Better Grades, Less Effort

By W. R. Klemm

Dr. Bill Klemm, "Memory Medic," has just released a new e-book, Better Grades, Less Effort. He says, "Only a few books can change your future. This is one of them — after all, it took me 60 years to write it!" The book explains the memory tips and tricks he used to become valedictorian, an Honors student in three universities -- including graduating with a D.V.M. degree, and to secure a PhD in two-and-a-half years. He shares what he has learned about student learning over 47 years as a professor. Klemm claims that poor memory is what holds most students back from superior achievement. He argues that this book can change a person's life, as his own experi-ences with learning how to learn have changed his life. The ideas in the book are directed to students in high school or college. Parents are urged to explain these ideas to their elementary-school children. This book is also for any working professional engaged in on-the-job training programs. Dr. Klemm claims It will also help workers master their field and become more competent -- and more likely to be successful. Klemm has priced the book so that everyone can easily afford it. Access to information and a free chapter can be found at my web site, thankyoubrain.com. All e-reader formats are supported, including pdf for reading on computers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. R. Klemm
• Release date: Sep 18, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452462172

W. R. Klemm

W. R. (Bill) Klemm, D.V.M., Ph.D.Professor of Neuroscience, Texas A&M UniversityDistinguished Alumnus, Auburn UniversityWebsites:http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/wklemmhttp://thankyoubrain.comhttp://peer.tamu.eduhttp://thankyoubrain.blogspot.com (Improve Learning and Memory blog)Biographical Listings:Who’s Who in America + 18 othersEducation:Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn U., 1958;Doctor of philosophy, U. Notre Dame, 1963Professional Activities, as a ...Scientist:Research Areas: include brainstem mechanisms of behavior, alcohol, learning/memory, chemical signals, human cognition and EEG, educational research.Discoveries: (range from model membranes to human cognition)1) radiation induces an adrenal stress response,2) at a time when scientists thought ruminants did not sleep, proved that they not only sleep but also dream,3) ethanol selectively acts on certain neurons,4) opiates selectively act on certain neurons,5) rhythmic activity in the hippocampus reflects a widespread activating influence of the brainstem reticular formation that is not necessarily associated with movement.6) ethanol displaces hydrogen bonded water on membrane lipid,7) freeze behavior ("animal hypnosis") is a brainstem-mediated reflex,8) neuronal spike trains contain sequential interval codes in certain clusters of impulses (i.e., they can act like a "byte" processor)9) acetaldehyde in body fluids is a biochemical marker for estrus and ovulation,10) sex hormones promote memory consolidation,11) multiple areas of cerebral cortex become synchronized at various frequencies during memory recall and "eureka" phenomenon.Editorial Board Member: 11 scholarly journals.Reviewer of approximately 1,000 scientific papers for over 55 journals.See list of over 450 publications, which have been formally cited over 2,000 times according to Citation Index. Also, 13 books (Bobbs-Merrill, Academic Press, Wiley, C. C Thomas, Mosby)Professor: Texas A&M University (1966-present)o College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M Univ. (1980-present): taught Introductory Neuroscience. a Drug and Substance Abuse Seminar, Science and Technology Practices and Policies, and graduate neuroscience courses.o College of Science (1966-1980): taught animal physiology, animal behavior, introductory biology, graduate neuroscience courseso College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University (1963-1966): taught pharmacology and graduate physiology courses.Writer: 13 books, including Animal Electroencephalography; Applied Electronics in Veterinary Medicine & Animal Physiology; Science, The Brain, and Our Future; Discovery Processes in Modern Biology; Brainstem Mechanisms of Behavior; Understanding Neuroscience; Global Peace Through the Global University System; Thank You, Brain, For All You Remember. What You Forgot Was My Fault ,and 'Dillos. Roadkill on Extinction Highway.Speaker: hundreds of presentations to clubs, cruise line, workshops, professional meetings.Other:o Colonel, U.S. Air Force Reserves (Ret.) - Research and development planning, Human Systems Divisiono Company President - co-founder of Forum Enterprises, Inc., maker of collaboration software (FORUM)o Consultant - clients have included U.S. Air Force, A. H. Robbins Co., Dow Chemical Company, RCA, The Fielding Institute, U.S. Dept. Agriculture, Vinson & Elkins Attorneys, Int. Flavors & Fragrances Co.o Project Director for five educational outreach grants (NIH, NSF) to middle schools, community colleges, and post-graduate animal-health professionals.

