Create the big picture. Typically, students learn by memorizing bits of information that are unrelated. When learning in this manner, the brain is unsure of how or where to store the information and it becomes cluttered with random pieces of data. This clutter does not allow your brain to locate the information when tested.  Therefore, consciously connecting new information to previously learned information aides in better recall because the information is stored in logical units.

 

Preview. Previewing a text can also assist you in making connections. Previewing consists of skimming the table of contents before reading a textbook, and examining how the chapters relate to one another. Reading the titles, subtitles, and summary of a chapter before reading also aids in making connections. Essentially, previewing provides the brain with a framework of general themes and ideas to connect the details. Additionally, reading the assigned material before class will provide a framework to connect the lecture to as well.

 

Make a connection. Connecting new information to previously learned information greatly assists in recall. When studying ask the question “what do I already know about this topic?” and “how does this information relate to previously learned information?” The previously learned information could come from the introductory course for that discipline or from personal experience. By connecting the information, the material becomes more interesting and appears as a unified whole instead of individual units of information. Additionally, connections create retrieval paths in long- term memory that assist your recall because retrieving one portion of a memory will trigger other pieces of information connected to it.

 

 

Study Strategies Guidebook