Tips for remembering and retaining a great deal of information

CFA Level I
#1

CFA Level I is more about retaining the information. It requires specific attitude towards education and learning which develops in the first Level and act as a prerequisite to Level II & Level III. Following are some tips which I read somewhere and saved for some later use. This is the best platform for me to share them with you. Tips for remembering and retaining a great deal of information:

  • Use mnemonic devices,
    • Like in Ethics Standard No. 1 Professionalism the next four sub parts could be remembered by making a mnemonic device KIMM.
  • Review information frequently. Don’t review information you’ve already learned pat. Your review time is best spent, drudging through the hard stuff.
  • Understand what you’re reading rather than trying to memorize information without comprehending it. If you read a chapter and a quick review of the key points will solidify the information, take the time to review the key points, else your recall will be poor. If you can not digest a concept, get help. Ask someone who is also taking the exam.
  • Visualize the formula in your head. Do not move on in your readings until you can visualize the formula your head and write it paper.
    The Spacing Effect states that one is more likely to remember a set of items when rehearsal is spaced over an extended period of time. This means that you should review the formulas often. Photocopy the formulas in the back of your books and keep them in your bag or maintain some formula sheet to review it often before the practice tests or the exam.
#2

I agree with mohammad.belaal. I did most of my studying in my office at work and devoted a large portion of my whiteboard to little tid-bits and formulas that i wanted to remember. This way I was forced to see the formulas over and over throughout the studying process. I think that helped me a great deal. The same could be achieved with post-its on your bathroom mirror or a wall, etc.

#3

I had a co-worker that got a psychiatrist for the sole purpose of getting a prescription of Adderral and ate them like skittles during the last weeks of studying. Supposidly it gets you ultra focused and gives you a huge constant boost to your alertness level, like steroids for the brain. She said it lets you plow through like 6 hours of studying non-stop while keeping your focus, and doesn’t let you feel burn-out either.

#4

Thanks M. Belaal, that`s very helpful…

#5

I will take any medical help that I can get…to help me remember all the stuff, and help me forget all the stuff :slight_smile: On a serious note, generally flash card type of thing is advised for any type of memorizing stuff. what we need is a flash card type of organization of all our doubts, questions over the course of our preparation. any smart ideas…