By Don
Penven
Improve Your
Memory and Pass That Exam!
Learning
methods to sharpen your brain power is not rocket science.
Many of us
humans tend to over-complicate things-especially when it comes to matters of
human existence. To survive in a highly competitive world, one must rely on
one's innate intelligence. But much depends on your goals and the extremes you
are willing to go to in order to fill them.
The human
mind serves as a vast reservoir of knowledge.
Some of what
the mind is storing is useful information-some of it is not. The ideas behind
improving your memory are based on your personal needs and what sort of
information needs to be stored for future use?
Many of the
people who read this page are students who are facing what may seem like a
daunting task-passing an exam. So I'll be giving you content to help you work
on improving your memory so that taking that exam will seem like any other
normal activity you get involved in day after day.
No doubt you
are aware of what neuroscience tells us about how the brain works, but it's
worth reviewing. The brain is much like the hard drive on your computer. You
create a message by typing information, and then you hit "CTRL S" or
you select "SAVE AS" and hit "ENTER." The information is
then recorded on the drive.
Instead of a
physical keyboard, the input to your brain's hard drive comes via your five
physical senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. This sensory
information is first received by an area of temporary storage known as the
short-term memory. As the name implies this area is much like your computer's
Random Access Memory (RAM). As you know, unless you take another step with what
is in your computer's RAM, when you turn off the computer's power, RAM is lost
forever.
Comparing
this to brain function, what you have stored in short-term memory will vanish
just as quickly as your RAM data unless it is sent along to your long-term
memory.
Your
computer hard drive offers Read Only Memory (ROM).
ROM is
readily accessible whenever you need to access it. Long-term memory is similar.
The information is stored in your brain just like what is on your hard drive.
But you need a method to find it so that you can use it, and this is where the
problems arise.
As for
computer memory, you must remember what key words you used to save it and what
file folder you put it in. The information stored in your brain requires some
effort on your part to pull it back. This ability begins with pre-conditioning.
The idea is to keep your brain healthy and full of vitality.
Regardless
of your circumstances-you may be a student facing exams, you have a
professional career and desire to stay mentally sharp. or like me, you are a
"seasoned citizen" hoping to preserve what you know as age creeps
into the picture. Here are some things you can do to improve retention and
enhance mental performance:
• Get plenty
of sleep as well as exercise
• Vary your
mental exercises with periods of relaxation and spend time with friends and
having fun
• Work out
physically as well as mentally. Don't limit study to one particular subject.
Read and comprehend different subjects
• Use
mnemonic devices (covered in another article) and memorization. Try memorizing
songs or poems
At the risk
of sounding trite, you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks. This old dog has
spent a lifetime learning new subjects. In a way I believe it keeps me young.
The human brain has a special ability to adapt and change-even in my advanced
years. Neuroscientists call this property neuroplasticity. When sufficiently
stimulated your brain begins to form new neural pathways while altering old
connections. The brain has the ability to react and adapt in an ever-changing
manner.
This
incredible ability for the brain to realign itself is especially true when it
comes to learning new information and remembering it.
Work on the
steps listed above. This mysterious power of neuroplasticity will increase your
cognitive abilities. It will pep up your ability to learn new and exciting
subjects; and best of all-it will work miracles toward improving your memory
and your grades.
Learning
should be a non-stop activity and learning is a much easier feat to accomplish
when your memory is at its peak. Learning, study and memory are the big three
for guaranteeing that your plans and goals will be met.
How to Concentrate
How to Concentrate
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