The science behind remembrance
How do memories become permanent? It depends on how strongly the information is registered in the first place. Hence the need to learn in ways that involve hearing, seeing, saying and doing, and which involve positive emotions.
Emotion creates strong memories
Emotion is very important to the educative process because it drives attention, which drives learning and memory. Emotional response can be created by both positive and negative events. In an emotionally arousing experience the brain takes advantage of the ‘fight or flight’ reaction which flood the cells with two powerful stress hormones. These stimulate physical reactions like, the heart beating faster, profused sweating. But they also plant extremely vivid images in the brain cells..
Short-term memory is like the scribbling pad where you jot down a phone number. You keep the details in your mind only as long as needed to accomplish the purpose on hand. For something to enter long-term memory and reside there for years, it must get your total attention. And maybe it should pass through the three stages of Registration, Retention and Recall…
REGISTRATION
Something comes to your attention. For instance, someone tells you the name of a good work of nonfiction, say, Snapshots from Hell. How to turn this ‘initial registration’ into permanent memory? Retention. Decide to retain in your memory.
Retention
So you have decided to remember?
Snapshots from Hell?
Recall
Retention is no good if there is no ability to recall the information when it is needed. Hence the tool used to retain it must enhance the likelihood that you can access the information at any time in future. Remember it in an easy-to-recall way. Think that you are taking a photograph at hell! When you walk into a book store, you recall that you wanted to buy Snapshots from Hell.
A memory checklist
A good memory is definitely an advantage when it comes to preparing for exams. There are many ‘systems’ for improving memory. But before learning shortcuts, we should give our normal remembering process a fair chance. Have you crammed a lot of non-legible stuff in some irretrievable corner of your head? Or have you neatly stacked in a clear highlighted format the essentia’ information? If we study at relaxed pace with concentrated efforts and revise a couple of times, we are sure to remember better than if we raced through the texts.
Here`s check list:
Are you involved with your subject?
Lack of involvement results in half-hearted attempts and this will not help. You have to be fully involved.
Do you understand what you read?
Learning by rote is common but it becomes difficult when volumes are involved. And, anyway, mugging will not help you when you have to answer application oriented questions. Remember, all subjects, tax and law included, are based on logic.
Are you relaxed when studying?
Stress is said to blot out memory. If you have trouble in relaxing, log on to the chapter ‘Enhancing study skills’.
Are worried while you study?
Do you harass yourself with “God, I`m never going to remember this!” Don`t do that. Tell yourself, “ I Will remember this” – and you will.
Are you able to give full attention to every task on hand, whether it is study or work?
Or are you spending more time planning the future, or evaluating the past? Or are you rushing around doing too many things all at once? Is your mind on something else all the time? If so, you must improve focus.
Are you able to revise your work?
Revision helps remembrance.
Are you able to concentrate when studying?
Concentration is a pre-requisite to high retention.
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