Understand How Your Memory Works
"Because there is no need for us to maintain everything in our brain, the different stages of human memory function as a sort of filter that helps to protect us from the flood of information that we're confronted with on a daily basis." (Excerpt from reading on Effects of Aging on Memory). But sometimes the "flood of information" such as mass vocabulary and test review material we encounter are memories that we actually DO want to store, but our behaviors and what we are paying attention do not match, and our brain therefore dismisses it. It is key to know how to communicate with your brain well enough to let your brain know what you DO actually want to remember. And to let it decide what to dismiss properly (Such as the color of ink you are using, the sound of the AC unit buzzing behind you in the library, and the outfit you're wearing at the time you're studying).
-Perception-How your memories begin, and if your brain chooses to store them, is all based on the sensory perception that usually lasts only "a fraction of a second" (Effects of Aging on Memory). To increase the capacity of which you can store in this short term memory it is helpful to break what your observing into chunks. (For example, a 10 digit phone number is easier to memorize broken up into a 3-3-4 pattern).
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-Transfer-A memory can be transferred from short term to long term by increasing the use of said memory or by repetition. So for instance, if you are attempting to memorize the 10 digit phone number the more you repeat it the better it will be placed into your long term memory. Or if you are studying vocabulary the same holds true and if you can use the words in your every day conversations even around friends who are away of what you are doing by using those terms then that can help your memory of the material.
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-Encode-A key part of memory is avoiding distractions while your memory is attempting to store (or encode) memories. If you are distracted then so is your mind and your mind will therefore be encoding the distractions rather than what you think you are focusing on. For example, when studying avoid music with words because your mind may be encoding the wrong words, being the lyrics of the songs rather than the vocabulary words that you have to keep re-reading.
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-Retrieve-Retrieving the memory is what we tend to coin "remembering" if you are having trouble here it is because there may have been a "mismatch between the retrieval cues and the encoding process of the specific knowledge you are trying to retrieve" (Effect on Aging). Some studies claim that retrieval cues can be enhanced by things such as chewing mint gum while studying and then chewing the same mint gum again while taking the exam.
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