3 tips on how to study effectively

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

During their training,

在訓練期間，

medical residents learn countless techniques, surgeries, and procedures

住院醫師要學習 無數技巧、手術，和程序，

which they’ll later use to save lives.

以後要用來拯救生命。

Being able to remember these skills

能否牢記這些技能，

can quite literally be a matter of life and death.

真的是攸關生死。

With this in mind, a 2006 research study took a class of surgical residents

考慮到這一點， 2006 年有一項研究

找了一個學習縫合動脈的 外科住院醫師班級，

learning to suture arteries and split them into two groups.

將他們分成兩組。

Each received the same study materials,

大家拿到的學習教材都相同，

but one group implemented a small change in how they studied them.

但其中一組在研讀教材的 方式上做了一點小改變。

And when tested one month later,

一個月後進行測試，

this group performed the surgeries significantly better

這一組在手術上的表現顯著優於

than the other residents.

其他住院醫師。

We’ll discuss the secret to that group’s success,

我們要來討論該組成功的秘訣，

along with two other highly effective study techniques

以及另外兩種高效的學習技巧，

which can be applied both in and out of the classroom.

在課堂上和課後都可以運用。

But to understand why these methods work,

但，要了解為什麼這些方法行得通，

let's first unpack how the brain learns and stores information.

我們得先解釋大腦 如何學習和儲存資訊。

Say you're trying to memorize the anatomy of the heart.

假設你要試著背好心臟的解剖圖。

When you’re introduced to a new concept,

當你接觸到一個新概念時，

the memory is temporarily encoded in groups of neurons

這段記憶會暫時被編碼在

大腦「海馬迴」區域中的 神經元群組裡。

in a brain area called the hippocampus.

As you continue to learn about workings of the heart

當你接著在課堂上學習 心臟的運作原理，

in class or study its chambers for an exam,

或為應付考試而研讀心臟的心室時，

you reactivate these same neurons.

你就會重新啟動同一群神經元。

This repeated firing strengthens the connections between the cells,

這種重複的放電活動 會加強細胞間的連接，

stabilizing the memory.

讓記憶更穩定。

Gradually, the knowledge of heart anatomy is stored long-term,

心臟解剖學的知識就這樣 漸漸地長期儲存下來，

which involves another brain area known as the neocortex.

這就會涉及另一個大腦區域：新皮質。

How information is transferred from short-term to long-term storage

資訊怎麼從短期儲存搬移到長期儲存，

is still not completely understood,

我們還不完全清楚，

but it’s thought to happen in between study sessions

普遍認為資訊會在學習空檔時間搬移，

and perhaps most crucially during sleep.

而睡眠時間可能是黃金時段。

Here the new knowledge is integrated with other related concepts you already know,

這時候，新知識會和你已知的 其他相關概念整合起來。

such as how to measure heart rate, or the anatomy of other organs.

例如：如何測量心率，

或其他器官的解剖學。

And the process doesn’t end there.

資訊搬移的過程並非到此為止。

Each time you recall heart anatomy, you reactivate the long-term memory,

每當你回想心臟解剖學時，

就會重新啟動長期記憶，

which makes it susceptible to change.

這讓它很容易被改變。

The knowledge can be updated, strengthened,

這些知識可以被更新、強化，

and reintegrated with other pieces of information.

並與其他資訊重新整合在一起。

This is where our first study technique comes in.

此時就要談到我們的 第一個研讀技巧了。

Testing yourself with flashcards and quizzes

使用學習閃卡和小測驗來測試自己，

forces you to actively retrieve knowledge,

會迫使你主動去提取知識，

which updates and strengthens the memory.

便能更新及強化該記憶。

Students often prefer other study methods,

學生通常偏好其他研讀方法，

like rereading textbooks and highlighting notes.

比如再讀一次教科書和做重點筆記。

But these practices can generate a false sense of competence,

但這些做法可能會產生虛假的勝任感，

since the information is right in front of you.

因為資訊就在你面前。

Testing yourself, however,

然而，自我測驗

allows you to more accurately gauge what you actually know.

能更精確地衡量你實際上知道多少。

But what if, while doing this, you can’t remember the answers?

但是，萬一在測驗時 想不起答案，怎麼辦？

Not to worry—

不用擔心——

making mistakes can actually improve learning in the long term.

長遠來看，犯錯其實可以改善學習。

It’s theorized that as you rack your brain for the answer,

有理論認為，當你 絞盡腦汁想答案時，

you activate relevant pieces of knowledge.

你會啟動相關的知識片段。

Then, when the correct answer is later revealed,

等到正確答案公佈了之後，

the brain can better integrate this information with what you already know.

大腦就可以把此資訊 和你的既有知識整合得更好。

Our second technique builds on the first.

我們的第二個技巧 立基在第一個技巧上。

When using flashcards to study, it's best to mix the deck with multiple subjects.

使用學習閃卡來研讀時，

最好將多個主題放入這套閃卡中。

Interleaving, or mixing the concepts you focus on in a single session,

交叉練習，

也就是說，在單次練習中 混合你想專精的數個概念，

can lead to better retention than practicing a single skill

可能會比每次只練習 單一技能或主題記得更久。

or topic at a time.

One hypothesis of why this works is that, similar to testing,

為何這招會有用？有個假設說法，

在不同主題間循環綀習 其實和做測驗很像，

cycling through different subjects forces your brain to temporarily forget,

這會迫使你的大腦在暫時遺忘時，

then retrieve information, further strengthening the memory.

提取資訊，進一步強化記憶。

You may also find connections across the topics,

你可能也會發現不同主題之間的連結，

and better understand their differences.

且更了解它們的差異。

Now that you know how and what to study, our final technique concerns when.

現在你已經知道如何研讀 以及要研讀什麼了，

我們的最後一個技巧 和「何時」有關。

Spacing your review across multiple days

將你的複習分散在許多天來做，

allows for rest and sleep between sessions.

每次複習之間要有 休息和睡眠的時間。

While “offline,” the brain is actively at work,

大腦「離線」時其實是在積極工作，

storing and integrating knowledge in the neocortex.

在新皮質中儲存和整合知識。

So while cramming the night before the exam may seem logical—

所以，雖然在考試前一天 晚上惡補似乎合情合理，

after all, won’t the material be fresh in your mind?—

畢竟，你才剛讀過這些教材， 不是會記憶猶新嗎？——

the information won’t stick around for the long term.

但這些資訊不會長時間留存。

This brings us back to our medical residents.

這就要回到之前提及的住院醫師。

Both groups studied the surgery for the same amount of time.

兩組人研讀手術的時間長度相同。

Yet one group’s training was crammed in a single day,

但，一組的訓練方式 是在一天內惡補，

while the other more successful group’s training was spread over four weeks.

比較成功的那一組， 訓練則分佈在四週。

The reason all three of these study techniques work

這三種研讀技巧之所以會有用，

is because they’re designed with the brain in mind.

是因為這些設計是以大腦運作為基礎。

They complement and reinforce the incredible way the brain works,

它們能補足並強化 大腦不可思議的運作方式，

sorting through and storing the abundance of information

將大量資訊分類、儲存，

it’s fed day after day.

日復一日地灌輸資訊給大腦。