Memorizing large amounts of information

[dudecoolname]

Obviously this is a useful skill for any student.

Many students learn/memorize in different ways..e.g. some are visual learners, some auditory, some a mixture of both.

For concept-based classes such as Math or Physics most would probably agree that practicing problems over and over is the most efficient way of learning the material.

However, for more memorization-based classes (Anatomy and Physiology for example) not everyone studies the same way.

Lately ive been making flashcards to study large amounts of information and it has worked quite well, the only downside is that it requires alot of time to create such a large amount of flashcards. Personally, I cannot memorize large amounts of information by simply reading the material over and over. I have to be presented with a question and be able to answer/recite the answer from memory.

So basically: What techniques do you personally use to memorize large amount of material in relatively short amounts of time?

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[Farmacist2011]

I learn by osmosis.

 

[dudecoolname]

I can respect that

 

[crazybob]

You can use lots of websites out there for making notecards online.

Sometimes if you see it so many times in a day, or you write it down so many times, or explain it to so many people (i.e. overexpose yourself to the material), you'll know it from memory.

 

[Pharmacceptance]

I learn by diffusion.

Fix't. You can thank me later 😉

 

[delano2000]

I read the material a few times and ensure that I understand what it's saying.

 

[dudecoolname]

Fix't. You can thank me later 😉

^that one actually makes sense lol

 

[dudecoolname]

I read the material a few times and ensure that I understand what it's saying.

But does this work when you are memorizing terms such as "Anterior cruciate ligament"?

For me that only works for understanding certain concepts, not pure memorization

 

[2411t]

have you ever seen buddhist monks pray? They nod their bodies back and forth while seated. I've heard this helps retain information.

 

[crazybob]

But does this work when you are memorizing terms such as "Anterior cruciate ligament"?

For me that only works for understanding certain concepts, not pure memorization

I've had that memorized since the first time I heard it.

But only because I don't say ACL to refer to anything else.

 

[delano2000]

But does this work when you are memorizing terms such as "Anterior cruciate ligament"?

For me that only works for understanding certain concepts, not pure memorization

Actually it does. Can't say it works for everyone but it does work for me. I wouldn't be able to the notecards thing. That is way too time consuming for me.

 

[Busta919]

For Structures, such as the ACL, muscles, bones, nerves, etc... I used structures and drilled.
For non-physical/ more generalized information, Molecular formulas, reactions, etc.... copying, reading aloud, note cards. It depends on the information and it might include a combination of methods.

How you learn depends on what type of learner you are. I need to use physical methods to learn (tactile learner). Some people can just read, some can just listen. The biggest thing is for you to perform a learning style inventory so that you can identify what works for you.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm

 

[dazzled]

Um...writing and re-writing until my hand falls off.

Color coding notes is a HUGE part of my memorization. In a pinch I can close my eyes and picture the term/definition/word/structure's color and then I can remember it. Grouping things in ways that make sense to ME (not just the teacher or the book. . . ).

The big one for me is TALKING through the material, over and over. Usually to my cats, because all my friends get very bored with my jabbering on about science stuff (all my friends are humanities majors...huh.) It's really quite funny though:

Me: "Did you know that gram negative bacteria stain PINK?"
Cat: *blink*
Me: You didn't? Well, let me explain to you what a gram stain is and how you do it...
cat: *stares*
Me: First you have to make sure that your slide is completely dry, otherwise the heat fixing will distort the morphology of the organisms, and what would be the use of that?
Cat: *purrs and goes to sleep*

Yes, I am pathetic and lame. However, I also routinely ruin the curve 😉

 

[delano2000]

Um...writing and re-writing until my hand falls off.

Color coding notes is a HUGE part of my memorization. In a pinch I can close my eyes and picture the term/definition/word/structure's color and then I can remember it. Grouping things in ways that make sense to ME (not just the teacher or the book. . . ).

The big one for me is TALKING through the material, over and over. Usually to my cats, because all my friends get very bored with my jabbering on about science stuff (all my friends are humanities majors...huh.) It's really quite funny though:

Me: "Did you know that gram negative bacteria stain PINK?"
Cat: *blink*
Me: You didn't? Well, let me explain to you what a gram stain is and how you do it...
cat: *stares*
Me: First you have to make sure that your slide is completely dry, otherwise the heat fixing will distort the morphology of the organisms, and what would be the use of that?
Cat: *purrs and goes to sleep*

Yes, I am pathetic and lame. However, I also routinely ruin the curve 😉

😆

 

[crazybob]

Um...writing and re-writing until my hand falls off.

Color coding notes is a HUGE part of my memorization. In a pinch I can close my eyes and picture the term/definition/word/structure's color and then I can remember it. Grouping things in ways that make sense to ME (not just the teacher or the book. . . ).

