Memory and Concentration

Memory and Concentration MEMORY 1) Simple definition: mental activity of recalling information that you have learned or experienced. 2) Short-Term Memory (STM) a) stored for a few seconds or a few minutes b) fragile and meant to be so c) holds an average of 7 items 3) Long-Term Memory (LTM) a) Info you make an effort (consciously or unconsciously) to retain, because it is personally meaningful to you, you need it, or it made an emotional impression b) Memory Requiring Conscious Recall i) Episodic memory personal memories about experiences you ve had at specific times ii) Semantic memory factual data not bound to time or place c) Memory Not Requiring Conscious Recall i) Procedural Memory involves skills and routines you perform so often that they don t require conscious recall 4) Stages of Memory Foundation and Maintenance a) Acquisition -- new information enters brain and is encoded. Key to encoding information into your memory is concentration: unless you focus on information intently, it doesn t get encoded. b) Consolidation Once encoded, it gets stored as long-term memory. This happens more easily if it s related to something you already know, or if it stimulates an emotional response. c) Retrieval -- Calling up stored info. The more frequently you need the information, the easier it is to retrieve it along healthy nerve cell connections. Page 1 of 6

5) Tips and General Guidelines to Improve Your Memory a) Tailor information acquisition to your learning style You retain information better if it fits in with your learning style. There are three main learning styles: i) Visual -- preference for seen or observed things: written text, diagrams, displays, demonstrations, flow charts, colours. ii) Auditory -- prefers transfer of info through listening lectures, talking through an idea, discussions with friends. Listen to recording of material you want to remember. Recite material out loud. iii) Kinaesthetic -- preference for physical experience, tactile, hands-on learning. If you are one of those people who don t look at the instructions first, then you re probably kinaesthetic! The physical act of re-writing information can help imprint the info. There is no right or wrong learning style. What is useful is to know what works best for you and to use that information when you study or learn. It is also useful to try new learning styles now and then; expand your repertoire. b) Use Short Units of Study Time 25/5 for encoding and consolidating information (longer stretches for more continuous work, e.g. 50/10). Longer than this, your brain finds it harder to encode information into LTM. Study for 25 mins and you will likely retain 60-80% of the material. Study for 1 hr and you ll likely retain 60-80% of the last 25 mins of material. You ve studied but can only recall the material after the exam? It s a retrieval, not a memory or exam anxiety problem. c) Pay attention -- You can t remember something if you haven t learnt it in the first place, and you can t learn something i.e. encode it if you don t pay enough attention to it. This is where concentration becomes important. d) Involve as many senses as possible Even if you are a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. Incorporate rhythm into it. Try relating info to colours, textures, smells, tastes. Be creative. Try physically rewriting the info. e) Relate information to what you already know -- connect new info to existing knowledge; make associations; build up your understanding. f) Organize information -- Write things down in date books, calendars. Take notes on more complex material and reorganize the notes into categories later. Group pieces of information together. Break down larger items into smaller units. g) Understand and be able to interpret complex material -- Focus on understanding basic ideas and concepts rather than remembering isolated details. Page 2 of 6

h) Rehearse information frequently and over-learn. -- Review what you ve learnt the same day you learn it and review often. Spaced rehearsals are more effective than cramming. If you can over-learn something so it becomes second nature, that s great. (This is related to procedural memory, unconscious recall.) i) Be motivated and keep a positive attitude -- Tell yourself you want to learn what you need to remember. A negative attitude actually hampers your ability to remember. Know why you are doing the work. Motivation increases if the task is meaningful to you. j) Exercise your brain -- Memory is like muscle strength: use it or lose it! Improve your ability to process and remember information by exercising your brain. Novelty and sensory stimulation are the foundations of brain exercise. Sample exercises: i) Break your routine -- try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand. ii) Use your facilities in unusual ways try showering (if it s safe) or getting dressed with your eyes closed. iii) Learn new things, challenge yourself take a course in an unfamiliar subject (if you are concerned about your grade average, try a non-credit course); learn a new skill (take singing/music lessons; try cooking a recipe in an unfamiliar cuisine); etc. 6) Mnemonics Clues of any kind that helps us remember, usually by association. Usually only useful for certain types of information. a) Visual Images -- associate what you want to remember with a visual image. Make the image as vivid as possible. b) Sentences -- remember a sequence or collection of terms/ideas/items by associating the first letter of each item with the first letter of the words in a sentence. E.g. In music, the notes on the bars of a treble staff are EGBDF: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. In astronomy the types of stars in order of decreasing temperature are OBAFGKM: Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me. c) Acronyms -- same as sentences, only the letters make a word. Music: notes on the spaces on the treble staff: FACE d) Rhymes and alliteration -- 30 days hath September, April, June, and November. e) Chunking information -- breaking long lists or larger groups on information into smaller units or categories that are easier to remember. E.g. SIN number in groups of 3-3-3. f) Jokes or other associations -- funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than mundane things. You might wish to keep the associations to yourself! Page 3 of 6

