Memory Tips

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• Study repeatedly - Overlearn. Take advantage of life’s little intervals (i.e.- riding the bus, walking, waiting in the grocery checkout line)
• Spend time actively thinking about material - Exercise weak memories with rehersal and critical reflection. No skimming!
• Make material personally meaningful - Write notes in your own words. Form as many cue associations (i.e.- images, experiences) as possible! 
• Use mnemonic devices for lists - Associate items with peg words, create a vivid story involving the items, or chunk items into acronyms 
• Refresh your memory by activating cues - Mentally re-create situations/moods where you orginally learned the material or physically return to the location 
• Minimize interferences - Study about an hour before sleep. Don’t study similar subjects back-to-back (i.e.- Studying Spanish then French right after) 
• Test your knowledge - Don’t be overconfident about recalling the material. Test yourself with the learning objectives. You can outline sections, define terms/concepts, create practice tests, or explain the topic to a friend without using your notes

Psychology: 8th Edition by David G. Myers, Chapter 9 - Memory