What techniques do you guys use to remember information on lecture slides?

[Tennis Guy]

So, I was wondering what techniques do you guys use to remember information on lecture slides (for any type of class using this format, whether it be science or humanities)? I ask fellow classmates how they remember information, and they tell me "Oh, I just memorize the slides." So, this doesn't help me at all... I try not to use memorization that much because it doesn't really work for me. I've been reading books and looking up websites for techniques on how to remember information. So, I use powerful associations and mnemonics in order to remember the information on lecture slides the best I can... is this what you guys do in order to remember the information? Any advice or comments will be greatly appreciated!

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[Oxygen206]

I write, and re-write everything. My hands get tired, but it's the only thing that works for me. Once I write it, it's there (pretty much) forever...or at least until I regurgitate it on the test. Nothing else has ever worked so well for me, and once I figured this trick out, I went from a 2.8 to a 4.0. Some of my other friends have tried it and ended up with similar results.

 

[FattySlug]

I always try to write my own summary if I read the text book. Organize things you read into related areas. Organization is super important to me. For power slides I do the same thing except maybe not write summary because the slides are already in concise form.

 

[sworzeh]

I read them over and over.

 

[dmf2682]

Stare at it enough to remember key pieces of the slide and then use those pieces to replicate it later, either on paper or in your head.

 

[weezynation]

I read them over and over.

+1. I record lectures and when I listen to the recording, I write all my notes on the actual slides and then I read them over and over and over. After reading them over and over, you end up memorizing the vast majority of the info and begin to make connections in order to understand the concepts well. If there is anything I do not understand, I use a textbook as strictly a resource. If there are lists of info I need to know or there is something I just cant seem to commit to memory by reading over and over, I write these things down in my notebook and review them every day. I only do this for things I need to know cold though. Also, in undergrad I noticed I used to kinda just glance over graphs and charts, but when I got to grad school I really studied them. This really helped understand the material so much better and understand concepts.

 

[orthomyxo]

Break up the slide into sections (whether it be categorical or arbitrary). Read that section. Repeat it to yourself without looking. Repeat this for the remaining sections. Finally, repeat the entire slide to yourself without looking.

Optional: when you finish doing this for all the slides, go through the entire presentation, repeating every slide to yourself by only looking at the heading.

This also works great with notes.

 

[tenndoc]

i kill the lecturer in order to obtain the information highlander style... there can be only one!

 

[V5RED]

Once I understand the material on the slide(through rereading or looking through the book) I make notes on my notes explaining the slide and I make notecards with those explanations.

I never make notecards until I understand what is going on the card. By that point, I have almost memorized all the stuff before even using the notecards for practice.

This is also why I dislike company note cards. Making my own is half my studying.

 

[V5RED]

Break up the slide into sections (whether it be categorical or arbitrary). Read that section. Repeat it to yourself without looking. Repeat this for the remaining sections. Finally, repeat the entire slide to yourself without looking.

Optional: when you finish doing this for all the slides, go through the entire presentation, repeating every slide to yourself by only looking at the heading.

This also works great with notes.

I do something like this, but with my notecards. After enough studies, I mentally run through them in the shower, gym, long drives, etc.

Great strategy.

 

[1cor1311]

Try toteach the material off the slides. Sit at home and go over the slides standing up as if you were facing an audience (as if YOU were the professor lecturing the material) and you'll see how that helps you learn it.

If you can teach the material you know the material!!

 

[235788]

old fashion hand writing + mnemonics

 

[Tennis Guy]

I write, and re-write everything. My hands get tired, but it's the only thing that works for me. Once I write it, it's there (pretty much) forever...or at least until I regurgitate it on the test. Nothing else has ever worked so well for me, and once I figured this trick out, I went from a 2.8 to a 4.0. Some of my other friends have tried it and ended up with similar results.

Yes, this has helped me a great deal as well... I did much better in microbiology as a result because of this method! However, do you guys have any tips on how to put the lecture slides into your own words, when you make your own notes from the lecture slides? I have trouble doing this because I can't really decipher what is important and what is unimportant information. Also, I'm scared that I will leave out something important, when I study the information that will be on the test because the professors generally don't let us know what information is unimportant...

 

[Oxygen206]

Yes, this has helped me a great deal as well... I did much better in microbiology as a result because of this method! However, do you guys have any tips on how to put the lecture slides into your own words, when you make your own notes from the lecture slides? I have trouble doing this because I can't really decipher what is important and what is unimportant information. Also, I'm scared that I will leave out something important, when I study the information that will be on the test because the professors generally don't let us know what information is unimportant...

I gave up on trying to figure out what was important or not. If they talked about it during lecture, I considered it important and made sure to write it down. Anything they didn't actually talk about I didn't bother with. This worked for 95% of my professors...I only had one (in micro actually) that would just pull random facts from god knows where and test on them. So, I just made sure I knew EVERYTHING that was on her slides. Better safe than sorry, imo.

 

[NightGod]

I never print the slides and just write the info down as the teacher explains it. The act of writing it out does far more to help me remember than reading it a half-dozen times in someone else's words.