What are some of the best ways to improve your memory for those studying animals?
Employing mnemonic devices like acronyms and rhymes is one of the best ways to boost your memory skills, but it’s not the only one. Here are 4 more ways you can take your memory to the next level:
1. Focus your attention
The more completely your attention is focused on a group of facts, the more likely you will be able to remember those facts later. This is especially important when the facts are complex and the vocabulary is new to you.
For example, if you are going to be tested on directional anatomy, you will need to remember a multitude of new terms like dorsal, ventral, cranial, caudal, proximal and distal. You are going to have a hard time remembering those facts if you study while watching Game of Thrones, checking your emails every 2 minutes or listening to your favourite music. In other words, the best way to focus your attention to improve your memory is to study in a quiet place without any distractions.
2. Don’t Procrastinate
You might think pulling an all-nighter is just as good as studying for a test over several days or weeks — it isn’t. Studies show that you will remember more if you learn facts gradually over time. Spreading your study over time gives your mind the time it needs to process information, so it more easily moves into long-term memory. The best approach is to structure material into discrete sections, learning one section during each study session and then reviewing all the material just before the exam.
3. Rehearse – Then Rehearse Again
Think about the way actors commit long scripts to memory. They rehearse over and over again until they are confident they won’t forget a line on stage or in front of the cameras (Ryan Gosling and Jennifer Lawrence might make it look easy, but that’s because they’ve carefully rehearsed their lines).
In the same way, you need to rehearse answering questions about your course material; whether that material is about taking x-rays or processing blood samples. First, read the material. Then, try to verbalise what you just read (without looking at your notes). If you forget one or more key facts, do it again. Repeat this process until you can remember the key facts in each section of the material on which you are going to be tested.
4. Link Important Subject Matter Together
Memory is an incremental process in which facts are organised and linked together in your mind. In other words, what you find in Chapter 2 of a textbook follows naturally from what was in Chapter 1. One of the best ways to remember new facts is to link them to facts you already know.
In the same way, for example, the information you learn generally starts out simple and becomes increasingly detailed. It is easier to memorise new material when you see it as a more detailed description of what you already know. This is one of the reasons it is helpful to scan the headings in a textbook chapter before you read the information under those headings.
Conclusion
You have already done the hard work. You have decided that you care enough about animals to want to spend your life providing them better care and improving the quality of their lives. Now it is time to buckle down and successfully complete your course so you can start your exciting new career in animal care.
