Sanchay Week 16: Learning and memorizing
Since we are currently in "testing season," time and effective learning are the two most important aspects of the lives of most students. However, how can we optimize our learning so that we minimize our time spent learning a topic and maximize the level of understanding and remembrance of it?
According to the University of ST. Augustine for Health and Science, the first step to improving your learning is to "set the stage" by creating the conditions in "your body and external environment."
They claim that the best way to optimize your environment and body for learning is by:
"Get[ting] a good night's sleep." Aim for getting "8 hours" of quality sleep every day.
"Switch[ing] up your study environment." Avoid studying in your room every day, try working outside, in the kitchen, or in a coffee shop, as "a change in scenery can improve both your memory and concentration levels."
"Listen[ing] to calm music." Although the best learning occurs when you are not listening to music, music can help you start studying. However, resort to "classical, instrumental, and lo-fi beats" as "songs with lyrics can be distracting."
"Eliminat[ing] distractions." Refrain from "checking social media," and silencing your "phone and annoying background noises" until "your study session is over."
and finally "Snack[ing] on smart food." Avoid consuming "coffee and candy" as it will lead to a "blood sugar crash" (depletion in energy). Instead eat "healthy snacks" like "edamame, apples, or nuts" and remember to constantly hydrate yourself by having a water bottle near you.
Once you have set up an optimal study environment you can try out study methods like the "SQR3 Method" and "retrieval practice."
Hi Sanchay! I enjoyed reading your informative and very timely blog topic for our last blog post of the semester and AP English Language school year. Although I am reading this after AP testing, I am sure these same techniques can be applied to the classes which are conducting final exams, not too many but a good handful. Looking back on AP testing week and at the tips you provided, I am confident, and quite surprised, to say that I was able to follow most of these tips, minus the coffee and or another caffeinated beverage. A connection I made while reading your blog was especially the tip to listen to calming music. I am notorious and known in my family and close friend group that I am a huge fan of Hans Zimmer, especially his interstellar soundtrack. I find the playlist helps me concentrate and focus on the task at hand.Thank you for sharing your experiences with our blog group for the second semester!
ReplyDeleteHello Sanchay, I had a great time reading your blog this morning! It was thoughtful of you to discuss learning and memory during AP testing, as the topic is highly relevant to the majority of your audience of high school students. I appreciate how you ease the audience into the text by proposing a hypothetical scenario, because it gets readers’ minds churning and their thoughts prepared for the main ideas of your text. I, for one, was interested in seeing what you had to say, so I decided to read on. Immediately, you demonstrate credibility by integrating a source from the University of St. Augustine. Not only does it demonstrate that you are well-informed on the topic, but it also shows that you are willing to craft an argument that considers a diversity of opinions. This is difficult to achieve as a writer, but you have done flawlessly. Although you consistently integrate this external source into your text, I would recommend expanding upon your opinion more. That would enable me to gauge how you perceive the topic. Doing so would also strengthen your ultimate argument. Nevertheless, I appreciate you for sharing your perspective about learning and memory. I definitely plan to use some of the strategies you shared in the future.
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