Nearly everyone has heard of short and long term memory, but many are confused as to how they each work. The biggest misconception seems to be in how long short term memory lasts. Many tend to think that when they are attempting to recall something that they have learned over the last several days or even weeks they are accessing short term memory. In reality, recalling the sentence you just read in order to make sense of the one you are reading now is short term or working memory. It is only designed to last about a minute! What you do with the information and more importantly, the meaning that you attach to the information is what determines how well it is converted into long term memory. This entails much more than simply memorizing information. We have been conditioned to try to memorize things since the first grade when we were beginning to learn our basic facts and when it comes to the facts, memorization can be an effective tool, but that is all it is. It is one tool among many that we can use to store information. The most basic component that supports long term memory is meaningfulness. In this context meaningfulness is the number of connections a new piece of information can make with things already in the long term memory. Mnemonics is an example of one of the ways we do this. I grew up around the great lakes of Michigan. In school we were taught a mnemonic device using the acronym H.O.M.E.S to learn all five great Lakes. We all knew the concept of a home and that ours was among these lakes. we all knew how to spell it therefore; it was already in our long term memory. That extra connection was made. We were taught that the beginning letter of each lake corresponded to a letter in the word homes. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior, and considering I remember that after over 25 years, there must be something to it.
Another thing that affects your ability to remember is what type of learner you are. Some people learn best while listening, some while reading and others by watching or doing. Most people use and benefit from a combination of all these depending on the material being learned and the situation. My best advice for subject matter you really want to remember, engage all the senses. Once I have taken in all the information I can via lectures and reading I Google the topic or subject I am learning and click the video option and select a handful of interesting videos on the topic to watch. I have even set up entire video study guides. It has been an amazing way to reinforce what I have learned.
One more important thing to keep in mind, especially for students, is that cramming is never the answer. Within the first few weeks of a class a student should have a pretty good idea concerning what the class is going to require you to know by the conclusion of the course. With that being said begin compiling information early on, study in 20 and 30 minute intervals, carry note cards to pull out when you are bored somewhere. Basically, the learning you are doing should span the entire length of the course not just during lectures or in the few days before an exam.
Overall Brain Health
`Now, we are going to talk about some of the obvious things that you can do that will not require any major life style changes. Sleep is vital to health, but what a lot of people don’t know is that research shows sleep is necessary for memory consolidation, with the key memory-enhancing activity occurring during the deepest stages of sleep. Also, meditation works! Brain images have shown meditation increases the thickness of the cerebral cortex and encourages more connections between brain cells—all of which increases mental sharpness and memory. Diet can also drastically affect brain function. Omega 3s, antioxidants like in fruits and veggies, and complex carbs all support brain health while diets high in saturated fat actually deplete brain health.
Now that you are armed with all of these tips it’s time to hit the books! Whether it is for school, work, or pleasure, happy studying!
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