If you find something you feel I should add to this list, please
drop me a note
and let me know what you have found!
If you are serious about wanting to do well, I guarantee that these steps will make a difference.
Like anything else worthwhile, it will require some
effort.
Two BSU resources I highly recomend are the
Learning Center,
and the Writing Center.
Check out what they offer and take advantage of their services; you may be surprised.
You need regular, aerobic exercise.
Research
shows an undeniable link between
exercise
and brain function, including memory.
Research also shows the importance of adequate sleep
on the ability to remember and solve problems. You may believe that you don’t need a lot of
sleep, but
physiologicalevidence says
differently. One
study demonstrated that poor sleepers are much more likely to
get worse grades and withdraw from classes. And there are some things you can do (and not do) to
get better sleep.
Proper nutrition
also affects brain function. It’s not just being
hungry
that hurts thinking, but filling up on the wrong foods
can also be a problem. Foods high in sodium and fat (the stuff of fast
food franchises) negatively affects the ability to think clearly.
It may be too late to alter your class schedule, but another way to improve learning is to have a break after this class rather than go
straight into another learning situation. Having time just to “daydream” after learning new information is helpful. The ability to
think more
about what was just learned helps to move the knowledge from short-term to long-term memory.
Attitude about learning may just be the biggest factor. People can actually convince themselves that they can’t learn something,
and they won’t! You must believe in your ability to learn the material, and then
care enough about the content
to want to learn it. Your interest
in the subject is a big factor in your learning.
Studying more often for shorter periods of time is
better
than longer, less frequent study sessions. Ideally
you should put in a study session to prep before every class (where you read the assignment), and a session after each class to
review
your notes. Leaving it all
until the day before the tests is not a good strategy.
Attendance and active engagement in class really do make a difference. You might be
listening
to what is happening in class, but your mind may wander if you’re not actively listening.
Effective note taking
matters. Some students really don’t know how to take useful notes.
Eliminate distractions
during class and study times. Multitasking is possible if the two activities engage different parts of the brain.
Walking and chewing gum, for example, is multitasking. Neither activity disrupts the other (at least for most of us).
Texting in class, or checking Facebook while studying, is not multitasking,
but rapid task switching.
The brain can only engage one of those activities at a time,
and there is a loss of cognition
during the “switching.” Research shows that even when good students multitask in class, their
test scores drop.
It might just be a good idea to ditch the device
and go back to taking notes the old fashioned way:
by hand.
Recent research
shows that taking notes longhand is more effective
than typing notes. And notetaking does not mean writing down everything your professor says; there is a
right way to do it which is much more effective.
There is also evidence that frequent task shifting results in a
brain that is incapable
of concentrating for long periods of time on one task, as is necessary for really
difficult problems.
Original page created by Dr. Dominic Caristi. Updated by
Mr. David Largent .
NOTICE: The information presented on this page represents the personal views, ideas, and opinions of the author.
This is not an official Ball State University web page. Links contained at this web site to other organizations are
presented as a service and neither constitute nor imply university endorsement or warranty.
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