Blanking out during a test you have studied for weeks is a student’s worst nightmare. The reason for this is likely due to stress, lack of sleep, or a poor diet which can cause a deterioration of memory. However, have you ever wondered why you can temporarily memorize a phone number you heard once but permanently remember how to ride a bike years later? This is due to short-term versus long-term memory. 

Short-term memory has a highly limited capacity in remembering, only being able to retain information for a short amount of time. When you cram for a test a few nights before, you may notice that a few weeks after the test you have little to no recollection of the information you “studied” before. This is because the information you learned to cram was placed in your short-term memory. This is new knowledge that is stored temporarily before being slowly forgotten again. Luckily, this can be resolved by actively retaining and rehearsing information and eventually stored in your long-term memory box.

Long-term memory is for storing, managing, and retrieving information over long periods of time, ranging from days to even an entire lifetime. It theoretically holds an infinite capacity that is permanently archived based on skill, personal experience, and factual knowledge. For example, you know Paris is the capital of France because of cultural exposure that is occasionally brought up through conversations or pop culture. It is factual knowledge that is engraved in your memory. 

With this, how can we utilize our different memory boxes to successfully study for exams? There are multiple strategies that use memory to cycle through information and retain it permanently. Active Recall, one of the most used studying techniques uses short-term memory as a mental workspace and long-term memory by recalling newly learned information. Alexa Gonzalez, a senior at Esperanza uses this strategy, “I first learned Active Recall in my Careers class freshman year. It has stuck by me and continued to help me do well on my quizzes and tests.” It requires reading through the information/notes you need to learn and breaking them down into flash cards with key ideas. After each section is learned, test yourself immediately to see how much you recalled from your first read through. Repeat this for each section until you are successful in remembering important information for your exam. 

Another technique that is used for studying is Sleep Consolidation. Surprisingly, your brain is still active while you sleep, taking delicate memories you made during the day and storing them into your long-term memory. It is never advised to pull an all-nighter before an exam as it leads to memory loss and burn out. By sleeping immediately after studying important information, your brain naturally stores them in your long-term and by the next day, you are refreshed and more likely to recall information learned from the night before.

There are still a multitude of studying strategies that use your short and long-term memory for your benefit. The next time you have a test, try to use the techniques listed above and see how you’ll be able to ace your exams!