your notes are, the faster you’ll hard work will be rewarded, even if than those who didn’t.
study habits. learn. Knowing how to take thorough you’re exhausted the next day... right? Learn information in multiple ways.
If you want to get a jump start on ex- and accurate notes will help you re- However, that’s not the most efficient When you use multiple ways to learn
panding your knowledge, here are 10 member concepts, gain a deeper under- way for our brains to process informa- something, whether it’s language learn-
proven ways you can start being a quick standing of the topic and develop mean- tion. Research shows a strong connec- ing or speed reading, you’ll use more
learner. Do not multitask when study- ingful learning skills. So, before you tion between sleep and learning. regions of the brain to store information
ing. Trying to do too much at once learn a new topic, make sure you learn Modify your practice. If you’re learning about that subject.
makes it harder to learn. When it’s time different strategies for note taking, such a skill, don’t do the same thing over and Connect what you learn with something
for you to study, get in the zone and as the Cornell Method, which helps you over. Making “slight” changes during you know. The more you can relate new
only work on one subject at a time. organize class notes into easily digest- repeated and deliberate practice ses- concepts to ideas that you already un-
Try to avoid watching TV, checking ible summaries. sions will help you master a skill faster derstand, the faster the you’ll learn the
your phone, or studying other material Whatever method you use, some basic than doing it the same way every time. new information. According to the book
while you’re learning since you’ll have tips for note-taking include: In one study of people who learned a Make It Stick, many common study
a tougher time remembering the subject Listen and take notes in your own computer-based motor skill, those who habits are counterproductive. They
you want to focus on. Even though you words. learned a skill and then had a modified may create an illusion of mastery, but
might think you’re learning more at Leave spaces and lines between main practice session where they practiced the information quickly fades from our
once, you’re more likely to get confused ideas so you can revisit them later and the skill in a slightly different way per- minds.
and have to go back to review the topics add information. formed better than those who repeated Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and
later on.[10] Develop a consistent system of abbre- the original task over and over. SpaceX, uses this method. He said he
Take notes with pen and paper. Though viations and symbols to save time. Try a mnemonic device. One of the best views knowledge as a “semantic tree.”
it might seem that typing your notes on Write in phrases, not complete sentenc- ways to memorize a large amount of When learning new things, his advice is
a laptop during a conference or lecture es. information quickly is to use memory to “make sure you understand the prin-
will be more thorough, thus helping you Learn to pull out important information techniques like a mnemonic device: a ciples, i.e., the trunk and big branches,
learn faster, it doesn’t work that way. To and ignore trivial information. pattern of letters, sounds or other associ- before you get into the leaves/details or
speed up your learning, skip the laptop Do distributed practice. This method ations that assist in learning something. there is nothing for them to hang on to.”
DANESH FOROUGHI, PH.D. Alan Modarressi, PhD, QME

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PSY13680 Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Marriage, Family & Child Psychotherapist, MFC23455 Qualified Medical Evaluator
Certified National Board of Addiction Examiners #4974 Certified Psychophsychologist
Tel: (310) 940-3642 Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management

15720 Ventura Blvd., Second Fl. #224 Encino CA 91436 (818) 501-6080 (562) 861-7226
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