Metacognition: The key to success?
Anxiety reduction tips and techniques
The research basis for the strategies, tips, and techniques presented
Performance: Memory Dump
A quick and easy way to eliminate the fear of forgetting important information for a test or review session, is to unload onto paper. Anxiety about remembering facts, formulas, dates, names, or other important pieces of information can actually cause a memory block to happen.
- When preparing/reviewing for the test, practice doing a memory dump of all the needed pieces you are fearful of forgetting. Take a mental snapshot of the information to compare in your mind with your actual memory dump during the test.
- After the test begins, on scratch paper or the back of the test papers (if you get to keep them), jot down the information you afraid of losing.
- Compare this in your mind with the mental snapshot of the practice memory dump; did you get it all down? The information is now at your finger tips when you need it.
- If you feel you may be missing a piece, go ahead and start, it may come back to you as you work through the test.
- Immediately you can lower your anxiety about forgetting the most needed pieces of information.
- During the test, if you think of other facts you may need later, add them to your list.
- After the test, identify any pieces you needed and had not included. Could you have predicted needing the additional piece(s) of information? Where were the surprise pieces chosen from (text, notes, lectures, presentations, homework, other course resources)?
- Decide what changes you want to make to better prepare for the next test.
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