Dealing with After-Test Forgetfulness

[Lunk63]

I am almost done with my summer human anatomy class for which I studied for many hours to prepare for my teacher's weekly tests. I found that after I took a test, I would rapidly forget all of the material pertaining to that test as I was studying for the test coming the next week. So, I was hoping someone would help me find a way to still remember all of the stuff related to my previous tests without taking away to much time from the time I need to study for the next test.

 

I welcome ANY ideas!

[Ophiolite]

Application.

You have to use the material you have learned, ideally in some practical way, but in worst case use it in contrived situations.

 

Example - since you mention anatomy, if you are walking to class look at other students. Work from head to toe, naming major skeletal components, then - perhaps seeing an obese individual, consider the full range of parts, along the digestive tract. If you drive to class envisage the result of a messy car wreck, naming the components that might become detached. (This will have the added benefit of making you a more careful driver.) Just seek out opportunities to use the terms. As you do so, think of key facts related to them.

 

Use some mnemonic to aid you in this. Make something up that works for you. Off the top of my head (should that be cranium?) how about the F words.

 

What is it For?

Where do you Find it?

How does it Function?

What is it Filled with?

 

And so on.

 

But use what you have learned! Often.

[CharonY]

Agreed. Rapidly forgetting things is a symptom of rote learning (there is a very nice German expression: Bulimie Lernen = bulimia learning, where you stuff as much info as possible into your head, then regurgitate everything in exams.

 

Establishing context in your mind will organize the knowledge in a way that allows you to apply that knowledge. Thus later on you will start deriving info based on context rather than just rely on memorization.

[Endy0816]

Provide answers to related questions on an online forum?

 

Games can also work depending on the knowledge. Often is as good for your score, as it is for your memory.

[Lunk63]

Haha Endy, that is one of the reasons why I signed up for this forum. To be able to use what I have learned in class on here. It is kind of hard to do that when most of the posts I have seen discuss things that are being researched or are new in the field right now. Which is expected because a post about Cell Theory or the Fluid Mosaic Model would just be soo awesome and filled with debate...