As a student, do you experience challenges related to mastery of concepts? Do you forget about content taught? Do you struggle to remember what you have read? Do you have a ravenous desire to develop massive powers of memory? Then, I encourage you to read this brief treatise focusing on methods of mastery and memory.
While holed up at the Penman Centre in Nairobi, my perspicacious mind took a swift flight to a heroic book I read in the recent past. Just to dote on it. Paul Bundi Karau, the valedictorian of KCSE 2002, penned a bedazzling book titled Journey to Academic Success and Beyond. In that interesting tome, I gathered insightful information worth weaving wisely. Laws students can use to boost powers of their memory, will be the nub of this piece.
- Law of Fun/Interest
This law posits that for us to remember what we have read, first, we must enjoy it. Enjoy even what looks banal and boring in nature. Books and subjects have no problem. Maybe, it is your problem. Ideally, as a student, you should never wait for teachers or parents to make learning an exhilarating experience for you. It is wise to build intense interest on academic work. Bob Basso put it aptly, “If it is not fun, you are not doing it right.”
- Law of Fitness
This law focuses on the value of rest. When you rest, you do not rust. You need ample time to rest, eat and sleep well. This helps you to rev up yourself and revive your brain. Sedulous students create breaks as they engage in personal study. While doing personal study, a student can focus on Pomodoro Technique, which focuses on selecting a single task to focus on. Set a timer and work continuously for 25 minutes. Take a productive 5-minute break. Repeat it for 5-rounds. You can take a longer break for 30 minutes and repeat it.
- Law of Places
Where you study and revise has a great impact on how well you remember and grasp information. For you to absorb information like a sponge, always maintain an upright sitting posture while reading. Open the window or a door to allow wisps of fresh air to waft into your study room, to refresh and replenish you. Shun destructions and unnecessary noise. Ensure that the place is neat, tidy, organised, and in perfect peace. Disorganisation interrupts your ability to absorb, and recall.
- Law of Senses
You should have undivided attention while reading. This law strives to say that for you to thrive then, you should strive to absorb information with many senses as possible. Use all senses – sight, smell hearing, touch and taste. See the information, hear it and then manipulate it – draw, say and visualise. Learn to associate what you have learnt with touch, smell and taste. Use coloured papers, highlighters – if you can get them. Create symbols and pictures of things you have read. This will help you create mental images.
- Law of Exaggeration
The brain can forget if you just feed it with normal, ordinary and obvious things. Revise question papers from other institutions. Revise difficult questions. Advisedly, have a taste of a variety of books. Read ahead and research. Set your own questions as you predict areas that can be set in exams. Form fruitful and productive discussion groups. Explain to other people the concepts you have read. If you do this, then the information will stick like a tick in your subconscious mind.
=New era at Friends Malava and Teremi Boys High Schools
- Law of Small Chunks
We fondly remember the 10 digits in our phone numbers by reading them in groups of 2. No wonder, it is wise to tap into this easy way of remembering things. Just obsessively read a chapter or less, and then take a brief break. Have a summary of what you have read. Then, proceed. Jot down some short notes: important facts. By a yard, it is hard, but inch by inch, everything is a cinch.
- Law of Repetition
Repetition is the mother of all memories. Then, learning is the daughter of repetition. It is a bad study habit to entertain ‘cramming’ or ‘rot learning’. Instead, it is wise to read what you learnt on a given day and then read and re-read it again. Pantheon of researchers call this ‘spaced rehearsal’. Subjects like Biology, History, Religion et cetera, require repetitive study, for proper mastery. Avoid ‘micro wave mentality’. Create ample time to study, because you are a student. Brood on books.
- Law of Concentration
The main difference between the mind of Plato and that of a monkey – lies in the ability to concentrate. Sign royal of the brain is concentration and attention. Buffoons – are so, because they cannot concentrate. Therefore, for you to boost your perceptive powers, purpose to concentrate.
- Law of Comprehension
Many people have a weak memory because of they do not take ample time to read and understand. You must be meticulous to details, to stand to understand. One of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steve Covey reads: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
- Law of Previous Knowledge
Sometimes knowledge is about concept upon concept. Before you explore another level of knowledge, your previous knowledge, however small it is – is quite important. Consider a topic in Biology like Classification. There is Classification 1 taught in Form One. Then, Classification 2 taught in Form Three.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer rolls out academic talks in schools. He rolls out training programmes on Best Academic Practices. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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