The Blurt Method

Today’s post will be a simple memory trick to help you remember everything you need to know for the MCAT and difficult undergrad classes.

The blurt method utilizes active recall to help you retain information far better than passive absorption. Here’s how it works: As soon as you finish learning a piece of content, write it down. The format in which you write it is completely up to you and depends on what type of content you’re learning. Sometimes I write short phrases or sentences, sometimes I draw out a quick graphic organizer.

The important caveat is this: Don’t copy down your materials directly. No word-for-word transcriptions. Instead, rewrite the content in your own words while not looking at your video lecture or textbook. This forces you to actively recall the information. It will be frustrating at first - I was astonished when I started using this technique how little I remembered from each lecture video. But the more you do it, the better at it you’ll get.