Book preview

Better Grades, Less Effort

W. R. Klemm, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Memory Medic

Published at Smashwords.com

Copyright 2010-2012, W. R. Klemm

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Distributed in all e-book formats by Smashwords.com

About the Author

Web: www.cvm.tamu.edu/wklemm

Dr. Bill

Memory Medic

If your memory is ill, Dr. Bill is your pill.

Memory blogs at

http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/41570

http://thankyoubrain.blogspot.com

Newspaper column: Memory Medic

Dr. Bill is a neuroscientist and memory researcher. He follows the memory research literature to seek out research that has practical application in everyday life. This book is based on the fruits of that effort and the book is kept up to date with posts at his blog site,

http://thankyoubrain.blogspot.com

Cross postings are also found at http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/41570,

and at Wellsphere.com, http://www.wellsphere.com.

Dr. Bill also gives seminars and workshops to:

Student groups

Teachers, both in-service and those in training

Educator meetings, state, regional, and national

College faculty

University administrator groups

Cruise ship audiences

Social and professional clubs

To arrange such talks, contact him through his web site.

A widely published researcher, Dr. Klemm is listed in 19 biographical publications, including Marquis’ Who’s Who In America and Who’s Who in the World. He has impressive credentials and can speak with authority about how the brain learns and remembers. His analyses are esteemed by journal editors who have called on him to serve on the Editorial Boards of eleven scholarly journals and to peer-review on the order of a thousand papers for over 45 research journals.

Other Books by Bill Klemm

Memory Power 101, 298 p. Skyhorse.com

Atoms of Mind. The Ghost in the Machine Materializes. Springer

Core Ideas in Neuroscience. Benecton. (http://neurosciideas.com)

Blame Game. How To Win It. Benecton.

Dillos. Roadkill on Extinction Highway? Benecton. (http://dillos.us)

Understanding Neuroscience, Mosby

Science, The Brain, and Our Future, Bobbs-Merrill

Discovery Processes in Modern Biology, Kreiger

Brainstem Mechanisms of Behavior, John Wiley & Sons

Global Peace Through the Global University System, Univ. Tampere

Dillos. Road Kill on Extinction Highway? Benecton

Animal Electroencephalography, Academic Press

Applied Electronics for Veterinary Medicine & Animal Physiology, Thomas

Web sites created and maintained:

http://thankyoubrain.com

http://BlameGame.us

http://neurosciideas.com

http://dillos.us

Dr. Klemm has been interviewed many times on radio and television.

*****

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why and How to Read This Book

Where I Am Coming From

General Principles

Tip #1. Get Motivated, Be Attentive

Tip #2. Commit the Time

Tip #3. Don’t Memorize by Rote

Tip #4. Memorize Only What You Can’t Figure Out

Tip #5. Believe in Your Ability

Tip #6. Reduce Interferences

Tip #7. Don’t Multitask. Learn to Focus

Tip #8. Think! It’s the Best Rehearsal

Tip #9. Test Yourself Often

Tip #10. Improve Reading and Listening Skills

Tip #11. Bring Your A-game to Class

Tip #12. Organize Learning Material

Tip #13. Improve Working Memory Span

Tip #14. Make Associations

Tip#15. Use lots of Cues

Tip#16. Use Mental Pictures

Tip #17. Curing Tip-of-the-Tongue Blocks

Tip #18. Reduce Stress; Calm Emotions

Tip #19. Have a Healthy Lifestyle

Tip #20. Get Enough Sleep

Applications

Tips Final Exam

Summary

*****

Acknowledgments

The ability to write this book comes from many sources to which I am indebted: 1) My parents, especially my father, who expected me to succeed at whatever I tried, 2)The Dale Carnegie course for introducing me to the notion that memory ability can be improved, 3) My 7th grade teacher, Miss Torti, who motivated me to be a good student (for reasons which were not so noble – see gory details in Tip #1), 4) My Bartlett High School Future Farmers of America teacher, David McPherson, who showed me that success was achievable, 5) My college professors at the University of Tennessee, Auburn, and Notre Dame. Even the ones who were not particularly adept at effective teaching still gave me ample opportunities to hone my learning skills during my nine years as a college student, 6) My college students at Iowa State University and Texas A&M University for over four decades, who showed me first-hand why some students do well in school while others do poorly, 7) My neuroscience research colleagues, whose publications helped me learn how the brain learns and remembers, 8) The lab animals and college students who served as experimental subjects in my own research, and 9) Dr. Kenneth French, Division Chair of Natural Science at Blinn College, who edited the initial version of this book.

