The Forgetting Curve

1. The Forgetting Curve How reviewing impacts what you remember……

2. Amount you are likely to recall if you do review. Amount you are likely to recall if you do not review.

3. What the study revealed: • Reviewing notes after class each day, or at least before you go to bed, will help recall, as the graph shows.  • At the end of nine weeks, those who reviewed their notes within a day recalled about 75% of the information.  • Those who did not review their notes were unable to recall even 50% of the information after one day and only a little more than 20% of the information after nine weeks.

4. We learn through repetition: • When you review your notes, you may  want to add additional information you recall from class or add questions in the margins to help you study the material later.  • You may also find that you don't understand some of the things you wrote so you may want to ask the teacher or a friend in the class to get clarification. • Information obtained from Virginia Tech’s counseling center, www.ucc.vct.edu

5. What if we didn’t take many notes? • Outline your textbook • Review handouts and assignments • Discuss your class work at home • Create a “Study Journal”

6. A “Study Journal” • For each class that you have, write at least three sentences about what you did in class. • Be specific. For example, don’t write “read chapter 3”. Write down what chapter 3 was about. • Review what you wrote. Read it aloud to yourself or someone else if you can. • Review your study journal in the morning before classes begin, and you will be more prepared for your classes each day.

7. If This Chart were about your grade…… Which grade would you rather have??