g) Method of loci -- Ancient classical method for remembering a lot of material; origins in classical rhetoric. Associate each part of what you have to remember with a landmark in a route you know well, such as your commute to work or going through the rooms of your house/residence, etc. 7) Healthy Habits that Improve Memory a) Regular Exercise -- Exercise increases oxygen to the brain and reduces disorders which lead to memory loss (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease). b) Healthy Diet & Not Smoking -- A healthy diet is required for your physical well being and can improve your energy level. Smoking increases risk of vascular disorders which hinders delivery of oxygen to the brain (e.g. stroke, constricted arteries). c) Managing Stress -- Stress makes it difficult to concentrate. d) Good Sleep Habits -- Sleep is necessary for memory consolidation. Also, the lack of sleep hinders your concentration. CONCENTRATION Obstacles to Concentration and Ways to Deal with Them 1) Lack of Interest/Motivation a) Think about why you want to learn a given subject or do a given task. b) Don t get too isolated in your studies -- Form study groups, talk about the material with instructors, TAs, friends, classmates. c) Develop a sense of progress by setting specific, measurable, realistic, and doable goals/objectives for each study session/period. Break down a larger task into smaller chunks. d) Give yourself an appropriate reward after you ve met your goal e) Avoid perfectionism -- do your best but don t waste time and energy on impossible ideals. Be pragmatic. f) Develop a routine g) Vary your activity -- change the study subject or task every one to two hours 2) External Distractions -- Poor Environmental Conditions a) Find a good study space b) Keep desk clear c) Minimize visual distraction sit facing a blank wall d) Eliminate noise e) Ensure appropriate lighting f) Comfortable chair but not so comfortable that you fall asleep Page 4 of 6

3) Internal Distraction -- harder to deal with; usually takes practice a) Be Here Now -- This is one of the best ways of dealing with intrusive thoughts but it takes practice: When you notice that your mind has wandered, stop and say to yourself: Be Here Now. Then, gently bring your attention back to what you were doing. Do not try to keep particular thoughts out of your mind. That seldom works. Merely let the thoughts come and go; don t hang on to them. Thoughts will naturally arise but they will also naturally go. Be patient. Do this as many times as you need. You will notice, after a while, that the period between intrusive thoughts will lengthen. b) Externalize the internal distractions -- Keep a note pad nearby and write down intrusive thoughts and reminders; tell yourself you ve noted the concerns down and you will schedule time to deal with them later. Return to your work. c) Worry Time -- Set time aside to give attention to the things which keep interfering with your concentration. The important steps are: i) Set a specific time each day for this task. ii) When you become aware of an intrusive thought, remind yourself that you have a special time to think about them. iii) Let the thought go (try the Be Here Now technique). iv) Be sure to keep the appointment with yourself at the time you ve set aside. d) Spider Technique -- Desensitization. If you put a tuning fork near a spider in its web, it will come to investigate the new phenomenon. If you repeat this action, soon the spider will lose interest and not respond. Practise getting used to distractions. (Note: this doesn t always work ) e) Use a concentration score sheet -- Each time your mind wanders, make a check mark on the sheet. For the first 50 mins, you will probably find lots of check marks but for the next 50 mins, there will be much fewer. Try this for a week or so. 4) Fatigue and Other Physical Factor a) Have a healthy diet. Keep food handy (not junk food) during study sessions. b) Get regular exercise. c) Take regular breaks -- work for 25 mins then break for 5 mins (25/5) or 50/10; it is more efficient to study in short blocks of time than to do 3 hours non-stop. d) Know and use your prime times -- when are you most alert? Page 5 of 6

e) Get sufficient sleep i) 6-10 hours, depending on the person. ii) Get your sleep at night and avoid daytime naps lasting more than 10 mins. Concentration dips both before and after a nap. MORE HELP Academic Success Centre Drop-In Academic Success Centre Individual appointments. Contact: <mail.asc@utoronto.ca>, (416) 978-7970 ASC web site <http://www.asc.utoronto.ca> Academic Success Blog <http://blogs.studentlife.utoronto.ca/academicsuccess/> There are a lot of resources on the Internet. Try searching for terms like improve memory, concentration, learning styles. Sources: Jaffe-Gill, Ellen, et al. Improving Your Memory: Tips and Techniques for Memory Enhancement <http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm> Lambert, Dorinda. Improving Your Concentration. 20 Nov. 2008. Counselling Services, Kansas State University. <http://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/career/concentr.html> Pauk, Walter. How to Study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Kathy Chung Learning Skills Counsellor Academic Success Centre, University of Toronto Page 6 of 6