Same Day Reinforcement

Study Strategies: Same Day Reinforcement

Many times, it is challenging to study the same day after you attended several lectures and participated in other activities during the day. However, if you review lectures the same day, you will prevent forgetting the material, and save time. You will also avoid interference in your memory with the new material.

Recommendations

1. Use learning objectives to guide your studying.
   • Be sure to understand the material. Link to handout memorizing vs. understanding https://sarconline.sdes.ucf.edu/?p=242
2. Impose the big picture on your notes.
   • Ask a question “what it important here, and what is just ‘color’”.
   • The first step will be to list the main topics and concepts. The second step will be to add more details under each topic.
   • You can develop outlines or concept maps. For more information about concept maps see http://www.llu.edu/medicine/medical-student-education/resources/concept- mapping.page
3. Condense material by “chunking”. You can create categories, charts, tables, use color coding etc.
   • Try to recall information from your memory instead of copying notes or reading material passively. If you don’t remember you can re-listen to the part of the recorded lecture.
4. Test your memory. What do you remember from a lecture?
   • You can say it loud, draw, or write material from your memory.
   • Try to write summaries of lectures or parts of lectures in your own words.
   • If you highlight the material, do not highlight the entire paragraph.
   • You can attach your own questions to highlighted parts of the text.
   • Writing several questions from the material that was covered in the lecture will help you to clarify and retain information.

Final Recommendation:

Don’t spend too much time on one lecture.

©UAMS Educational and Student Success Center/ Vuk, J. M.D., Ph.D. July/2015