How to Improve Memory for Exams? Effective Study Methods

Do you always fail at producing whole pieces of information in exams that you have learned before sitting in the exam? There’s no need to stress because there are hundreds of students like you out there who are bad at memorising and recalling concepts while delivering presentations or writing assignments. 

You are most likely thinking that I can’t be good at recalling ideas or reproducing them on paper, no matter how hard I start learning. Hold on for a second and reflect, have you ever pondered on learning techniques after failures? Just learning how to improve memory for exams will turn the tables for you entirely.

Achieve maximum memory retention rate by adopting effective study methods and start scoring good marks on exams.

Decoding How Memory Works While Learning

There are actually three stages stemming from the concept of strong memory retention rate while studying for exams, and any other academic activity like writing an essay for submission, and so on.

• Encoding: This is the first stage in the learning process, and in it we convert our sensory perceptions into meaningful representations in the brain. For example, the lecture we have just heard or a book that we have read will first stay in our short term memory and then be forgotten if not consolidated and recalled.
• Consolidation: It is the second phase of learning in which the information is transferred from short term memory to long term memory by making a connection between the new knowledge and the things previously learned.
• Retrieval: Retrieval is the last and the most important stage where the memory just keeps recalling the information stored in the long-term memory because of continuous repetition.

What is the Difference Between Short and Long Term Memory?

Despite the gap in duration of storing knowledge, there are also some other differences in the short-term memory and the long-term memory in learning. According to Miller’s law, short-term memory can only store up to 7 ± 2 items in it and long-term memory has unlimited storage capacity.

Another case of difference is in their working, short-term memory acts as a transition place from where resting ideas or concepts are transferred to long-term memory. On the other hand, long-term memory stores knowledge to be retrieved whenever the student needs that chunk of information.

Lastly, the difference lies in their working mechanism as short-term memory provides immediate response and helps in reproducing contact number before dialing and long-term memory supports deep learning and provides recall to the mathematical formulas and language a student has learned quite a time ago. 

What is the Forgetting Curve?

The concept of the forgetting curve was introduced by a German psychologist, Hermann Ebbinghaus, in the late 19th century to describe the idea of how one forgets the information or knowledge with time stamps indicating the process. 

Let’s understand this concept with an example. If a student has just learned the Romeo and Juliet essay topic ideas, then it is most likely that they will forget half of it in the next hour, 70% after a day, and 90% after a week in case of no repetition.

According to the concept of the Forgetting Curve, it happens because the rate of forgetting things is high just after learning about them. The only way to deal with it is using flashcards to boost recall, as well as other cognitive recalling techniques.

Best Study Methods for Memory Retention

If you are ready to learn how to improve memory for exams without wasting your time on ineffective and impractical approaches, then make sure to dive into the below proven strategies and start scoring A+ grades in your university assignment submission.

Feel free to miss any method that is not suitable for you because the “one fits all” approach doesn’t work well in implementing learning strategies for retention. You can also tweak the technique according to your circumstances for getting better results.

• Active Recall and Self Testing

You know, instead of covering the whole topic twice or thrice for exam preparation. Using active recalling techniques like using flashcards to keep the knowledge fresh of the ideas you have learned, or even self-guessing works well. 

The role of repetition in learning is just to put stress on your mind and make the chunks of information from a larger concept revised in intervals so that you won’t get the concepts slipped out of your hands while writing down your papers.

When you keep testing your memory, it will automatically make the things fresh and provide them whenever you need. Without requiring you to reread the notes or the whole theory completely before the exam.

• Spaced Repetition

If you still think that cramming words from first to the last page of the notes or lecture will make your concepts unforgettable. Then you are wrong. After all, it will remain for some time in your short-term memory and then start fading out from your memory because it has no logical link developed between the new and existing knowledge.

Instead of learning everything in one sitting, try to divide the whole into small intervals and then memorise them with complete comprehension, not with a rote learning technique to keep it stored in your memory for years.

Best tips for long-term memory retention also include the 24-hour review rule to get the concepts or ideas instantly at your hand while being in the exam.

• Mind Mapping

Some seasoned educationists consider brain training for students to be the crucial element in boosting memory retention rate while studying. That’s why you need to train your brain using visuals and a map, including the topics and concepts reflecting the relationship between the ideas, to make the memory pick the knowledge for the long term.

You can draw on a board and even on a paper, all the relevant concepts or ideas that you are going to deal with in exams, and make the mind connect the dots between them for a better understanding. 

After a few spaced repetition sessions, your mind will work as a browser that can answer your queries quickly due to the solid mapping of knowledge.

• Feynman Technique

You know when PhD students have to write complex economics essays on unilateral free trade, they use the technique of preparing the concepts like they are going to teach a 5-year-old child, and then jump on the writing process. 

