5 tips for Acing Memory-based Classes
Memorization-based courses are an incredibly common phenomenon in a biology student’s path towards getting a degree. Armed with the right tools, studying and retaining information from these classes can be easier than you think. Below are five tactics that I used to learn information for fact-based classes:
1. Utilize the “learn” feature on Quizlet. This was my single-most helpful resource to master a large amount of information in a relatively short period of time. The program “learn” on Quizlet sequentially guides you through identifying the definitions of terms in a flash-card set until you successfully get each term correct twice in a row. It is an ultimate bonus if you make your own study sets on Quizlet as well in order to further engage with the information. You can also use sets made by other people on the application if you are pressed for time! For additional practice, the “test” feature comprises a mini test based off of the terms in the set and presents the information in a new way, better preparing you for the actual test.
2. Learn a song about the topic or make up your own song. Oddly enough, I am the type of person to better remember words if they are included in a song as opposed to a written sentence. If you are also one of these people, try looking up songs on Youtube about the topic you are trying to remember and aim to memorize the song. You usually get the lyrics of the song so ingrained in your head that it is impossible to not retain at least a good portion of the important information. If you really want the song to be applicable to your studies, make up your own!
3. Make quirky connections between your terms and non-science words or concepts. When there is an overwhelming amount of forign terminology to remember, sometimes it is easier to jog your memory of a certain word when you connect it to an unrelated word. For example, the carotid artery is located on either side of your neck, and the connection word could be carrots. You eat carrots, which travel down your neck and in the proximity of the carotid artery. The more obscure and weird the connections are, the easier they are to remember.
4. Make a cheat notecard. At the collegiate level, it is unlikely that you will be allowed to bring in a cheat sheet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reap the benefits of making one! Taking the time to prioritize the most complex and fundamental concepts of a unit and writing them down is monumental to your memory repertoire. It can also help to visualize the cheat sheet you made while taking the test, or better yet use the actual sheet if your professor allows it.
5. Listen to lectures two times over (if possible). Hearing new concepts more than just a singular time was a game changer for me when it came to memorizing material. For the first lecture, I would listen without the pressure of taking notes and would read what was on the slides at the same time it was being presented. The second time hearing the lecture, I would write down what my professor was verbally saying while cross-referencing the information on the slides to see if I missed anything or made a connection of my own. If you do not have access to a video recording of the lecture, I would often take audio recordings and re-listen to those in the same manner.
