III. Listening In
Script
M: Tell me your secret. You’re suddenly getting excellent marks in every subject, and you used to be a bottom-of –class student just like me.
W: Simple enough. I read an article in a scientific journal that studying with remembering, based on recent research into the brain.
M: Aw, that stuff’s old hat: study at the same time every day, be sure your clothes are comfortable, and make sure you have enough light, blah-blah-blah.
W: Not so fast, wise guy. I’m talking about principles like “Mental Visualization”, creating a picture in your mind of what is to be remembered.
M: Ok, that dies sound different. Id “Association” a principle—you know, you connect what you want to remember with something you’re familiar with?
W: Right on! ‘Consolidation” is another. I review my notes right after class and consolidate—or absorb—the new material into what I’ve already learned.
M: You’re moving ahead fast with those principles. I swear this weekend I’m going to study sixteen hours a day both Saturday and Sunday.
W: Whoa, big guy. That’s not the way. Follow the principle of “Distributes Practice”. Shorter study sessions distributes over several days are better.
M: That system is all very well for you; you’ve got a good memory. But what about me? I’ve got a memory like a sieve.
W: You’re too modest. There’s nothing wrong with your memory. But memory is like a muscle; it needs exercise. And don’t forget it.
While the man is wondering why the woman is suddenly getting excellent marks, she says she read an article on studying and remembering. It talks about principles like “Mental Visualization”, that is, creating a picture in one’s mind of what is to be remembered. This reminds the man of the principle of “Association”, which means connecting what one wants to remember with something one is familiar with. Then the woman adds the principle of “Consolidation”, or reviewing one’s notes after class and absorbing the new material into what one has already learned. When the man promise to study sixteen hours a day, the woman recommends the principle of “Distributed Practice”, which favors shorter study sessions distributed over several days. Finally, the woman tells the man that memory is like a muscle, and that it needs exercise.
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