Notes: Lecture - Study Less, Study Smart

https://youtu.be/IlU-zDU6aQ0
01/16/18

 Break your studying down into chunked sessions; start with 25-30 mins, then break/reward 5-10 mins
 Your ability to study diminishes after 25-30 minutes, initially
 Take breaks at these points to restore your effectiveness
 The length of concentrated study can increase to 1-3 hours, you MUST give yourself a break/reward

 Create a dedicated study area (reinforces the study behavior)

 The context provided by your environment largely will determine your behavior
 Design your study area to encourage actual studying, NO distractions!

 Study actively
 Rote memorization (read something over and over again) is typically NOT the most effective technique for
most people to understand and remember
 Determine what you are learning; is it a concept or a fact?
 Concepts are more important!
 You know a concept when you can you put the concept in your own words/terms/thoughts
 If you can’t you don’t know it, or it isn’t meaningful to you
 Making what you are learning meaningful is the biggest challenge as a student
 Take the time to understand the meaning of concepts
 “Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” e.g. explain going from one single cell to a complex mammal
 Deeper thought processes enable better memory retention and learning
 Study groups are great!
 There's a difference between actual recollection and simple recognition
 Recognition requires a cue or trigger, you don't get that in a test
 Our visual recognition is incredibly good; we recognize a magazine add from months ago, but can’t
remember what’s on the next page
 How do you know you know it? Go from concept to concept and be able to explain it to yourself or
someone else
 Active recitation is very powerful!
 The best way to learn is to teach someone else
 80% of your studying should be recitation, 20% reading
 Reinforces your learning, tells you if you really understand the concept/topic
 If you don’t have anyone to teach, teach an empty chair; imagine being a teacher
 For many, writing things out is very effective (another form of recitation)
  Study by quizzing yourself instead of just looking over highlighted sections of your book or notes

 You can very easily undue good studying by not getting enough sleep!
 Studying and learning MUST be the most important thing you are doing as a student

 Taking notes is VITAL

 Take smart notes in class, immediately after class begin to expand upon what you wrote down
 Give it depth, flesh it out; 5-10 mins immediately after every class
 If you missed something or something is unclear; ask a classmate
 Teachers want students to succeed, make use of them!

 Use your textbook effectively; they are specifically designed to teach concepts/facts
 Use the SQ4R Method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Record, Review) or SQ3R (no record step)
 Surveying a chapter (check things out), should prompt questions and cause you to look for answers
 Question(s) should follow from looking things over, you will read with intention of answering these
questions
 Nothing mentioned on the 3 or 4 Rs

 Use mnemonics to memorize facts; acronyms, coined sayings, and interacting image(s)
 Quicker and easier than rote memorization
 Technically “taking notes” is a mnemonic – any system that facilitates recall
 Can help you remember information easier than rote memorization
 Acronym examples: Roy G Biv, Radeo (right atrium de-oxygenated),
 Coined sayings examples: Right tighty, lefty loosey, 12 cranial nerves saying, My Very Enthusiastic
Mother Just Served Us Noodles (planets in order)
 Interacting image(s) examples: car-bo-hy-drate 4 vowels (4 cal / g carbs), cars have 4 wheels, pro car
series (4 cal / g carbs and 4 cal / g protein), cat rhymes with fat, how many lives do cat’s have – picture a
fat cat with 9 lives (9 cal / g fat), how many letters in alcohol (7 cal / g alcohol)

 Various quotes:
 "If it doesn't change your behavior, you haven't learned it."
 “You “think” you knew it, but in fact you simply recognized it”
 “Sleep better, you’ll do better”
 “If you intend to find something, you’ll find it”