Study Habits: How To Knock Out Your Test With These Memory Tricks

It's almost time for finals! The Rasmussen College - Rockford, IL Librarian, Jon Mladic, shares some great studying tips that use memory tricks. Check out the "do's" and "don'ts" here:

study area

DO

  • Use study guides and study buddies
  • Read and review your course material
  • Allow plenty of time to study
  • Study when well-rested
  • Study in a quiet and comfortable environment
  • Make sure there is light where you are studying

DON’T

  • Wait until the last minute
  • Study on the bus or in a car
  • Cram
  • Study when tired
  • Study in a noisy environment

*Remember: All habits can be formed or broken.


Long-term Memory

Memory in which associations among items are stored long term. Here are some tips for shifting information from short to long-term memory:

  • Repetition of information (write or listen to the information over and over)
  • Group information
  • Forget less important information and try to remember the most recent things

Short-term Memory

Short-term memory stores information for only around 20 to 30 seconds and can be recalled easily. Other things include:

  • Notes the teacher writes down and you try to remember without studying
  • Things that you are told to do before class

The Processing Theory

  • Maintenance rehearsal: Process information shallowly so we can use it for a short time and forget it
  • Elaborative Rehearsal: Make the information meaningful and rehearse it until the information is right at your fingertips at any given point; requires writing the material down, organizing the material, or personalizing it

About the author

Jon Mladic

This article was written by Jon Mladic, the Learning Center Coordinator for Rasmussen University at the Rockford, IL college campus. He has worked in the field of education for more than five years. Jon received his Master's degree in English Literature from Illinois Wesleyan University.

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