When you break down complex information or concepts into smaller chunks and easy to understand points for the purpose of teaching someone, your brain automatically gets filled with that specific knowledge and stores it in the long-term memory. So that you can recall the information completely whenever you need it, and that’s what the Feynman technique for effective study advocates.

This technique is focused on making your brain comprehend complex ideas into easy pieces to ensure a maximum retention rate.

• Mnemonics and Memory Aids

Students’ most favourite memory boosting techniques include the use of acronyms, initials, rhymes, and so on, to learn ideas or even complex concepts without spending too much time on it. For example, you are going to attend an international relations exam and there is a list of organisation names that you have to remember for dealing with different questions.

Instead of memorising each word of the name, you can just focus on acronyms like Nato for (The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), Radar (Radio detection and ranging), and even initials for words like DIY (Do it yourself), etc. 

This mnemonic for learning is the most effective study method because it makes things easy to learn and remember for the mind due to short and crisp phrases indicating hefty words or terminologies.

• Interleaving and Mixing Topics

Instead of using block practice by picking one subject and one niche at one time, and not picking another until it is mastered completely. Try using interleaving and mixing topics by understanding lectures of, let’s say, 3 exams in 3 hours on the same day, and so on. 

This diverse learning technique will make your mind work more efficiently and remember things at a faster rate as compared to a slow learning rate in focused study techniques. Interleaving techniques will train your brain to discriminate between complex or contrasting ideas at one time and consolidate both.

For example, instead of learning your chemistry lecture on one day until it is mastered and the physics lecture on the second day, try learning both on a single day for better memory retention.

Factors Affecting Memory Retention While Studying

Along with learning how to improve memory for exams and adopting effective study methods, keeping an eye on factors that can sabotage your whole efforts is also necessary for you to achieve a maximum retention rate. 

We have listed the 4 most dangerous factors below, make sure to double check yourself while studying if any of them is affecting you. In case you are getting affected, just adopt the solutions discussed below to achieve the maximum memory retention rate.

• Sleep Cycles

If you are making the mistake of sleeping less than usual, just like other students at the time of exams, then surely you are going to forget the freshly learned concepts or ideas. Stop making this mistake if you really want your memory to be more effective while studying for exams, start taking a deep sleep.

According to some research studies, deep sleep helps students consolidate information for a long term, even after the exams have passed. The key tip for you to boost your memory is to have a sound and healthy sleep, especially in the days of exams, to enjoy more productivity and immediate response from your brain cells while sitting in the exam.

• Nutrition and Brain Boosting Foods

You can’t improve your memory for exams by being deficient in nutrition and delaying your meals. Especially, when your exams are near, improve your diet and jump on to a healthy diet and lifestyle. 

You can add food items like Omega 3, nuts, berries, dark chocolate, etc, in your routine and will feel more energised and motivated when preparing for your exams. Keep your body water level maintained by staying hydrated throughout the day, to get better at cognitive recalling and be more efficient while attempting exams.

• Exercise Sharpens Memory

Do you want to perform like a well-prepared athlete in your exam without missing out on any point?  You need to do exercise regularly, like your favourite athlete (pun intended), but according to your preference. 

Some research studies show that students who do regular exercise, like gym, yoga, cycling, and so on, perform better than those who don’t train their body for hustle. You know when you do physical hustle, your mind gets trained or strong along with it as well, and makes you a better decision maker and information recaller.

That’s what you need to be as well to adopt effective study methods and score your dream grades in exams.

• Stress and Mindfulness

You can’t use your memory to its full extent when you are stressed out and feeling low in motivation. That’s why blow the academic stress away by taking coursework writing services to focus on your exams without getting entangled in irrelevant thoughts and unending academic submissions. 

You can opt for releasing stress-reducing activities like deep breathing, meditation, and other mindful breaks for achieving maximum memory retention rate while preparing for exams. Don’t ever make the mistake of doing study while dealing with stress because it will affect your energy and memorisation level as well.

How to Create a Perfect Study Environment to Boost Memory?

Creating a perfect study environment may vary according to students’ lifestyle, but there are some common factors as well that are equally beneficial for anyone. You can start improving your memory for exams by eliminating the distractions circling you and then moving on to creating a focused workspace for studying.

Try to create a noiseless and illuminating studying environment to prepare for exams and achieve the maximum recall rate as you need while sitting in exams. Moreover, you can utilise productivity enhancing tools like noise cancellation headphones and so on while studying.

Conclusion

Recalling every bit of information that you have memorised before the exams is necessary to attempt the paper with complete information, and it can be mastered only by learning how to improve memory for exams using effective study methods as mentioned above.

You can train your mind and body as well using the exercise and other techniques for achieving the maximum memory retention rate in exams and standing out among your fellows with a knowledge-packed approach.

Frequently Asked Questions