1. Maria St. Hilaire
Maria St. Hilaire
Assignments: Chapter 7: Memory and Studying: Retaining What You Learn
Every student experiences the frustration of working hard to remember something that seems
irrelevant.
• How do you handle this? • How should you handle it? • What memorization techniques do you
resist trying? • Is it because they seem too unrelated to the information, or too goofy? • What
would you be willing to try? • What does Norton’s story mean for you? • What effects can take
you beyond your world? • What can you learn from Norton’s case about memory and study
strategies? • What can you learn from Norton about analytical, creative, and practical thinking?
When I feel something is frustrating to me my first instinct is to run away. I don’t like
being in a situation that is uncomfortable. I have a hard time handling things that are not to my
liking. So if I was Norton, I would probably do the same thing he did his first time in college.
Actually, I did do the same thing. I know now that instead, I should have persevered. Giving up
is not the right thing to do. I had to learn this the hard way. I did waste precious time that I can
never get back, but then again at least I get a second chance at it. Now I handle thing that
frustrating to me differently. I try to be more involved and an active listener. For one, I recently
started using the Cornell T-note style of note taking. I am constantly writing notes in class and
when I am reading. I also putting together notes of what I listened to in class and what I read in
books together. This has been the best way for me to understand my notes. Sometimes, the topics
that the teacher is talking about in class gets confusing and find the explanation in what I read in
the related chapters, and vise-versa. It is involved, pay attention, ask question. I now memorize
information by writing and rewriting things down and making sure I fully understand the
concepts. I even look up definitions of words that I don’t understand or think there might be two
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2. Maria St. Hilaire
or more meanings to them. I create study sheets by putting all my notes together. Also I try to
make connection between what I am learning and my personal experiences.
I have always resisted trying the Mnemonic devices. Well because they do seem to be
confusing to me. I believe that using this method will only make it harder on me. Adding more
info to the mix, just mess me all up. For example if I was to use music I would end up loosing
my concentration. Not only do I have to remember information, now I have to remember extra
stuff that I see as unrelated. I also resisted study groups because I worry about others affecting
me in a negative way and vise-versa. I am a very easily distracted and don’t like to be rushed or
judged. I think I work better alone when it comes to studying. Nevertheless, I wish I did find a
study group that works for me. God knows I need the help and motivation. I would be willing to
try using flash card. I use to use them before years ago they were very helpful but now I guess I
got lazy and stop putting in the extra effort.
Norton’s story gives me hope. I don’t know for sure if I will be able to make as far as he
did. I am very doughty, especially before I read his story, but now I feel more motivated to try
harder. His story means to me: if you find out what you are doing wrong and what is missing,
you can change your present failures in school into future successes. I can end up someone
else’s’ motivational story of how determination get you to the top. From Norton’s case about
memory and study strategies I learned to try different studying systems and if at first you don’t
succeed try again. He showed me that second time around will be better if I learn from my
mistakes, put in more effort, stay focus, and lastly practice and learn more on how to use
chunking and mnemonics to remember information better.
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3. Maria St. Hilaire
Using Norton’s story teaches me to 1-Analyticaly learn my strengths and weakness to
know where improvement is need. 2-Creatively find new techniques to acquire and retain what I
am learning, as a result turning it into long term memory. 3-Practicaly think of way to plan and
actually do use these techniques by putting them to work.
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