It's typical to get a bit nervous before and during a big test; nerves especially skyrocket when you experience the "tip of the tongue phenomenon" (Stangor, 2006). This term describes "the experience of being certain that we know something that we are trying to recall, but yet we cannot quite come up with it" (Stangor, 2006). By incorporating principles of psychology concerning memory ("the ability to store and retrieve information"), studying can become more efficient and more effective (Stangor, 2006). I plan to incorporate principles such as chunking into my study plan for my next exam.
My study plan has two distinct characteristics. The first is related to when I will study. Studies have shown that cramming information is ineffective. It is easier to learn information "when the same amount of study is spread out over periods of time than it is when it occurs closer together or at the same time" (Stangor, 2006). Thus, rather than studying 4 hours the day before my test, I will study in 8 ½ hour sessions across the two weeks prior to my test. Also, to avoid the affects of the "forgetting curve" in which "information that we have learned drops off rapidly with time," I will review material one final time immediately before my test.
The second characteristic of my plan is defined by how I will learn the material. I will use two techniques to recall information. The first is chunking, or organizing the information into smaller bits of material-this allows more to be held in the short-term memory (Stangor, 2006). The second trick I plan to use is maintenance rehearsal. Maintenance rehearsal involves "repeating information mentally or out loud with the goal of keeping it in memory" (Stangor, 2006). By incorporating the aforementioned techniques, I hope to increase the amount of learned information I retain, study more efficiently and effectively, and avoid the "tip of the tongue phenomenon".
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