Psychology professor offers science-based study tips
Michael Burman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology, recently shared science-based tips for studying with the .
As many college students begin their first experience of living away from home, they may have questions about the best way to study.
Burman explained the role the brain plays in studying.
鈥淭he entire brain is involved in learning,鈥 Burman told the Bangor Daily News. 鈥淓very sensory system stores memories.鈥
Burman says the part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex needs to be fully activated and focused to retain information. It is the section of the brain that stores short term or new information.
鈥淭his is why multitasking hurts so much,鈥 Burman said. 鈥淲e can only pay attention to one thing at a time. This structure also works like a filter, helping us keep track of what we need to know temporarily and what we need to know for the long term.鈥
Burman says possible ways to improve brain function include getting enough sleep.
鈥淭here鈥檚 now quite a bit of literature that shows sleep is super important for learning and memory,鈥 Burman stated. 鈥淣ot only does sleep help us feel alert and ready to learn, it also is a time that the brain uses to store our long-term memories and clear away the old temporary memories.鈥
According to Burman, other ways to retain information include exercise, writing things down instead of typing them and shutting down social media for a while.