The big one for me is TALKING through the material, over and over. Usually to my cats, because all my friends get very bored with my jabbering on about science stuff (all my friends are humanities majors...huh.) It's really quite funny though:

Me: "Did you know that gram negative bacteria stain PINK?"
Cat: *blink*
Me: You didn't? Well, let me explain to you what a gram stain is and how you do it...
cat: *stares*
Me: First you have to make sure that your slide is completely dry, otherwise the heat fixing will distort the morphology of the organisms, and what would be the use of that?
Cat: *purrs and goes to sleep*

Yes, I am pathetic and lame. However, I also routinely ruin the curve 😉

3rd gen cephalosporins, like cefditoren and cefixime. 😀

and others like Cefcapene, Cefdaloxime, Cefdinir, Cefditoren, Cefetamet, Cefixime, Cefmenoxime, Cefodizime, Cefotaxime, Cefovecin, Cefpimizole, Cefpodoxime, Cefteram, Ceftibuten, Ceftiofur, Ceftiolene, Ceftizoxime, Ceftriaxone

 

[rxlea]

Going through the slides and making a study guide that you send out to your classmates is a good way. Then I go over the study guide again like 20 times before the exam. Funny. I am working on a pharmacogenetics study guide for our test on Thursday.

 

[chrispharm]

Um...writing and re-writing until my hand falls off.

Color coding notes is a HUGE part of my memorization. In a pinch I can close my eyes and picture the term/definition/word/structure's color and then I can remember it. Grouping things in ways that make sense to ME (not just the teacher or the book. . . ).

The big one for me is TALKING through the material, over and over. Usually to my cats, because all my friends get very bored with my jabbering on about science stuff (all my friends are humanities majors...huh.) It's really quite funny though:

Me: "Did you know that gram negative bacteria stain PINK?"
Cat: *blink*
Me: You didn't? Well, let me explain to you what a gram stain is and how you do it...
cat: *stares*
Me: First you have to make sure that your slide is completely dry, otherwise the heat fixing will distort the morphology of the organisms, and what would be the use of that?
Cat: *purrs and goes to sleep*

Yes, I am pathetic and lame. However, I also routinely ruin the curve 😉

i do this as well i just talk out loud, or try to teach people who have no idea nor do they care what i am talking about. It seems to work for me.

 

[atpsynthase]

I typically will physically write down what I need to know. I have to mentally think about what I'm writing so it sort of forces me to put more effort into remembering it. I think it works pretty well.

With things like the glycolytic pathway and the Kreb's cycle, I just kept rewriting the mechanisms until I was able to do it from memory. Sad but true.

 

[rxlea]

Just finished my study guide. Have to wake up in four hours! Oh boy!

 

[Busta919]

I typically will physically write down what I need to know. I have to mentally think about what I'm writing so it sort of forces me to put more effort into remembering it. I think it works pretty well.

With things like the glycolytic pathway and the Kreb's cycle, I just kept rewriting the mechanisms until I was able to do it from memory. Sad but true.

Fun Fun. I am getting ready to do that with the Electron Transport Chain, Lipids and Amino Acids (lysis and neogenesis).

 

[dazzled]

Fun Fun. I am getting ready to do that with the Electron Transport Chain, Lipids and Amino Acids (lysis and neogenesis).

What I did for that was write each intermediate on a separate note card and then shuffle them up and try to place them in order. Half an hour of that and I was good. I will never get gluconeogenesis out of my braaaiiiinnn...

 

[nrsair]

Um...writing and re-writing until my hand falls off.

Color coding notes is a HUGE part of my memorization. In a pinch I can close my eyes and picture the term/definition/word/structure's color and then I can remember it. Grouping things in ways that make sense to ME (not just the teacher or the book. . . ).

The big one for me is TALKING through the material, over and over. Usually to my cats, because all my friends get very bored with my jabbering on about science stuff (all my friends are humanities majors...huh.) It's really quite funny though:

Me: "Did you know that gram negative bacteria stain PINK?"
Cat: *blink*
Me: You didn't? Well, let me explain to you what a gram stain is and how you do it...
cat: *stares*
Me: First you have to make sure that your slide is completely dry, otherwise the heat fixing will distort the morphology of the organisms, and what would be the use of that?
Cat: *purrs and goes to sleep*

Yes, I am pathetic and lame. However, I also routinely ruin the curve 😉

We're practically the same person. I make note cards after every class, so I'm not taking forever to do it a day or two right before an exam. Then I pace around in my room talking through the note cards over and over. For concept based stuff, especially organic/biochem, I make master notes of every topic/type of problem and write them until I can go through it without looking at the correct copy. That helps confidence too, in case you're spinning your wheels an hour before an exam- just start writing out what you know.

 

[phathead]

I just go over notes again and again and again. Eventually I more or less memorize what they look like on the page and flip through it when I need to find info.

For what doesn't stick, I make note cards although I rarely use them.

