Cracking the (En)Code

By Claire Schaffner

Introduction

Hey, there! If you’re reading this, then you are probably a first-year college student overwhelmed during syllabus week and thinking: “There is no chance I survive freshman year.” You’re thinking back to high school and reminiscing on how easy your classes were and how you spent nights before tests (when they were still called tests, and not “exams,” which is somehow much more intimidating), which you spent playing Fortnite, not cramming a semester’s worth of content in preparation for a final. Your high school teachers, parents, freshman orientation leader, and probably your TikTok “For You Page” have all most likely thrown a lot of studying hacks and advice at you, but you may still feel unprepared for the courseload you’re taking on, and unsure of how you’re going to balance 16 credit hours, Greek life, homesickness, and a social life. Do not fear! Here is a quick and simple guide on how to understand use the psychological concept of encoding to get the most out of your studying. Happy reading! Good luck with your freshman year!

Understanding Encoding

Now, you’re probably wondering “what the heck is encoding?” So, let’s start by defining the concept. Encoding refers to the cognitive process of taking in information and processing it. Additionally, it is the first step in visual perception. When it comes to studying, encoding is relevant because when learning new information (or trying to memorize it long enough to pass an exam), your brain (sensory receptors) has to encode the information so you can recall it later. There are ways to improve your encoding, which I will get into later. To understand encoding and how it works, you need to know that there are multiple steps to encoding including sensory input, or you taking in the information, processing the information, storing the information, and then later retrieving the information, likely during an assessment like an exam. When studying, you are primarily participating in recalling tasks. Researchers have investigated how different factors can alter how effectively encoding is performed. Things like outside distractions, environment, etc. can affect encoding, thus making it harder to recall information in the future (Wixted & Roediger, 2004). This study implies that studying, mostly distraction free, benefits your encoding process, and in turn, studying, more than if you were to study in an environment with a lot going on. Additionally, in a study from Craik and Tulving (1975) explains that the depth of your processing (encoding) leads to better retention. When thinking about how well we retain information, it is important to note that retention is not just remembering bits of information long enough to answer a question on an exam, but the ability to recall information that you have learned over and over, like you have permanently gained the knowledge. A lot of students (myself, and probably yourself included, often cram for a test the day before and remember that information long enough to do somewhat well on it and then dump the information from their minds after taking it, so a week or so later they would not be able to answer those same questions. This is not retention. Cowen et al. (2005) also investigated the depth of processing  and how item-specific encoding promotes memory retention. As much as I’d love to say in order to pass a test, you can get by by learning the basic definitions and surface level information, which may be true in some cases, unfortunately, you have to take a deeper dive into the content to actually retain the information, as shown by these studies. How and where you study is just as important as how “deep” you are getting. Tulving and Thomson (1973), in their piece “Encoding Specificity and Retrieval Processes in Episodic Memory,” explain that the “context” in which information is encoded in affects the retrieval process of that information later. This is important because of its implication: The environment you study in can have affects on how well you remember the information when it comes time for the exam. Now that you have a better understanding of what encoding is, how it works, and why it is important, I want to offer you some practical tips to improve your studying routines, with this information in mind.

Studying Advice

1. Elaboration – Connect new information you are studying with pre-existing knowledge you have. This is called elaboration, and has been proven to improve study outcomes. A study done by Karpicke and Taylor (1997) found that elaborative encoding increases retention of information. Elaboration increases depth of encoding, as well, which promotes retention, too.

• Visualizing – pictures, diagrams, charts, etc. improve encoding drastically because the visual input is the first step in encoding. Visual aids also add to that “context,” I was talking about before. If there is going to be some sort of diagram to label on an exam, drawing it or printing a picture of it to add to your notes can be super helpful.
• Environment Consistency – Like I mentioned before, your “context” and environment have a huge impact on memory retention. Try studying in the room your exam is in, chewing the same flavor gum while studying and during the exam, or writing your notes in the same ink color as your test, and you will probably see a difference in outcomes.
• Teach the Content – This one might seem silly, but studying with others by teaching them the material you are studying is a great way to enhance your studying. By explaining the information to others, you are able to improve your encoding.

Conclusion

I hope you found this post helpful and are able to apply at least a small part of it to your education. Studying is important for achieving academic success, so tips like these, and understanding the processes in your brain can go a long way. Work smarter, not harder. It won’t take hours upon hours to study if you do it correctly and utilize the tools you have. Study hard, but remember that one bad grade will not make or break you. Good luck!

References