Tips on being successful at MSU (Part 2)

To study successfully, you need to understand how your memory works. In practice, your memory is divided into three parts:

1. Your sensory register (normally, inputs stays there for less than 1 second)

2. Your working memory (normally stays there for a few seconds)

3. Your long-term memory (normally stays there for ever)

To be able to use information during your final exam, it has to be stored in the long-term memory. That means that you need to see the information often enough for it to enter your long-term memory. Here are two common scenarios

1. Student A likes to study last minute. What that means is that - when revising for the final exams - all the information is going into his working memory but not into his long-term memory. He may remember some of it, but not enough to score.

2. Student B studies regularly. That means paying attention in class, reading the textbook before and after class, writing lots of notes, surfing the internet for additional information and so forth. Because you are "seeing" the same information regularly, it is gradually transferred from the working memory to the long-term memory. That means that when the final exams come, all of it is easy accessible and you can score As.

When of the biggest misunderstandings about studying is that most people assume that some people are "smarter" than others. Although that is true, the difference in intelligence between people is not that important. What it comes down to is:

1. Some people have SMART goals, others do not

2. People with SMART goals tend to manage their time effectively. They work more and do things earlier whereas other people simply do things last minute

3. Students who study early and on a regular basis score better results because the information they get during the course is transferred into their long-term memory. It is accessible during exam time. People who study last-minute only transfer the information to the working memory. During the exam time, it is often "not there".

There are various tricks to help you remember information better and help the critical transfer of information into your long-term memory. Surf the net to find out or come and talk to me.