Cornerstone: First Year Experience UWG 1101 Chapter Ten: Understand

Reading Quiz List and briefly define the 5 steps to the memory technique defined in the book as VCR3. Briefly explain the bizarreness effect.

Being Old “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” - Henry Ford

Chapter Goals Learn how to study, how to increase your memory capacity, and how to take assessments (tests) more effectively Understand how your memory works and how to make it work better Learn the difference between short-term and long term memory, and how to commit things to long term memory. Use mnemonics to help you remember information Identify three different study strategies that can be applied to all of your classes Identify the cause of test anxiety, and how to reduce it.

Friedrick Nietzsche (1844-1900) “The existence of forgetting has never been proved; we only know that some things don’t come to mind when we want them” “God is dead” – Nietzche – 1882 “Nietzche is dead” – God - 1901

Did You Know… If your brain was fed ten new pieces of information every second for the rest of your life, you would not even fill half of your memory capacity? … so how do we tap into our memories?

Three Types of Memory Sensory memory Short term (working) memory Long term memory

Sensory Memory Information gathered from five senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight) Huge capacity Short duration – 1 to 3 seconds Caveat – the information is of utmost importance forces an effort to transfer to long-term. Hot stove Alarm Electrical Smoke

Short-term Memory Also called “working memory” Holds information for short period of time Holds limited amount of information Five to nine separate pieces or facts Rehearing information in short term memory will move it to your long-term memory.

jmplngtoplntstsevng Jum lng to plnts ts evng Short-term memory Other Examples: Phone Numbers (836-5309) Social Security (555-25-7584) jmplngtoplntstsevng Jum lng to plnts ts evng

Long-Term Memory Huge capacity: Like a computer disk with many files Information you have heard or seen often Information you use often Information you have deemed necessary or important Like a computer disk with many files Effort and memory techniques will help you store anything you want to remember

Facts about Memory Everyone remembers and forgets information. Your senses take in information. With little effort you can remember some information. With rehearsal (study) you can remember more. Without use, information is forgotten. Filing incoming information correctly will help retain it. Stored information must have a retrieval method Mnemonics, repetition, association, and rehearsal will help with storage and retrieval

VCR3 Memory Technique V – Visualizing C – Concentrating R – Relating R – Repeating R – Reviewing People forget 81% of what they ready in a textbook after 28 days.

Memorizing v. Knowing Memorizing something is short-lived. Knowing is making a commitment to owning the information, to making it a part of your life. How badly you need to retain the information will deeply influence your level of commitment.

Mnemonics Mnemosyne – Greek Goddess of Memory Memory techniques or tricks to help you put information into long-term memory. Quadratic Equation? All States in the US? “bizarreness effect” - we remember bizarre information more rapidly than mundane every day facts. Unusual information and events trigger heightened levels of attention.

Types of Mnemonics Jingles/rhymes Sentences Words ABC’s Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally Words HOMES

Types of Mnemonics Story lines Acronyms Pegging Weave details into a creative story Acronyms SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) MARTA NASCAR Pegging Attaching new information to old pegs

General Studying Advice Avoid Cramming! Study each day to avoid last-minute stress Form a study group with motivated students Keep up with daily reading and homework

Studying in a Crunch Depressurize – Don’t pretend cramming is going to save you. Know the score – Know what to focus on. Read it quick – H2FLIB Make connections – Can I relate this to something else I already know? Use your syllabus/study guide – If a professor provides this, it’s a great place to start. See it – Vizualize! – Mapping, diagrams, photos, drawings, outlines…. Check your notes – Look for things you highlighted as important. Choose wisely – You can’t do it all – make wise decisions about what to study first.

ReducingTest Anxiety Control negative self-talk – stay positive Study daily and overlearn the material Arrive early and prepared for test Jot down your mnemonics right away Read instructions and entire test carefully Answer questions you know first

Be Testwise! – Quiz your instructor What types and how many questions? What chapters/sections will be covered? Is there a time limit? Are there any special instructions? Is there a study sheet? Is there a review session? What is the grade value of the test? What chapters or section will be covered?

Types of Responses Quick-time response: you immediately know the answer, so respond. Pitfall – read the entire question, be sure you answer based on the wording of the question. Lag-time response: don’t get nervous, move on and the answer may come to you later No response: move on and make an intelligent guess later

Common Question Types Matching True-False Multiple-Choice Read each column before starting Match what you know first Look for logics clues True-False Look for double negatives Be mindful of the use of words like “often,” “rarely,” “always,” “never,” etc Multiple-Choice Try to answer the question before looking at the options Eliminate obviously wrong answers Read all options before answering

Common Question Types Short Answer Essay Read each statement/question before answering. Be brief. Length of a blank has nothing to do with length of the answer. Look for key words Go with your gut. Essay More is not always better. Be concise. Pay close attention to the action word in the question: Discuss, Compare, Contrast, Summarize, Analyze, Justify, Prove….. Be sure to answer all, not just some of the question. Summarize your main ideas

Chapter Reflections Study hardest material first Review lecture and textbook notes frequently Use mnemonics Learn using a variety of techniques Be testwise Review entire test before beginning Ignore pace of classmates Be aware of the time while testing

Wednesday Chapter 11 – “Inform” pages 232-254 Journal Entry Due – “Alcohol Awareness”