Questions of Concentration? Week 2 (14th-20th Jan)
Where?
Find a fixed place to study (a particular desk/room at home, a spot in the library, etc.) that becomes firmly associated in your mind with productive work. You are trying to build a habit, to make life easier for yourself by being in productive mode when you start a session. All the equipment and materials you need should be within reach, and the room should be well lit and ventilated, but not too comfortable!
Where?
Find a fixed place to study (a particular desk/room at home, a spot in the library, etc.) that becomes firmly associated in your mind with productive work. You are trying to build a habit, to make life easier for yourself by being in productive mode when you start a session. All the equipment and materials you need should be within reach, and the room should be well lit and ventilated, but not too comfortable!
What?
Remember that it's all about being active and focused on tasks, not time! Know at the start of a session what you want to have completed by the end of the period. Make the tasks specific and realistic, not vague and large. Don't say "I'm going to study Science for an hour" or "I'm going to spend all day Saturday studying Science". Decide instead to "revise the textbook chapter on Nutrition and write an outline answer to the question on last year's exam paper".
How?
Always work with a pen and paper at the ready. Getting started is often the most difficult bit, so start by 'doing'. Tackle a homework question or the writing up of notes at the start of a session. It usually helps to begin with a subject you like, move on to other less favoured areas, and then finish up with a favoured topic to maintain the interest.
When?
Try to schedule your study for times when you are more mentally alert. While different 'body clocks' will apply, most people find their ability to focus deteriorates towards the end of the day. Getting homework and revision done earlier in the day aids efficiency and also offers the reward of having time to relax after the work is done.
Why?
Understanding is central to the learning process so always seek to test your progress at the end of a study session. Ask yourself "what have I just learned?" Review the material covered in school that day, even briefly, as it will aid retention and make the next day's classes more productive. Merely recognising material isn't enough – you must be able to reproduce it without the aid of the book or notes. The final 5-10 minutes of any session should be used for this recall.
Remember that it's all about being active and focused on tasks, not time! Know at the start of a session what you want to have completed by the end of the period. Make the tasks specific and realistic, not vague and large. Don't say "I'm going to study Science for an hour" or "I'm going to spend all day Saturday studying Science". Decide instead to "revise the textbook chapter on Nutrition and write an outline answer to the question on last year's exam paper".
How?
Always work with a pen and paper at the ready. Getting started is often the most difficult bit, so start by 'doing'. Tackle a homework question or the writing up of notes at the start of a session. It usually helps to begin with a subject you like, move on to other less favoured areas, and then finish up with a favoured topic to maintain the interest.
When?
Try to schedule your study for times when you are more mentally alert. While different 'body clocks' will apply, most people find their ability to focus deteriorates towards the end of the day. Getting homework and revision done earlier in the day aids efficiency and also offers the reward of having time to relax after the work is done.
Why?
Understanding is central to the learning process so always seek to test your progress at the end of a study session. Ask yourself "what have I just learned?" Review the material covered in school that day, even briefly, as it will aid retention and make the next day's classes more productive. Merely recognising material isn't enough – you must be able to reproduce it without the aid of the book or notes. The final 5-10 minutes of any session should be used for this recall.
Improving Memory
We often blame our memory for poor academic performance ("I'm no good at remembering names / dates / rules / verbs / characteristics") when really we should be addressing our faulty input and storage system. There is a big difference between short-term and long-term memory. If you study a topic one night and can recall most of it the next morning, don't be fooled into thinking that you will be able to remember it accurately in two months time.
If the goal is to improve your long-term memory, then the key to success is based on the efficiency of input (the 'mental filing system' we employ). Reducing the burden on the limited short-term memory, and channelling information into long-term storage, is based on the creation of patterns and the avoidance of randomness.
We often blame our memory for poor academic performance ("I'm no good at remembering names / dates / rules / verbs / characteristics") when really we should be addressing our faulty input and storage system. There is a big difference between short-term and long-term memory. If you study a topic one night and can recall most of it the next morning, don't be fooled into thinking that you will be able to remember it accurately in two months time.
If the goal is to improve your long-term memory, then the key to success is based on the efficiency of input (the 'mental filing system' we employ). Reducing the burden on the limited short-term memory, and channelling information into long-term storage, is based on the creation of patterns and the avoidance of randomness.
·
'Chunking':
as the average person can only hold seven 'items' in short-term memory,
grouping items together into 'chunks' can increase capacity. This is generally
used for remembering numbers (think of how you remember phone numbers by
grouping the seven digits into 2 or 3 chunks) but can be applied to other
listings in various subjects.
·
·
Repetition:
Studies indicate that 66% of material is forgotten within seven days if it is
not reviewed or recited again by the student, and 88% is gone after six weeks.
Don't make life harder for yourself - build in a brief daily and weekly review
of material covered. It will save you having to re-learn material from scratch!
·
Application and association:
The best way to channel material to long-term memory is to organise it into
meaningful associations. Link it to existing information and topics and create
vivid personal examples which act as 'mental hooks' or 'cues' for recalling
material in the future. Thus, new items are put in context. If you learn a new
formula / verb / rule, try to put it into practice immediately with a relevant
example.
·
·
Use of mnemonics:
these are various word games which can act as memory aids and which allow
personalisation and creativity. Think of stalagtites (come down from the
ceiling) and stalagmites (go up from the ground); the colours of the rainbow - Roy G. Biv ('Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain' to remember red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet); the seven characteristics of living
organisms - Mr. Grief (Movement, Reproduction, Growth, Respiration, Irritability, Excretion, Feeding). You can devise many
more of these to aid your personalised recall of items in your subjects.
No comments:
Post a Comment