Setting Yourself Up for Failure: How to Ineffectively Prepare

Robert Arrowood ETSU McNair Program Setting Yourself Up for Failure: How to Ineffectively Prepare

Pop Quiz: • The night before your GRE you should do what? (Select all that apply) • Stay up until 6 A.M watching The Walking Dead. • Become so inebriated that you black out in a road side ditch. • Get a good night’s sleep. • Cry and attempt suicide out of fear. • Remain calm and attempt to clear your head. • Go to sleep shortly after studying.

Do Not!!! • Read the topic and only consider the words.

Do • Assign associations between the new knowledge and your memories. • Easier recall due to encoding (Goldstein, 2011). • Ex. The Quadratic Formula Story.

Do Not!!! • Read and think you know it all because of your reading.

Do • Read and test yourself after. • Consolidation effect (Goldstein, 2011) • Ex. The review section in almost every text book.

Do Not!!! • Take notes that require a rocket scientist or Theo to decode.

Do • Organize your notes so that YOU understand them. • Reduces memory load (Goldstein, 2011) • Ex. Symbols

Do Not!!! • Read and study while laying on your bed in a noisy room with all of the luxuries that your house offers.

Do • Attempt to mimic the testing facility. • Increases retrieval ability by providing cues (Goldstein, 2011). • Ex. Studying in a large room while sitting behind a computer in a somewhat hard chair.

Do Not!!! CRAM!!!

Do • Space out your learning. • Taking short breaks increases consolidation (Goldstein, 2011). • Ex. Resting and thinking after reading ten pages.

In Brief • These strategies • Improve encoding • Increase retrieval cues • Increase consolidation • Decreases stress • Improve memory (Goldstein, 2011). • Your scores will certainly improve if you remember these tips.

References • Goldstein, B. (2011). Cognitive psychology. Belmont, California: Wadsworth.

Setting Yourself Up for Failure: How to Ineffectively Prepare