4. Learn
actively.
Action is a great memory enhancer. Test this theory by studying your assignments
with the same energy that you bring to the dance floor or basketball court.
You can use simple,
direct methods to infuse your learning with action. When you sit at your desk,
sit up straight. Sit on the edge of your chair, as if you were about to spring
out of it and sprint across the room.
Also experiment with
standing up when you study. It’s harder to fall asleep in this position. Some people
insist that their brains work better when they stand. Pace back and forth and
gesture as you recite material out loud. Use your hands get your body moving.
This includes your
mouth. During lecture, ask questions. With your textbooks, read key passages
out loud. Use a louder voice for the main points.
Active learning also
involves a variety of learning styles. In my blog I will add an article about “Learning styles: Discovering how you learn”
which, will explain in large detail four aspects of learning: concrete experience, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, and reflective observation. Many courses in
higher education lean heavily toward abstract conceptualization – lectures,
papers, and reading. These courses might not offer chances to actively
experiment with ideas or test them in concrete experience.
Create those
opportunities yourself. For example, your introductory psychology book probably
offers some theories about how people remember information. Choose one of those
theories and test it on yourself. See if you can discover a new memory
technique.
Your sociology class
might include a discussion about how groups of people resolve conflict. See it
you can apply any of these ideas to resolving conflict in your own family.
The
point behind each of these examples is the same: to remember an idea, go beyond
thinking about it. Do something with it.
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