Memorization techniques

Hi guys!

I am looking for ideas on memorization techniques. I am taking an online medical terminology class this summer. So far I am in the second week and it is much harder than I thought! We have proctored testing on campus, so I really have to know the words. I am finding it hard to come up with ways to memorize all of the definitions. The class is fast paced. We covered 2 chapters the first week and 1 last week. With those 3 chapters there are approx. 150-200 word parts I have to learn. I was wondering if you guys have any techniques that have worked well for you as far as memorization goes?

We've already talked plenty haven't we, Tanya, about how this course can be a challenge, yet is of utmost importance as the ground floor of everything else you'll be learning in Nursing School. (no pressure, right? ) With medical terminology, I found it best to learn the meanings of the different parts of each word. Then, whatever context you see them in, you'll know the meaning. For instance, cardiomyopathy. Cardio is the medical term used to reference the heart, Myo for muscle, and pathy, disease/disorder. When you put them together, you have cardiomyopathy and immediately know the meaning is disease of the heart muscle! I really enjoyed learning these meanings. You said you're already using flash cards, right? This sure is a fast paced class!

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

We've already talked plenty haven't we, Tanya, about how this course can be a challenge, yet is of utmost importance as the ground floor of everything else you'll be learning in Nursing School. (no pressure, right?

) With medical terminology, I found it best to learn the meanings of the different parts of each word. Then, whatever context you see them in, you'll know the meaning. For instance, cardiomyopathy. Cardio is the medical term used to reference the heart, Myo for muscle, and pathy, disease/disorder. When you put them together, you have cardiomyopathy and immediately know the meaning is disease of the heart muscle! I really enjoyed learning these meanings. You said you're already using flash cards, right? This sure is a fast paced class!

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You are absolutely correct, Stuffy! This class is so important. I am trying to actually learn the material for that very reason. The terminology is the basis of everything I am going to learn in the future. I don't want to just learn it to pass a test and then forget it.
I did very well learning the word parts in the first chapter by using my flash cards and such. The way the chapters are set up is that you learn the roots, suffixes, and prefixes first and then it puts them into complete terms. I don't concentrate so much on the terms because as long as I know the word parts, the terms come naturally. I did extremely well with the first 2 chapters. I used flash cards and did the exercises in my book. My problem came when I realized I didn't move at a fast enough pace in those chapters and got behind by a few days. I need to learn them quicker and I just can't grasp them when I try to rush it. I was trying to learn all the words for the new chapter this weekend and had a very hard time with it. I think it is the fast pace. The time comes to learn a new chapter before I finish the previous.

You clearly have an effective technique down, Tanya! Now, if the class wasn't moving along so quickly, it would be so much easier. It sounds as if you can't even allow yourself one day off from studying without finding yourself behind. Those proctored exams always make me nervous!

Stephanie's suggestion is excellent (one I wish I'd thought of and used when in nursing school!)

For me, I tried to, where possible, make it kind of like a code that made sense to me. Given that I love to write with abbreviations, in my own little short hand code, I used personal, would mean something to me tricks. I.e. to learn left eye and right eye - OS and OD. Now...learning the latin would have made more sense, but in my case, I have a real difference in how well I see in my left versus my right eye. My left is my best, and if I lost vision there well, I'd be likely to mutter a real expletive. If my right got worse, I'd swear but it would only the stronger version of "oh darn".

Awful example, but I've never mixed the two up since I "attached" their meaning to this personal way of remembering them!

Others...to remember what ac is, I "hooked" the a to appetitzer, since this means "before a meal" and pc means "after the meal".

This will work with some of what you have to learn, so it's my best tip.

I had Medical Terminology I last quarter and have Med Term II this quarter. Our instructor told us the first week that once we learn the prefixes, the suffixes and the root words that 75% of the class is completed. He was right. For me personally, I just did all of the activities that was in the book and then made flash cards of the root, prefixes, and suffixes.......this makes studying easier or at least it did for me. I have not taken any online classes....yet, but have my first one coming up this fall, so I am not sure how online classes are ran. I'm not trying to scare you.......but......if you think that Med Term is tough....wait until you have Human Anatomy I and II. I am in the first one now and talk about being overwhelmed......WOW. What I do when I feel overwhelmed with the amount of things that I am being required to *memorize* is to take small bites at a time....elsewise.......I choke.....BIG TIME. I try to work on my memorizing at least one hour a day and start with whatever I have already learned and then learn something new.......so far it works for me. Really, there isn't any EASY way to do it, it just takes time and commitment. I hope that something mentioned will help you in some way.

Winter Hawk

Originally Posted by Winter Hawk

I'm not trying to scare you.......but......if you think that Med Term is tough....wait until you have Human Anatomy I and II. I am in the first one now and talk about being overwhelmed......WOW. What I do when I feel overwhelmed with the amount of things that I am being required to *memorize* is to take small bites at a time....elsewise.......I choke.....BIG TIME. I try to work on my memorizing at least one hour a day and start with whatever I have already learned and then learn something new.......so far it works for me. Really, there isn't any EASY way to do it, it just takes time and commitment. I hope that something mentioned will help you in some way.

Winter Hawk

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I have all ready completed HAP I & II. Those classes were tough as well! I was thinking Med Term would have been much harder without having taken those 2 classes.

Pat, I used the idea that you mentioned ALOT in HAP. Our professor actually encouraged it and helped us out by giving us little sayings that helped him remember. They were always dirty little sayings, but they sure helped. He gave us one to remember the cranial nerves that I will never forget. Maybe I can come up with little things for this class as well.
Winter Hawk, if you want me to give you the saying for the facial nerves, let me know. I will pm you since it's much too explicit for the site

Flash cards are the best for rote memorization! But if you end up with a few words you just can't remember, sing the information. Put the facts to a tune (I like the ABC song! ), and sing it a few times. Before you know it, you can recall the info.

I like flash cards too. The act of writing down words and definitions helps to memorize and then you can use the flash card and shuffle them to see if you really know them. I usually start with 10 or so cards and go through them until I know them thoroughly then add antoher 10 until I'm done.

I play tricks with the words too. I look for certain letter combinations to job my memory for the definition. So if I see those letters, I know the definition also starts with that letter, or a key word or something. That only helps usually for short term memorization though.