Accepting Memorization Methods
● To memorize a list of items, try to think of a word that will act as a mnemonic for each one. For instance, you could use "Sunny" to remember the colors yellow, orange, and red.
● As you say these words in your head or out loud, say them with increasing volume and speed. This makes it more difficult to forget the sequence because you will be saying them faster than what they were memorized at first.
● If this doesn't work or if you have difficulty finding a suitable word for every item on your list, try using one that is continuous throughout the list- "Rainbow" is a great option because it starts with red and ends with violet.
● For example, if you were going to memorize the colors of the rainbow ( red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet ), then you could use the sentence: There is a little kitten named Rainbow. Rainbow came to my house yesterday. He was very happy and he wanted some food. He is a nice kitty and I really like him.
● Do this with your entire list or until you can perfectly recall each item without hesitation.
● After you memorize the list, don't review it for at least a few days. When you rewrite it, it should be very easy to do so. If not, then try making your sentence longer and more ridiculous to see if that helps. It might take a few days or even a few weeks for this method to work for you, but once it does, you'll be able to memorize lists in seconds!
● Once you have mastered this technique with small lists like letters of the alphabet or simple grocery lists, move on to larger and more complicated things like vocabulary words or speeches.
● I hope this information helps you with your studies. Good luck!
Title: Accepting the main ideas of lecture
3) Main idea for summary:
■ It is important to write down in your notes (or on a post-it) summarizing what was said. This will make it easier when it comes time to actually review your notes and study. When possible you should ask yourself, "What's the point?" or "What are they getting at?" or "Why is this important?" You must try to summarize these throughout the lecture and then write them down at the end of the lecture or section of notes.
● The goal of this summary is to rephrase, in your own words, the main points of the lecture. The best way to do this is to write down what you feel are the most important and interesting points that were brought up in class.
● When you write your summary, try to keep it simple and brief instead of going into too much detail. This will be a good way of telling you how much information you actually understood from the lecture.
4) Main ideas for each paragraph:
■ After writing down your main idea for the whole lecture, go back and write down the main idea for each paragraph or section of notes from class. This is so that you can fill out those sections of notes before you move on to the next lecture.
5) Main idea for selected readings:
■ Select the 3 or 4 main ideas from each reading that most stood out to you. Write them down in your notes in a similar manner to how you would write down main ideas from class lectures.
● This is a great way of measuring how much of what was taught in class you actually understood and finding different ways of summarizing it for future readings.
● You should take care of this right after writing down your main ideas for each section. Therefor, whenever possible, I like to write my summaries and my key quotes at the same time.
Title: How to use a Post-it
6) Post-its (or other sticky notes):
■ You should write down the main points of each lecture or reading on a Post-it. You should make sure that the main ideas are in different colors. This is so that you can see at first glance what each Post-it is about.
■ A good way of organizing your study schedule is to create a color-coded schedule where each day's lessons are equal. For instance, if you have 6 subjects/classes you can have 6 different colored Post-its and equally space them out throughout your week. If you feel like you need to review more in a certain month, then have an extra Post-it for it. This also saves you from forgetting later on down the line.
■ Also, when you are writing out Post-its about what each lecture was about, try to include a quote along with it or take some action or reflection on your own. This helps improve your recall of what was learned and improves your understanding because you will be able to see where and how the information was used. This is a good way of self-assessing your progress as well.
Title: How to use index cards
8) Write down the important points on index cards and then test yourself on them at a later time (see the next step for more details on reviewing). For example, if you have a reading in which you need to know about 5 main things, write them down on Post-its in order and then place them into a stack. After class, review everything and see how many you can remember or try matching each main idea to its corresponding Post-it. You could also choose to put your Post-its aside until the end of the week when you can review all of your notes without being distracted by class.
● By taking notes on index cards, you are giving yourself a chance to review them easily and quickly. You are also able to see this in a more visual form instead of trying to remember the information or try to remember the main points from each Post-it for every lecture.
9) Reviewing your notes
1) When you study for long periods of time, it can become very easy to forget what was learned about 2 weeks into the semester or even exam week.
2) To memorize everything you need to know, use flashcards and/or mnemonic techniques (see below).
3) To review your notes, you should try to write down all the main points of every lecture and reading on index cards. You can then practice recalling them at home or in class. In other words, every time you go to class, look at your index cards and try to remember what they are about. Then move through the rest of class trying to recall the main points of each lecture. If you struggle, write down a few notes on Post-its that you can easily review later on while studying at home or during exams.
Conclusion
If you feel overwhelmed and don't know how to get started with all of this, let me summarize in a bullet point format:
. Take notes.
. Use Post-its or sticky notes to organize your study schedule.
. Use index cards or flashcards to learn the important things you need to remember.
You don't need an expensive study manual in order to succeed in university.