Want to learn Facts?
Here's How
A fact is a single piece of information that you might need to know for the next exam. An example of a fact might be any of the following: a famous person's name, date, historic event, place, author, book title, formula, term, definition, corollary or biology bug.
So, how do you cause these pesky facts to "stick" in your memory?
First, make a list of the facts you wish to memorize. (About 150 important facts should do it for a big test.) Then, go to the bookstore and buy a package of 3 X 5 cards. Write a fact on one side of a card. You might have cards with the following "facts" on them (one card for each "fact"): in a Literature course -- The Clouds; in a science course -- Fleming; in a history course -- Alexander the Great. On the back side of each card, write two sentences about the fact that you have written on the front of the card, the first sentence a definition of the fact. It might be something like, This is the title of a play by Aristophanes. This is the man who invented penicillin, or this is the Macedonia guy who conquered the world. The second sentence on the card's back should be one additional important piece of information about that fact. ANY significant bit of information will do. (This play made fun of the new education in Greece; this stuff is murder on bacteria; his father's name was Philip II.)
Write TWO sentences. Do not write only one sentence. Do not write more than two sentences. Why? It's magic. Trust me!
Make a card for each of the facts on your list, fact on one side, the two sentences on the back of that card.
Shuffle your pack of cards.
Look at the first card on top of the stack, trying to remember the two sentences on the back of that card. When you think you know (or just don't have a clue), turn the card over and read the sentences. Continue to do that for each of the cards that you have made until you have guessed, then turned over, every card to look at the sentences on the back.
Shuffle your pack of cards.
Repeat the last instruction, "Look at the first ...."
Shuffle your pack of cards.
Keep doing this until you can remember the two sentences about every fact (without sneaking a peek, of course.)
You're halfway through.
Now, turn the pack of cards over, sentence side up. Reading the two sentences on the back of the top card, try to remember the fact on the other side of the card. Look to see if you are right. Continue through the card pack.
Shuffle your pack of cards.
Repeat.
Shuffle your pack of cards.
Repeat.
Shuffle your pack of cards.
Continue this process until, after having read the two sentences on each card, you can remember each fact that goes with each card's sentences.
It is vital to shuffle your card pack after every time you go through it. Omitting this step will cost you at least 10 points on every exam.
This ... works!
This study technique for memorizing facts works. And why not? After all, by going through the cards front to back and back to front, you have been making up, then taking your own exam ... over and over.
I believe in this "fact memorization method" so strongly that I won't even wish you good luck. If you use this note card system, you won't need it!