 

[Praziquantel86]

For something like anatomy, a good portion of studying is going to be brute-force repetition and rote memorization. There is no way around that. However, if you begin to think about the relationships among structures (i.e., the phrenic nerve originates from the C3, 4, and 5 nerves and serves to innervate the diaphragm) then the pathological changes that may occur (severing the spinal cord at the C3-4 level will result in a loss of diaphragmatic function) it may make the process easier.

Other sciences are useful to view in a "big picture" kind of way. Think of the relationship that a biochemical process has to a physiologic response, then think of how that process can be fundamentally altered pharmacologically. Obviously there is still going to be a memorization component to this, but seeing the trees for the forest, rather than the other way around, tends to help quite a bit.

 

[dudecoolname]

Solid advise so far guys

For me mnemonics can be a useful tool. For example, for memorizing the regions of the spine from superior to inferior: Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacrum, Coccyx.

I came up with: Can The Leopard Sit Correctly

 

[crazybob]

Solid advise so far guys

For me mnemonics can be a useful tool. For example, for memorizing the regions of the spine from superior to inferior: Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Sacrum, Coccyx.

I came up with: Can The Leopard Sit Correctly

For KPCOFGS

I've heard of Kings Play Cards On ..... whatever. That stuff helped for a while when I was in middle school.

Also, things that rhyme can be a bit entertaining to memorize. If you tell stories involving the terms and drugs, it can also help too. People may not always remember the concepts, but they remember stories since it's entertaining. If you can turn a difficult concept into a story that is filled with facts from class, it may help.

 

[Notecard]

For me it depends. If it's something interesting I don't have to do anything to memorize it. But for boring subjects I HAVE to write it down at least once and look it over many times to get it down. First A&P was this way. If I didn't write it down I didn't know it.

 

[pharmschooler]

Weirdly enough, lots of drawings. Especially with biology/A&P.

Tracing, labeling, drawing, and determining the Latin roots for words and their meanings. Sometimes making up mnemonics, too. It works!

 

[qmoto]

Depends on the class imo. For anatomy it's really just repetition. Going to open labs and just going over the models over and over. For other bio classes, I actually record lectures and listen to them while going through the lecture notes. You'll be surprised how many things you miss the first time around, including the subtle hints profs give as to what they think makes a good test question. I just took a diversity of organisms lecture exam on Monday and one of the things covered on the test was the kingdom tour which is basically being able to differentiate different phylums from others. The way I studied for that was to list the main properties of each phylum then I had a friend quiz me by just telling me the properties and I would name the phylum. It worked really well.

 

[MathDebate]

I typically will physically write down what I need to know. I have to mentally think about what I'm writing so it sort of forces me to put more effort into remembering it. I think it works pretty well.

With things like the glycolytic pathway and the Kreb's cycle, I just kept rewriting the mechanisms until I was able to do it from memory. Sad but true.

This method works best for me too. Too bad I'm too lazy to do it 75% of the time. ;\

 

[Shadii]

I'm visual. I need to see things, after a few times it will register it. If I look up to the sky or close my eyes, its usually because I'm trying to bring the picture to focus. Also, what would I do if not for mnemonics. Keep Plates Clean Or Family Gets Sick (organization of living things). Another thing is I try to find nominal or alphabetical sequence. For example, the three blood vessels in order on the aortic arch: Brachiocephalic trunk, Left Common carotid arteries, Left Subclavian artery (B, L.C, L.S). Flashcards to me are pretty much a waste of time, the few times I tried, it took me so long to finish them I barely had time to look at them. Basically, find little tricks. Hypotonic solution causes the cell to 5

For theory classes, what I've seen many people do is memorize definitions rather than actually understand the concept. Once you understand the actual concept, with some critical thinking, you can arrive to the correct answer without knowing the actual answer. Concept > memorize has helped me tremendously and to ruin the curve like dazzled 😀.

 

[liebht90]

I read through the chapters we covered in class and compare with the instructors notes in class. While reading I write down things that I find important in those chapters. If there are practice problems in the chapter I tend to do those too. From there I try to find any pattern between material to relate it to each other and make it more applicable to each other. From there its just pure repetition of writing it down and doing more problems. The more I write it down the more it becomes second nature to me and I tend to remember things much better then.

 

[dudecoolname]

Keep Plates Clean Or Family Gets Sick (organization of living things).

Lol, I always used: Dear King Philip Came Over For Great Spaghetti

 

[CJay]

Flashcards are my favie!!

 

[pharmhustle]

i do this as well i just talk out loud, or try to teach people who have no idea nor do they care what i am talking about. It seems to work for me.

that's the best way to retain information.. the ability to explain it to someone else, even if it's explaining it to yourself. so when you get that question on the exam... just speak to yourself like jd from scrubs, and write it down.

 

[Shadii]

jd from scrubs

👍

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Repetition is my best friend. Understanding is my **** buddy.