best way to memorize stuff?

[rabidpanda13]

This sounds insane but the only thing I have found that works every time is memorizing backwards.

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[mkerr]

I dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, I am presently employed as a caregiver and school bus driver. Presently I am working on getting my CNA certificate. When I was younger I took a few years of electrical engineering classes, and I have completed a 5 year IBEW electrical apprenticeship. I worked as an electrician for 25 years and acquired all the hours I need to retire with a good pension. I wanted a change anyway, and I am way to young to collect my pension, So I decided to do something different.

Anyway back the memory subject.

When I have to memorize something that is pretty lengthy & uninteresting. I have found that grounding myself is probably the most important thing. Meaning I have to find that calm peaceful place inside of me. To do this I have to wake up hours before my day starts, & find a quiet place with no interruptions. (I.E in the bathroom ect...)

I will take the book I need to memorize, and scan each page on my all in one printer copy scanner machine. Then I will cut the scanned pages into memorize-able sections, dividing the information into blocks that I can read and memorize in a very short period of time. On the back side of each cut scanned page I write down a short summary and sometimes draw pictures of what I need to remember next to the summary. (These are my flash cards...) Note: If I need to memorize like 10 or more pages I will write all of my summary's on a separate sheet of paper then memorize them in order. Doing this helps me grasp the big picture, and put it in a easy to remember sequence that I can memorize quickly.

Then I read each flash card into my computer microphone one at a time. (My summary first), after that I will leave a long blank period on the recording, during this time I try to remember what was on the other side of that flash card.

(Following the long blank period, I read the reading material I need to remember into the microphone word for word that relates to the summary). I save, and name each flash card as a file. Then I copy them to my I pod in the correct order and play it back over and over on low volume while I am sleeping and during the day when I have time.

When I get up in the morning during my quiet calm time, I read the card's to myself. Then I test my self to see what I remembered.... Doing this really works good for me.


My prayers are with all of you and ""Good Luck""

Sport

dear god that has to be the most inefficient, though intricate, way of studying i've ever seen.

 

[Lespedeza]

If writing your notes out helped you, I'd suggest typing your notes out (if you can type fast enough). I consolidate everything onto those few pages so I don't have to look up info later in other books or sources. It'll still take a while, but that's what i've been doing this second year, and it's been going pretty well for me. I've gotten 90+ on almost all my exams this year so far. I typically have lecture for 4 hours a day, and spend about 4-5 hours/day typing up and going over the notes of that day.

After typing out the notes, I read through my types up notes 2-3 times to underline/highlight (3-5 days before an exam).

The day or 2 before the test, I do practice questions. With each question I get wrong, I write out a sentence describing the CORRECT pathology/pathophysiology, etc to help it stick. The morning of the test, I'll read through my corrections of the things I got wrong. Hope that helps.

 

[coldweatherblue]

I read something, think about it; move on to the next thing, think about it.. etc. After I've thought about a few concepts I review everything I've learned in my mind (hopefully) without looking at the notes. If I can recall the information without reading the notes I've usually got it.

 

[luvrunning]

This sounds insane but the only thing I have found that works every time is memorizing backwards.

What in the world do you mean?


For me I fold piece of paper in half, draw a line down the middle, and write down a question or a vocabulary word on the left side. I go through all of my notes making sure I include everything the teacher talked about. Then on the other side of the paper I write the answer(s). Then I go throught and cover up the right side and quiz myself. Just going through my notes and writing everything down again and thinking about it helps me really remeber it plus going through it and quizing myself when I am done helps even more. It's kind of like flash cards except its on paper and takes up less space. For example:


Question on left side:
What are the patterns
of inheritance that deviate
from a mendelian pattern?

Answer on right side:
Maternal effect, epigenetic i
nheritance (both
involve genes in nucleus)
and extranuclear inheritance
(involves genes in
organelles outside the
nucleus like mitochondria
and chloroplasts)