WHY DO I KEEP FORGETTING WHAT I HAVE LEARNT?

Have you ever wondered why you just can’t keep topics in your head for a long time? Does this complaint sound familiar? After spending so much time reading, when it’s time for the test or exams I blank out and can’t remember most of what I have learnt. I end up feeling bad.  Maybe I’m not brilliant.

Here are some valid explanations for the dreaded blank/ panic face you get during your tests.

• You have not learnt the topic / subject properly: I know you are about to defend yourself here but How many times have you glossed over a topic or subject because it is boring? How many times did you skip a word you did not know instead of picking up your dictionary to check for its meaning? Do you truly understand Ohm’s Law? Did you do any practice tests on the various forms of government?  How much effort did you truly put into understanding your literature poems or did you just cram a bunch of past question paper s and their answers.
• DISUSE: Yes some people have photo graphic memories and only have to learn things once. However, many of us will end up forgetting things we learn over a period of time if we stop revising. Because you aced your test on respiration does not mean you do not need to revise it before the exam. Why do you think you have forgotten the lyrics to some of your favorite nursery rhymes or favourite songs

• Lack of confidence/ interest: Some of us just believe we are poor at certain subjects. How many of you have said to yourselves I am just bad at math or my English is just not good. I can never get an A in government. These negative self-talk will end up preventing you from putting in the required effort to do the necessary work to improve. Also after a while, your brain will automatically shut off when you have to study these subjects or do an exam because you have fed it the same negative talk over and over again. The bible said it best “As a man thinketh so he is”.
  

  

• Lack of organization: To remember a topic or subject long term you have to organize the topic in your head in such a way that you will be able to reach into your memory bank (your brain) when it is time for recall. . Many students rush from subject to subject without trying to organize the topics, reflect on them and compartmentalize them. That is why you find some students stating Avogadro’s Law when asked for Archimedes principle (lol).

  

• Psychological barriers: This comes in different forms.
  Emotional blocks: How easy is it for you to read when you have a Crush on a boy or if you have a fight with your bestie? How many times have you glossed over a topic because you were day dreaming about that cute boy in class? “What did he mean when he said I’ll see you later?”
  Familiarity blocks: This occurs when the pattern of the test or question is changed. Have you ever crammed for a test and gotten confused when the teacher changed the questions just a teeny bit? I have been there. I hear this complaint a lot: they asked the question in a different way that is why i failed.
  Mental blocks: Have you ever tried to remember a name so hard but for some reason you can’t. Have you found yourself cramming all night and then later on not being able to recall what you read during your exam? Have you been so anxious about an exam that you find yourself forgetting most of what you read? These are all examples of mental blocks. Sometimes the brain can be funny. When you are nervous, anxious, too tired or even hungry you can experience mental block.

         P.S: These are explanations, not excuses. Read the next post on how to improve your memory.