Have you returned to your EPPP studies after the holidays only to find that you can’t remember a thing?
Are all the key terms that you carefully memorized before break now slipping from your memory?
Does it feel like you are starting over from scratch?
If your experience is anything like the many others I have worked with, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about, and the answer to all the above questions is an unequivocal yes.
I have good news for you: forgetting isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, forgetting can be a good thing if it forces you to engage in the type of spaced learning that is the basis for long-term memory retrieval.
This was the topic of a recent blog post I wrote, in which I shared research on what is called the “spacing effect.” Understanding about the spacing effect allows you to appreciate the neurological benefits of forgetting. I am encouraging all would-be psychologists to read about this research as you face your post-holiday blues. The following link will take you directly to my blog post:
What the School System Never Told You about Remembering and Forgetting