The human brain is programmed to ignore and forget data that it believes is necessary for life. Regretfully, the majority of the academic material taught in schools belongs to this group, which is why it is so simple to forget. You may, however, use some techniques to let your brain know that this knowledge is important and should be remembered. We’ll guide you through eight useful strategies as you get ready for the next JAMB to make sure you recall what you’ve learned in the testing environment.
1. Pay Attention
Before knowledge can be effectively maintained during studying, it must pass through three phases in the brain: sensory memory, short-term (working) memory, and long-term memory.
Information is only retained in the sensory memory for four seconds before being deleted. Should you successfully focus within those four seconds, the data advances to the short-term memory stage. For a little while longer—roughly 20 to 30 seconds—you can actively absorb and make sense of the information in working memory.
However, for the knowledge to get ingrained in your brain permanently, it must make it to the last round of long-term memory. This is the place where an infinite amount of data can be kept for a few days, weeks, or even years!
Giving it your whole attention right from the beginning is essential to gathering information across all three rounds. Distractions such as social media cause you to instantly exit the sensory round. Imagine attempting to look at Instagram stories and study for a math test at the same time. Due to your fragmented attention, the formula you just read will be erased from your sensory memory. Nonetheless, you significantly raise the likelihood that information will reach long-term memory if you focus intently and avoid outside distractions.
2. Actively Study
Rereading notes is just passive. Continuous engagement with the content is referred to as active studying. This may include, for instance, taking a moment to ask oneself, “What did I just read? In what way are these two ideas related? Compared to reading passively, this forces you to reflect on what you are reading, which helps you comprehend and retain it.
3. Take Down Notes
Write down what you read as you read, using your own words to describe it to a friend. You will have to go back and review the material until you comprehend it if you find that you are unable to write about what you have just read in your own words. You may be creative while creating your notes and include anything that will help you recall them, such as symbols, diagrams, abbreviations, and other things that make sense to you.
4. Utilize Additional Resources as Needed
In addition to your textbooks and class notes, you may get more knowledge using the Jambaloo JAMB app and other Jamb CBT applications.
5. Connect New Information to Something Familiar
Consider making a connection between new and known knowledge. To help you relate to the new information, you might look for mental pictures, analogies, or related instances. For instance, you may see acids and bases as figures in a dance while learning them. Bases are those that match and accept the motions made by acids, which might be thought of as dancers who willingly contribute their moves (protons).
This approach is comparable to mnemonics as well. Mnemonics are coded memory tricks that turn uninteresting facts into memorable words, abbreviations, or rhymes. An iconic illustration: “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles” to help recall the planets’ positions.
6. Active Recall and Space Repetition
You should go over the material and make an effort to remember it at various points during your study period without using your book. Before the test, make an effort to review as often as you can. You may go back to the areas you find difficult as you continue to attempt. This is a reliable method of avoiding forgetting items in the exam room.
Additionally, one of the simplest methods to actively remember what you are learning is to use JAMB’s previous questions throughout your studies. You will also lose out on recognizing important themes and comprehending the pattern of questions that are likely to be repeated if you do not use previous exam questions as a study aid.
7. Teach Someone Else
Explaining what you know to someone else is one of the finest methods to reinforce what you already know. The process of instructing helps you remember such specifics. It may be a relative, an acquaintance, or even a classmate. Ask them questions and receive replies, then “lecture” them on a topic you need to know for the JAMB exam. In addition to assisting with information retention, this boosts your confidence and helps you feel less anxious when you walk into the exam room.
8. Rest and a Fit Lifestyle
As corny as it may sound, sleep is crucial for maintaining memory. Our brains process and organize new knowledge into long-term storage when we sleep. Make sure you get enough sleep, particularly the night before the test.
Credit: Allschoolabs ,Nairaland
