How to study effectively!

How to study effectively!

1. 1. The basics

   • - SLEEP
     • good sleep helps to solidify what we learned during the day… a lack of sleep over-works the brain neurons to the point where they can’t recall information correctly
   • - BRAIN BREAKS
     • Brain breaks are kinaesthetic breaks every 25 – 30 minutes Brain breaks helps the brain to refocus, work in different ways Did you know? Children need to move their bodies in order to be able to stay focused and to learn.
   • - GET ORGANISED
     • - Do you have…. enough space?…. everything you need?... enough light?
     • - Have you planned out your study session?
     • - Get rid of DISTRACTIONS!
     • - Eat brain food!
       • oily fish and eggs
       • dark leafy greens like broccoli and spinach
       • peanut butter
       • green tea
       • fresh fruit
       • mixed seeds especially pumpkin and sunflower
       • avo
       • dark chocolate
       • AVOID: junk food and sugary drinks!
       • FOCUS on slow-releasing energy foods
     • - Drink lots of water
     • - Don’t just study in one place
     • - Did you include breaks?
   • - WALK
     • Walking boosts memory and brain power
     • walking increases memory by 25%
     • walking is an unconscious ability which allows the conscious mind to focus on learning
     • allows parts of the brain that were idle during to study to activate

2. 2. how memory works

   • Memory is formed when you EXPERIENCE something and SYNAPSES are formed
     • When you access those synapses again and help them to consolidate.
     • The more you access the synapses, the stronger the memory becomes
     • If you don't use those synapses, they will disappear.
   • STAGES OF MEMORY
     • encoding
       • encoding starts with sensory memory
         • based on structure and sound
       • this kind of processing is shallow and can only be maintained by rehearsal
         • REHEARSAL is just constant repetition
     • storage
       • to make memories more permanent, deep processing must take place
         • this means focusing more on the semantics (meaning)
         • this kind of memory is maintained by elaborative rehearsal
           • elaboration enriches the memory representation of an item by activating many aspects of its meaning and linking it into the pre-existing network of semantic associations
     • retrieval
       • recalling memories is the act of reactivating the same neural pathways that were formed during the original encoding

3. 3. methods

   • ELABORATION
     • create mental asociations
     • This is the most important part of studying! The more associations you form the better. The more times you study the same thing in different ways, the better.
     • surprisingly you can also learn through making a mistake! Mistakes can trigger the correct answer.
     • image - name associations eg Frankie Blue Eyes
   • MNEMONICS
     • acrostics
       • a series of lines or verses in which particular letters when taken in order spell out a word, phrase, etc eg. 7 coordinating conjunctions For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So which create FANBOY.
     • acronyms
       • first letter of each word creates a word eg. NASA or initialisation eg. WWW
     • rhymes
       • self-explanatory
     • spelling
       • i before e except after c
       • There's a RAT in sepaRATe
       • Don't beLIEve a LIE
   • SENSES
     • pictures stimulate visual memory
       • draw pictures
       • use colour
       • vary your handwriting
       • visual memories last longer than language-based memories
     • songs
       • speak it
         • able to remember 50% more
       • sing it
         • use a familiar tune like old mcdonald
     • actions
       • act it out
       • learn by doing
     • write it out
       • the act of re-writing something is a memory technique
       • able to remember 80% more
       • part of the brain is stimulated that incorporates physical, auditory and intelligible parts of our learning proess
     • Smell
       • burn incense or spray perfume
     • taste
       • eat something with distinctive taste
   • ORGANISE
     • mind palace
       • Picture a room or a house that you know very well. Now "furnish" that space with what you need to remember. Eg. if a room has three windows, each window can be a different date, fact or concept.
       • make it as rich and detailed as you want and you can always add new things to it later. When you study, close your eyes and walk through your mind palace, thinking about each detail ie fact carefully
     • story
       • create a story around a set of facts that you need to remember. The sillier the better! Best for content subjects.
     • imagine a walk
       • Similar to a mind palace, imagine a familiar walk or passage. Add pictures to the walk. Best for remember facts or figures in a specific order.
     • NB to remember: organisation should have a predictable flow
     • arrange information using a picture or drawing: this triggers memory and helps recall
   • chunking
     • don't try to learn a million facts or new words one by one, chunk a few of them together