Echo podcast 1

The host of the ECHO podcast discusses memory mastery hacks for exam preparation. The four steps to learning are memorizing, understanding, problem-solving, and creativity. To achieve mastery and expertise, it is important to enhance memorization. There are two forms of memory: working memory and long-term memory. Working memory has limited duration and capacity, while long-term memory allows for storage of knowledge over a long period. Encoding and retrieval are the two operations between working memory and long-term memory. Tips for improving memory include spaced memorization, autotest, free recall, and mind mapping. It is emphasized that success in studying is not solely determined by natural talent, but also by studying techniques and active engagement with the content. Hello, dear listeners. I hope that you're doing well. Welcome to the ECHO podcast. I'm Anaïs, your host for today's episode, and as my beloved colleague Aya announced in the previous one, I'll be talking about memory mastery hacks to guide you during your exams preparation. I'll be sharing practical tips that have been proven scientifically and tested in a lot of subjects, while uncovering the secrets of how our memory works. So, without further ado, let's make learning a breeze together, set you up for success in your exams, and let's dive into the ECHOing world of effective studying. To begin with, what is the goal when we try to learn something? As you already know, what we are asked to do as college students is to acquire a mastery of concepts that we are taught in our respective fields. And in order to do that correctly, we have to go through four fundamental steps built on each other. These steps are memorizing, understanding, problem-solving, and creativity. Memorizing here would mean to store information in our brain. Another way to say that is to mobilize data in our brain's memory, while understanding is being able to process the information to form a clear mental picture. Problem-solving is how the brain figures out solutions by being able to analyze previous knowledge depending on the nature of the problem. And finally, creativity refers to the ability to generate valuable ideas by exploring diverse perspectives, while associating knowledge in a unique way. So, in order to achieve the third and fourth step that would lead us to mastery and expertise, we have to enhance and improve our effectiveness in the first step, which is memorization. And it will subsequently improve the quality of our understanding. So now, let's explore how our memory works. In cognitive science, we use a model that distinguishes between two forms of memory, working memory and long-term memory. Again, let's delve into the concept of working memory. Working memory is that part of our consciousness that we are aware of at any given time of the day. It receives the sensory perceptions which we decide to pay attention. The capacity of this type of memory will help us use what we know to achieve our current goal. Let me give you an example. Imagine during a test, when you remember information from your previous lessons, actually, it's your working memory capacity that allows you to use that knowledge effectively to answer questions and meet the goal of performing well in your test. But the issue of this type of memory is that it has limited duration and limited capacity. So, all of this information you used in your test may not remain in your brain long for the exam. And this is why we have the long-term memory, which allows the storage of knowledge that we will retain for a long time beyond the very limited period of our working memory. It has the capacity to reorganize itself and consolidate information, store conceptual knowledge and create the coherence of all that we've learned. Another thing I want you to know is that there are two types of operations that occur between the working memory and the long-term memory, which are encoding and retrieval. Encoding involves processing information for storage, while retrieval is the process of recovering stored information when needed. Let me help you picture this. If you've ever been stressed in exams trying to remember things quickly, well, that's where encoding and retrieval come in. Your success in exams is directly linked to how well your memory can handle these processes. Here are some tips to boost these memory processes that I've just talked about, so that you won't forget a thing for your current revising sessions. Tip number one is spaced memorization. Imagine you have a plant and you have to water it. You wouldn't pour an entire gallon of water on it, right? You would give it a little sip every few days, just enough to keep it growing. Spaced repetition works the same way. Instead of giving your brain a lot of information all at once, like, for example, dedicating a day to study a subject and jump into another one the next day, with no guarantee that what you've learned that day will remain in your brain's memory until the exam, but by using spaced memorization, you make sure to review it at increasing intervals. Increasing intervals is the key to understand how spaced memorization works. It's based on reactivating the information before you forget it. The goal here is to remember 100% of the information. Well, in order to do that, what you will have to do is, the day after studying a subject, you will have to revise what you've learned the day after, and then you would review what you've learned three days after, and then a week after. What you're doing here is recalling the information each time you review it. That would ensure that you visit the information just before it slips away. This would consolidate it and boost it in your long-term memory. A handy tool that I can give you to incorporate spaced memorization in your days is to use flashcards app. I personally use flashcards app that allows me to create a lot of flashcards for each subject. The good thing about that is that you get notified, because the algorithm follows the spaced repetition process. If you like doing it the old way, you can plan it. You can draw a table and start by writing each subject and each day. You can review the subject and stick it to your wall. Now, the second tip might be familiar to you. It's called autotest. I know that you all guys went to basically and bought subjects from the previous years. Actually, this is an excellent thing to do, because autotest has also been proven scientifically to be one of the most efficient methods to prepare for exams. It relies on making active recall exercises instead of passively reading what has been done during the semester. This forces you to retrieve information from memory, strengthening your knowledge and consequently improve recall during the actual exam. The third tip is free recall. You can try to test yourself by trying to write down everything you remember. You grab a paper, sit in silence and put all that you know and have learned in that subject. Interesting facts, remarks the teacher gave you, the problems you don't know yet how to solve. This technique works particularly well because it forces you to rephrase things in your own words and it helps you detect your weaknesses. It is a part of what neuroscientists call generative learning techniques, which are all about reorganizing and structuring what we've learned in a way that speaks to us. Because we all remember much more better when things make sense to us. Now, the very last study technique I want to give you is a fun one that I recommend everyone to try. It's called mind mapping. It's a method of organizing ideas in a way that makes information more engaging and easier to remember. The principle is to summarize things on one single paper using a tree structure. The main concept would be represented in the center and then the branches will express the sub-ideas and the keywords. There is no single right way to make a mind map because it will depend on your preferences. Use colors, little drawings, symbols to best represent the information. This method is usually most recommended in scientific fields, but you can make it a way to summarize what you've done in that field. I'll drop the mic now. Thank you so much for staying till the end. I really hope that this episode was helpful and that you will try to make the most of these techniques I explained to you. At least two of them. And please understand that in order to make the most of the study techniques I gave you, you will have to put yourself in an active mode towards the content you are trying to assimilate. Believe in yourself and bear in mind that succeeding in your studies isn't a matter of natural talent or innate ability to be good in a subject. Because despite your natural affinities, your abilities to learn are far from being fixed. And the way you go about studying has a huge impact on your success.