Reading, note-taking and memorising

Just imagine that all your study tasks between now and June could be organised by specialised software and processed by a powerful computer: Wouldn't it make life so much easier? Wouldn't your study performance improve dramatically?

Well, the good news is that you already have a powerful micro-processor operating between your ears, capable of simultaneously performing a variety of highly complex tasks and with loads of memory space still available to you.

The process of learning involves taking in information, processing it and storing it effectively for re-use. It is similar in many ways to the use of files and folders on your computer. However, even the most powerful computer will be of no use to you if the information and material is entered in a disorganised and chaotic manner. As the old programmers' motto says: "Garbage in = garbage out."

This edition will focus on some of the basic skills affecting the input of information - reading, taking notes and memorising. Improving the efficiency of these "input" tasks will greatly aid your "output" performance when it comes to written tests and exams. If the material has been taken in efficiently (key points identified and recorded), processed effectively (items understood in relation to other material) and "saved in the correct folder" (both mentally and physically, to aid quick retrieval), then you will start to see the benefits of having your own personal microchip working for you.

Reading better and faster

Much of your study time is probably spent reading and the two tasks are often mistakenly perceived as being the same thing. Most students, when faced with a textbook or chapter to study, will start at the beginning, read through at the same pace until the end, then stop and put the book away. This passive approach is a most inefficient way to learn, as it can take longer and leave you bogged down in detail, with no overall grasp of the subject matter.

By adopting a more active approach to reading, you can begin to read better and faster within a very short space of time. The PQ2R method has proven to be most successful in this regard. Try it for the remaining weeks of term and see the benefits.

P = Preview

Begin your reading task with a quick skim of the text, trying to get an overview of the chapter or text. Look for section headings, illustrative charts and diagrams, signposts or key words. Don't start highlighting text at this point.

Q = Question

This is the key to active learning. Look for answers to the basic questions of Who? What? Where? Why? When? Identify the main theme or learning point of the particular text.

R = Read

Now read the chapter carefully, with these questions in mind. Your mind will be actively looking for answers as you read. Work with a pen and paper; make brief summary notes; look for "topic sentences" that summarise the most important point in a paragraph or section and highlight them. Vary your reading speed - move quickly over less important material and slow down when you come to a difficult section.

R = Review

Always check your understanding of the material by testing your recall before putting the text away. Look at the notes you have taken and check that they answer your initial questions. Summarise your findings from this study session.

Making your notes useful

The purpose of making summary notes on a topic or section is to aid your overall understanding of material, to help you distinguish between what is really important information (depth) and what is merely supporting detail. In addition, good summary notes make retrieval of information quicker and easier. Refer to the main syllabus topics (check www.LeavingCert.net for details) to help you identify the key areas in each subject.

A great deal of time and effort can be wasted on the process of making notes. As your remaining revision time is limited, here are some quick tips that you can try to incorporate into your approach to the making and storing of study notes.

Sort out your filing system

If you haven't already done so, get your subject folders and notes organised immediately. Invest in some ring-binders, dividers etc. Have a separate folder for each subject and then keep a "current folder" for managing notes in progress. An afternoon spent filing class notes, photocopied articles, assignments and model answers into their appropriate folders and topics will be well rewarded - you will now know where everything is!

"Less is always more"

When writing notes, remember they should be a summary, not an extensive repetition of what is in the textbook. Don't crowd the page. Stick to main headings and sub-headings. Use abbreviations where appropriate. Try to reduce what you need to know on the topic down to one A4 sheet. Once you have an overview, it is easier to fill out the detail.

Make your notes visual

Ensure your notes have a memorable appearance so that you can recall them easily. Use illustrations, diagrams, graphs, colours, and boxes ("a picture is worth a thousand words"). Arrange the material in a logical hierarchy (title, sub-point, explanation, example). Ideally, you should be able to close your eyes in an exam and visualise a particular page of notes.

Beware of transcribing and highlighting

Merely re-writing the text from the book into your notes does not ensure retention. Try to put things in your own words and devise your own examples - this will make the material more meaningful. Only use the highlighter pen after you have previewed and questioned a text, thus ensuring you identify the most important material and you avoid the creation of a fluorescent textbook!

Save your notes carefully

Practice following the logic of your computer files when storing information. Think - where does this material best fit (subject, section, topic, sub-topic etc)? In this way, you will ensure that it is efficiently processed and easily retrieved both physically (during revision) and mentally (when you need it in an exam).

Improving memory

We often blame our memory for poor academic performance ("I'm no good at remembering names/dates/rules/verbs/ characteristics") when really we should be addressing our faulty input and storage system.

There is a big difference between short-term and long-term memory. If you study a topic one night and can recall most of it the next morning, don't be fooled into thinking that you will be able to remember it accurately in two months' time.

If the goal is to improve your long-term memory, then the key to success is based on the efficiency of input (the "mental filing system" we employ). Reducing the burden on the limited short-term memory, and channelling information into long-term storage, is based on the creation of patterns and the avoidance of randomness.

Chunking

As the average person can only hold seven "items" in their short-term memory, grouping items together into "chunks" can increase capacity. This is generally used for remembering numbers (think of how you remember phone numbers by grouping the digits into two or three chunks) but can be applied to other listings in various subjects.

Repetition

Studies indicate that 66 per cent of material is forgotten within seven days if it is not reviewed or recited again by the student, and 88 per cent is gone after six weeks. Don't make life harder for yourself - build in a brief daily and weekly review of material covered. It will save you having to re-learn material from scratch!

Application and association

The best way to channel material to long-term memory is to organise it into meaningful associations. Link it to existing information and topics and create vivid personal examples which act as "mental hooks" or "cues" for recalling material in the future. Thus, new items are put in context. If you learn a new formula/verb/rule, try to put it into practice immediately with a relevant example.

Use of mnemonics

These are various word games which can act as memory aids and which allow personalisation and creativity. Think of stalagtites (come down from the ceiling) and stalagmites (go up from the ground); the colours of the rainbow ("Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain" to remember red, orange, yellow, green, brown, indigo, violet); the seven characteristics of living organisms - Mr Grief (Movement, Reproduction, Growth, Respiration, Irritability, Excretion, Feeding). You can devise many more of these to aid your personalised recall of items in your subjects.