(1) Now and then we are dismayed at our forgetfulness – at our embarrassing inability to recall someone’s name, at forgetting to bring up a point in conversation, at forgetting to bring along something important, at finding ourselves standing in a room unable to recall why we are there. What can we do to minimize such lapses? Much as biology benefits medicine and botany benefits agriculture, so can the psychology of memory benefit education. Sprinkled throughout this chapter and summarized here for easy reference are concrete suggestions for improving memory. (2) Study repeatedly to boost long-term recall. Overlearn To learn a name, say it to yourself after being introduced; wait a few seconds and say it again; wait longer and say it again. To provide many separate study sessions, make use of life’s little intervals - riding on the bus, walking across campus, waiting for class to start. (3) Spend more time rehearsing or actively thinking about the material. Speedreading (skimming) complex material - with minimal rehearsal - yields little retention. Rehearsal and critical reflection help more. It pays to study actively. (4) Make the material personally meaningful. To build a network of retrieval cues, take thorough text and class notes in your own words. Mindlessly repeating information is relatively ineffective. Better to form images, understand and organize information, relate the material to what you already know or have experienced and write it out in your own words. Without such cues, you may be stuck when a question uses phrasing different from the rote forms you memorized. To increase retrieval cues, form as many associations as possible.
How does the writer feel about forgetfulness?