According to Very Well Mind*, the right amount of stress can increase your memory performance. But too much stress inhibits learning because the stress hormones that are released impede the formation of memories. This is not helpful if you are trying to learn a new concept or recall an old concept for a test. Stress can also be exhausting which makes it difficult to learn. The good news is there are things you can do to reduce your stress. The Smiling Mind app has free guided meditations and mindful activities - some as short as three minutes that you can do before and during your study.
* https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-your-memory-4158323
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If you have been in lockdown, you may be sick and tired of staring at the same four walls. According to psychologist, Robert Bjork, studying in a different room or location could improve your concentration and retention levels. When I was in senior high school I often caught the bus into the city and studied at the State Library. It was quiet and there were very few interruptions. Sometimes I would wander downstairs to the cafe and study while I enjoyed a chamomile tea (ok, I didn't enjoy it, but I endured it). Some other favourite study places were the local library, the garden, and the beach. I'm not sure if that last one has been scientifically proven but I got some vitamin D, some exercise and some study done too.
NOTE: Make sure you comply with any government restrictions before you relocate your study. Lots of students deal with school anxiety. Here's a video from therapist Kati Morgan. It's from the US but is still applicable in Australia. A balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and low in sugar and processed fats is important for good health. The following foods are particularly useful for brain health:
When you cram, the information you review does not move from your short term memory to your long term memory. The short term memory (as the name suggests) only stores information for a short time. It has been likened to a sticky note. Sticky notes are temporary things - they are fickle and often end up stuck to your sleeve or fall to the floor. You want to move this information to your your long term memory which I imagine is more like a set of encyclopaedias or the hard drive on your computer. This happens when you review the material in chunks on different days, rather than cramming it all in on one day.
I know it's an obvious one, but I also know that lots of you aren't getting enough sleep. You would be better off doing less study and getting more sleep - that way the revision that you have done will be more likely to stick. If you cram in more study and stay up late, you are likely to forget what you revised.
You learn something best when you expect to teach someone else. The best way to do this is to actually teach someone else. If you can't find any willing victims (I mean, volunteers) you could always try a stuffed animal. Perhaps you could get together with some friends and teach each other a different topic.
According to a 2010 paper published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, the production effect suggests that information that is read aloud is easier to recall than information that is read silently. When you are studying you should identify the most important points and read them aloud. Apparently a whisper is ok if you are sitting in the Library. It doesn't work if you read all of your notes aloud because your brain doesn't differentiate between the important information from the rest.
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