• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

I feel like I can't remember anything (2 Viewers)

[ ]

Joined
Oct 17, 2019
Messages
318
Gender
Male
HSC
2020
Uni Grad
2024
Hey it's around 1 to 3 weeks from our HSC exams but for the current two to three days I felt like whenever I tried to remember the contents (Like memorise a legislation by repeating it for ten minutes 'try') I just forget about it like two days after. It used to work for me but somehow my brain doesn't work anymore. Same for my Modern History and it only comes back into my mind when I really look at my notes. Has anyone experienced this before and how did you dealt with it?
 

[ ]

Joined
Oct 17, 2019
Messages
318
Gender
Male
HSC
2020
Uni Grad
2024
Note: I'm just aiming to study at least 8 or 12 hrs a day.
 

AKONS

Active Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
171
Gender
Male
HSC
2021
This is just my 2 cents. It could be because you're studying method only imprints this knowledge into your short-term memory and not into your long-term memory.

Long-term memory is achieved through spacing the repetition (eg. memorise it one day --> practice it two days later --> practice a week later) of your memorising and using active recall (eg. questioning yourself on a certain part).

After you've memorised it once try to minimise the amount of times you look at your notes as spending that time digging through your brain to try to find that missing piece of info actually strengthens the neuron connection and makes it easier to recall the next time.

Hope this helps and good luck with your HSC mate :)
 

Vitrecan

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2018
Messages
81
Gender
Male
HSC
2020
This is just my 2 cents. It could be because you're studying method only imprints this knowledge into your short-term memory and not into your long-term memory.

Long-term memory is achieved through spacing the repetition (eg. memorise it one day --> practice it two days later --> practice a week later) of your memorising and using active recall (eg. questioning yourself on a certain part).

After you've memorised it once try to minimise the amount of times you look at your notes as spending that time digging through your brain to try to find that missing piece of info actually strengthens the neuron connection and makes it easier to recall the next time.

Hope this helps and good luck with your HSC mate :)
This. Space repetition and active recall is scientifically proven to be the best way to study. Use Anki. Though I'm not sure if its effective to implement when it's so close to the HSC.
 

#RoadTo31Atar

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2019
Messages
322
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2020
At least 8-12 hours a day is way too much, you're prob tired af if you've been doing that for a while. If you rest a day it might fix itself. If you're learning or doing intensive work 8-12 hrs a day your brain is going to be fatigued. If you're fatigued you can't perform as well - the same as if your legs hurt from walking 10hrs the day before you prob won't be able to run very well the next day. Your memory also has its limits, it would be unrealistic if you could do something for 8-12hrs and remember all of it. When you study that much the diminishing returns are working against you and you might be getting to a point where studying more is actually not helping at all because you can't remember more of the new stuff and you're starting to forget the stuff from hours 1-4 for example.

This is also why I think ppl can study hard the day before after doing nothing for weeks and get decent results (not in hsc obv but normal small tests) - because they are not fatigued at all and their memory is completely free unlike if you study 8-12 hrs a day.
 

turtle67

Active Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2020
Messages
83
Gender
Male
HSC
2021
I'd definitely recommend using spaced repetition as AKONS recommended above. You could use Anki to do this, I started using it this year and it has definitely helped a lot.
 

jojosiwa123

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
353
Gender
Female
HSC
2020
aside from looking at notes, have you tried any practice questions? you might find that it all just floods back when u see a specific question (for modern at least).
 

[ ]

Joined
Oct 17, 2019
Messages
318
Gender
Male
HSC
2020
Uni Grad
2024
aside from looking at notes, have you tried any practice questions? you might find that it all just floods back when u see a specific question (for modern at least).
Ye that's what I'm always doing, but it doesn't really floods back though
 

[ ]

Joined
Oct 17, 2019
Messages
318
Gender
Male
HSC
2020
Uni Grad
2024
Hmm I'll go for the flashcards then
 

turtle67

Active Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2020
Messages
83
Gender
Male
HSC
2021
Hmm I'll go for the flashcards then
I think this is a good idea because it is active recall. Just repeating it for ten minutes is passive, which isn't engaging your brain as much and thereby has a far smaller retention rate.
 

AKONS

Active Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
171
Gender
Male
HSC
2021
I'd definitely recommend using spaced repetition as AKONS recommended above. You could use Anki to do this, I started using it this year and it has definitely helped a lot.
G'day turtle67

Which Anki app is that? I tried searching it up and it came up with 15 different apps.
 

Vitrecan

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2018
Messages
81
Gender
Male
HSC
2020
G'day turtle67

Which Anki app is that? I tried searching it up and it came up with 15 different apps.
The one that cost $25, however you can simply as someone already mentioned, make your flashcards on computer and then use the Safari version of Anki called Ankiweb.
 

jojosiwa123

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
353
Gender
Female
HSC
2020
quizlets also works quite well and it's on your phone too but ofc it doesn't plan the repetition for you.
there's also the Leitner system where you can write out your flashcards and place them in boxes depending on how well you know them
anki is the most customisable though once you learn how to use it
 

Vitrecan

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2018
Messages
81
Gender
Male
HSC
2020
quizlets also works quite well and it's on your phone too but ofc it doesn't plan the repetition for you.
there's also the Leitner system where you can write out your flashcards and place them in boxes depending on how well you know them
anki is the most customisable though once you learn how to use it
Agreed, though I think Quizlet is better for cramming.
 

turtle67

Active Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2020
Messages
83
Gender
Male
HSC
2021
G'day turtle67

Which Anki app is that? I tried searching it up and it came up with 15 different apps.
Yeah I just use the one that jojosiwa123 linked above on my computer. I'm pretty sure you can just go onto the webpage on your phone if you'd like to use it on your phone but the app on the phone is $25 but if you use it often enough I'd say it is probably worth it, especially if you have long commutes to school or anything like that.

I started using it about 3-4 weeks before prelims I think, mostly for economics and business studies, a bit of other subjects like chemistry and English (techniques and stuff) and I found it worked really really well for me. Although it's important that you do your assigned cards every day. If you start making cards when Year 12 starts, you'll well and truly have everything memorised by the end of year 12, then you won't need to go over your notes or whatever as much before the HSC because you'll have already memorised them and can start doing practice questions earlier.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 2)

Top