A technical note: because this book may be made available in multiple e-book formats, certain conventional formatting devices are not feasible. This precludes use of columns, tables, page numbering. page breaks, and indexing.

Table of Contents

Why and How To Read This Book

If you do what this book says, you will:

1. have memorized all the key ideas of this book.

2. be able to memorize any list up to 100 items.

3. be able to memorize the essence of what is on every page

— by page number — of any short book.

4. be able to give a class presentation or speech without notes, and

5. get better grades with less effort.

This book is for any student, especially those in high school, college, or in on-the-job training programs. It is also for elementary school children, though the tips should be read and explained by the parents.

You would not have bought this book if making good grades weren’t important to you. Obviously anybody who wants to make good grades would like to do so with the least amount of time and effort required. That is what this book is about.

Trust me, I know what I am talking about. I have been thinking and learning about this subject as an Honors student in three universities at a time in my life where I wanted to have fun and still make good grades. Also, I have been a Professor for 50 years in two other universities. I have had ample opportunity to learn, from observing my successes and failures and those of many hundreds of students, what works and what does not.

I am also a researcher and teacher of neuroscience, an interdisciplinary field focused on how the brain works, including how it learns and remembers. I have actually conducted memory research on lab rats and college sophomores. The principles are the same. Sometimes, the rats memorize better than the people. Unlike lab rats, which are really pretty good at learning and remembering, humans have a huge repertoire of behaviors and opportunities that interfere with remembering. Many of the tips will explain what I mean.

I know many of you may be thinking, Who needs memory skills today? We not only have books where we can look things up, but we can also just Google it." But can Google can’t help you pass high-stakes exams? Or how can Google help professional people become knowledgeable and competent?

I have learned as a professor observing students that most students think they know more about how to learn than they really do. In elementary and secondary schools, the emphasis of teaching is on WHAT to learn, not HOW to learn. By the time you get to college, professors assume you already know how to learn. Actually, you probably learned a lot of bad habits for learning.

Most of the tips in this book are not taught in school at all or incompletely at best. This is particularly noticeable with college freshmen. Typically, they breeze through high schools because U.S. schools are not very rigorous and because students who qualify for entrance into premier colleges are generally smart enough to get by without learning much about how to learn. Worse yet, because they have been successful up to this point, they think they know all they need to know in order to succeed in college. WRONG.

Success in school or in on-the-job learning programs depends on recognizing the importance of long-term memory. Let’s face it: What good is learning if you don’t remember it? Studying for the next exam is an all-too-common mistake. This mind-set is often accompanied by cramming a day or so before each exam. Not only does this produce less-than-optimal results on that exam, it also prevents accumulation of competence that you can use in future courses or on-the-job requirements. Several tips will address this issue. So, in your quest for grades, remember what employers really want is competence.

It is so sad to see college kids get off to a bad start in their first couple of semesters because they did not realize how unprepared they were for college work. Most students eventually figure out how to get decent grades, but by then they have so blemished their records that the door has been forever slammed shut for getting into medical, law, graduate, or other professional schools. Hearts and dreams are broken forever. I’ve seen it happen to hundreds of the college students.

My job in this book is to tell you how to keep your dreams from being shattered. The rest is up to you. The book not only provides 20 key tips and ideas but does so in a way that models what I am talking about. For example, I could just list the 20 ideas and explain them in any order. But one of the tips explained is the importance of organization. An important aspect of organization is to form learning content into small chunks of related material. Thus, for this book, the ideas are grouped among four themes, each with four to six tips.

1. Attitude and approach

2. Classroom and study behavior

3. Learning principles and processes

4. Lifestyle

Another tip explained in the book is the importance of associating what you want to learn with mental pictures, arrayed in map-like form. For each idea I suggest a relevant mental image you can use as a mnemonic device. If you don’t like my choice of image, make up one of your own.