How to prepare for the exam so that the knowledge will remain in the memory for a long time and not disappear the next day? This question is of interest not only to students but also to psychologists, educators, and cognitivists. Moreover, they are actively looking for answers, and to date, have proven several strategies for effective learning. In this article, we’ll go over repetition as an essential part of effective learning. So let’s start with repetition.
It has been proven that training and repetition at certain intervals are more effective than memorizing all the material at once. Studies that prove the effectiveness of repetition usually compare two groups of students. One group teaches all the material at once and does not repeat it before the final test, and the other group repeats what has been learned over some time. In the final test, the results are always better for those who repeated.
Why Is Repetition Important?
Connections between brain cells and neurons form memory. For example, you suddenly remembered a prom event. Then the connections in the brain that are responsible for this memory will be strengthened – and next time, it will be easier for you to remember this event. Now imagine that your classmate remembered the same prom, but a different event. There are other connections in his brain that are responsible for this event. And if you and a classmate suddenly meet, it turns out that you remember different things about the same prom.
We do not remember the event itself but our last memories of it. When you meet a classmate, you will not remember your prom, but your last memory of him. It was he who re-established himself in the memory – “rewritten.” Your graduation could be filled with bright events, but because you didn’t remember them, they “faded.”
Training material can also be “erased.” If you do not repeat it or strengthen the corresponding connections in the brain, this material will gradually disappear from memory. Remembering is more than an action. It is a dynamic process, and it is extremely sensitive to change.
That is why repetition is so important – purposeful strengthening of connections between brain cells, neurons. Some students even opt to use an paper writing service MasterPapers to delegate home assignments and focus on learning and repeating the materials. Therefore – let’s understand how to repeat effectively.
Repeat Materials at Least Once
Let us turn to one of the first studies of effective repetition, which was conducted in 1925. Then the researchers divided the students into two groups. One group listened to the text six times in a row, and the other – three times in a row on one day and three times in a row every three days. The students had to reproduce what they heard twice: immediately after listening to the text six times and four weeks later.
Immediately after listening, the first group showed the best results, whose members listened to the text six times in a row. However, four weeks later, the second group found that the group remembered the material much better than the first. And for these tests, the groups weren’t even doing any practical tasks. So, learners can still employ such services as MasterPapers and retain a lot of the course information – it’s just about remembering things smartly.
Therefore, memorizing all the material the night before the exam is the right strategy if you just want to get a grade. However, if your goal is to gain knowledge in the long run, you will have to repeat the material at least once more.
Repeat Materials at Regular Intervals
Does interval repetition really work? And if so, which interval is the most optimal?
As early as 1885, the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus tried to answer these questions. Based on experiments, he developed a forgetting curve that showed the speed with which we forget information. Ebbinghaus’s experiments were the impetus for further research into memory and the development of efficient memory algorithms.
Subsequently, scientists have developed methods of interval repetition, in which the pause between repetitions gradually increases. Thus, the 2014 study compared two groups of students: the first group studied foreign words for four weeks with the same repetition intervals, and the second – with increasing ones. The second group showed the best results in the final test.
Not Everything Is Clear
Researchers are still debating the optimal pause between studying the material and repetition. It is currently recommended to focus on the deadline and the purpose for which you’re trying to remember the material. If you feel that your usual academic load distracts you from exam preparation, then consider checking out this article – 2021 Trusted Academic Essay Writing Services Review.
The most effective repetition interval is 10-20% of the time between the first study and the time when it is necessary to remember. For example, if the exam is in a week, studying the material is better and repeating it the next day. And if you want to remember what you learned in a year, you need to repeat the material in three weeks.
Author Bio
Patrick Green is a die-hard workaholic. Last semester, he has done more than fifty essays, a dozen term papers, and two Master’s level dissertations. Unfortunately, Patrick doesn’t know how to write bad essays. So it’s either a good essay, great, or excellent. With Mr. Green working on your order, it’s safe to say that there’s nothing to worry about because work will be done well in time!
Founder Dinis Guarda
IntelligentHQ Your New Business Network.
IntelligentHQ is a Business network and an expert source for finance, capital markets and intelligence for thousands of global business professionals, startups, and companies.
We exist at the point of intersection between technology, social media, finance and innovation.
IntelligentHQ leverages innovation and scale of social digital technology, analytics, news, and distribution to create an unparalleled, full digital medium and social business networks spectrum.
IntelligentHQ is working hard, to become a trusted, and indispensable source of business news and analytics, within financial services and its associated supply chains and ecosystems
