(U-WIRE) LUBBOCK, Texas - Students who spend hours cramming the night before a test only to forget half of the material come test time are not uncommon. Not to worry, however; several approaches aid in remembering.
Ruth Maki, professor of psychology, said how well people learn and remember depends upon the way they learn the information.
"There are a number of things we know from the study of human memory that improve speed of learning and retention," she said. "The main thing is levels of processing -- when students read, hear or study information, they need to be thinking about how things relate to each other and the meaning of things."
Maki said good strategies for learning include making visual images and tying information to things you already know. As opposed to just hearing or reading the surface of things, think about how they all relate, she said.
"Tie things to personal experiences and make diagrams instead of just reading about them," Makisaid. "Ask yourself questions about the material."
The key to remembering information is remembering things different ways, Maki said.
"The more ways you can get things into your memory, the better you will remember it," she said.
Some students read a textbook 10 times, but cannot recall the information, Maki said.
Reading things repeatedly again is not effective, but making diagrams, taking good notes and creating questions for yourself is a good approach, she said.
"Often students learn material very specifically, so if a test question is exactly how they learned it, they can pull it out (of memory)," she said. "But if a test question is different than a student learned it, they may not remember the information."
Nathan Harkey, a senior agricultural communications major from Petersburg, said he usually starts studying the night before a test.
"I can never find time," he said. "I know I should study a lot more, but if I can get by, I'd rather do that."
Harkey said his method of studying is to read the notes from class and any handouts professors give.
"If there is a lot of information or anything with formulas, I'll make flashcards," he said.
Maki said when students just memorize information, they will not remember the information if the test question is not exactly as they read it.
Students must think of information in different ways and aspects, she said.
"Link information together, and you will be able to retrieve it better," Maki said.
The best method to remember material for the long term is to study it not all at once, but to study it now, then next week and the next week and so on, she said.
"If you spread studying out over time, you will remember it much longer," Maki said.
If someone remembers facts for a long enough period of time, it will become ingrained in their mind, she said.
"Information that is learned over long periods of time basically becomes unforgettable," she said.
Robin Hilsabeck, assistant professor of neuoropsychiatry and behavioral science at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, said students usually discover their own learning techniques before coming to college.
"Students have different strengths and weaknesses," she said. "Some are visual learners, some have to write things down and some have to do it to learn it."
Hilsabeck said the personality of a student often determines their learning strategies. Some students have to write material down 15 different ways, and some have to only write it down once, she said.
"Mnemonic techniques, such as acronyms, help students remember the information by encoding it better," she said. "They process it more deeply."
A lot of research shows the context in which people learn information helps them remember it better, Hilsabeck said.
"If you are used to drinking coffee while you study, you should drink coffee before taking a test," she said. "Figure out what learning techniques work for you, and stick with those."