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Medics: Easter revision plan?

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One of my tutors is insistent that this is the best way of memorising, he spent half a tutorial trying to get us to think in such a way, ugh :K:

I failed miserably at trying to build a memory palace

Reply 21

manic_fuzz

Original post by Oh_Nayomi

I failed miserably at trying to build a memory palace

I don't find it particularly helpful either, but then again there aren't many lists of things which we need to know at the moment I guess hmm :s-smilie:

Reply 22

Oh_Nayomi

Original post by manic_fuzz

I don't find it particularly helpful either, but then again there aren't many lists of things which we need to know at the moment I guess hmm :s-smilie:

Yeah, I guess it would only be vaguely useful for OB (which is killing me very slowly at the moment :cry2:

)

Reply 23

manic_fuzz

Original post by Oh_Nayomi

Yeah, I guess it would only be vaguely useful for OB (which is killing me very slowly at the moment :cry2:

)

Ahhh I feel like OB is the only topic in which I know what I'm talking about. Phys/pharm and biochem have just imploded upon themselves during Hilary :rofl:

Oh well, I'm more than sure we'll be fine in the long run! i hope :awesome:

Reply 24

Oh_Nayomi

Original post by manic_fuzz

Ahhh I feel like OB is the only topic in which I know what I'm talking about. Phys/pharm and biochem have just imploded upon themselves during Hilary :rofl:

Oh well, I'm more than sure we'll be fine in the long run! i hope :awesome:

Haha, I tell myself this every time I feel like crying. I have done waaay too little revision :/

Reply 25

manic_fuzz

Original post by Oh_Nayomi

Haha, I tell myself this every time I feel like crying. I have done waaay too little revision :/

It's true though! :hugs:

Don't worry, we still have 3 weeks left of easter, and we get 2-3 weeks of revision time between our last lectures and the actual exams, so it should be enough, at least we only need a pass :yep:

Reply 26

Democracy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition

A rather more basic alternative to memory palaces?

Reply 27

Oh_Nayomi

Original post by manic_fuzz

It's true though! :hugs:

Don't worry, we still have 3 weeks left of easter, and we get 2-3 weeks of revision time between our last lectures and the actual exams, so it should be enough, at least we only need a pass :yep:

I guess, Oxford's just destroyed all of my ambition :tongue:

Reply 28

Hype en Ecosse

I feel rather inclined to comment on this thread given how involved I am in memory sports, and the primary technique used to achieve the high scores is the method of loci (memory palace). :teehee:

Original post by Democracy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition

A rather more basic alternative to memory palaces?

Anki is a godly application, and I recommend it to everyone. For the unaware, it's basically a flashcard programme that follows a spaced repetition algorithm, and it's fantastic. :tongue:

And I'd also like to say that the point of the method of loci isn't to replace things like spaced repetition or other mnemonic techniques, but is meant as a supplement. For practitioners of the technique, they find it makes it easier to be able to store information in the long term, due to its more visual nature and personal meaning that makes it "stickier", but to actually remember things using it, you need to revise it in a repetitive fashion just like in rote learning.

I find there are situations where a simple mnemonic (like ROY G BIV) is best, others where I feel a rhyme/song is best, others where I feel rote is best, others where I feel the method of loci is best, and others where I feel different mnemonic techniques are best. I don't think any one technique is better than any of the others, but I think all of them have their place in being helpful, and understand that different people will prefer different techniques for different situations. :tongue:

Original post by Oh_Nayomi

I failed miserably at trying to build a memory palace

I'm not entirely sure what it is your tutor is trying to get you to do vis-a-vis the method of loci, but you should never have to "build" one. The easiest locations to use for the technique are places that you already know, like your house, your workplace or your campus!

I'd never use the method of loci to learn something like anatomy either - anatomy is a visual subject and considering just how messy and confusing everything looks, I'd wager that it's one of the worst ways to learn it (and might actually make it harder). Simple mnemonics, bitta mnemonic imagery and straight out rote memorisation for remembering names, branches, structures, etc. are way more effective techniques, imo!

Original post by manic_fuzz

I don't find it particularly helpful either, but then again there aren't many lists of things which we need to know at the moment I guess hmm :s-smilie:

Definitely true, the method of loci was originally devised as a method of remembering lists (for orators and poets to remember their speeches and prose). Nowadays it's used in sport for memorising cards, numbers, historic dates and events, random words - then they use similar principles (but called the "link method (especially useful for foreign vocabulary, this technique is what http://www.memrise.com is based around)" as opposed to the method of loci) to memorise names and faces and abstract images.

For concepts and understanding, like what you'd encounter in physiology, I think it's a completely useless method. But for sets of abstract information, like the stuff you encounter in pharmacology, therapeutics and biochemistry, I think it's the daddy of all techniques. :biggrin:

IMO, the more abstract and strictly factual information gets, the better mnemonic techniques are for remembering it.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 29

manic_fuzz

Original post by Hype en Ecosse

IMO, the more abstract and strictly factual information gets, the better mnemonic techniques are for remembering it.

Well I most definitely won't be using it in terms of sports :lol:

And yeah, I am indeed well acquainted with memrise. I generally can't be bothered spending time attempting to follow such techniques, or use mnemonics (other than the carpal bones one). Currently I'm just relying on attempting to visualise where I see words on lecture slides + just associating certain words with certain characteristics which seems to help :K: