Posts from Dave Farrow, The Memory Guy

About Dave Farrow

Dave Farrow is today's most requested Guest Expert on Memory, two time Guinness World Record Holder for Greatest Memory, an outspoken literacy and education spokesperson and busy speaker and trainer. Because Dave has ADHD and dyslexia he studied memory techniques and developed powerful techniques of his own out of necessity. He used those techniques to become a successful student, businessman and speaker. He's been recognized for his memory programs, speed reading programs, programs for children with learning disabilities, memory competitions and more. Dave is available to speak and deliver ADVANCED MEMORY TRAINING and STUDY SKILLS on college campuses worldwide.

Read with your eyes not your lips

By Dave Farrow

When you're in college, before the stress of having to pass mid-term and final exams, there's the stress of having to read volumes of information seemingly equivalent to "War and Peace" and "Atlas Shrugged" combined - and that's just for one class. And of course, if you want to pass the class, understanding what you've read isn't a bad idea either. I teach a Speed Reading Course that doubles your reading speed AND increases your comprehension and although I can't share the whole course in this blog post but here is your first exercise that will help eliminate a common bad reading habit. Stop moving your lips! Many people - even … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ! What's HOT!, Study Skills Tagged With: #collegeexams, #finals, #studyskills

Did you know you have a memory personality?

By Dave Farrow

Dave Farrow - College Speaker - Memory Personality

Still having trouble remembering things? It might help if you knew your 'Memory Personality.' The concept of Memory Personality isn't totally new, but right now I'm working with neuroscientists to test, verify and document the theories I've developed out of my years of teaching memory skills to students and executives across the globe and not being able to reach everybody. Some were getting it and some just weren't! When teaching a memory technique and using things like memory pegs, it's easy to say "If creating these images doesn't work for you come up with your own," to someone who is lost. Yeah, I know, easier said than done. But … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ! What's HOT!, Study Skills

The first new memory techniques in over 100 years – and they work!

By Dave Farrow

I'll have to admit I take pride in the fact that I'm the only person in over 100 years to invent new memory techniques. Why? Because I'm a serious advocate of developing real study skills that will not only help you get better grades, but will actually help you to learn. Memory training as an art form goes back to Ancient Greece and Socrates. At its origin memory skills were the tools of elder statesmen and priests. Because ancient methods of recording information was not as sophisticated or permanent as today's methods ancient educators used song and verse or reciting as a way of memorizing and sharing. As time went by it became less of a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ! What's HOT!, Study Skills

Focus Bursts: Using interval training and controlled panic for better study

By Dave Farrow

Dave Farrow - The Memory Guy - College Speaker

RAISE THE INTENSITY of your studying - but STUDY IN SHORT BURSTS. We call it Focus Bursts™ and it only works when you both raise the Intensity AND study in Short Bursts. It's the combination of the two that's going to get you the memory and retention results studying work for you. It's like in the "Married With Children" theme song "Love and Marriage" - you can't have one without the other. It sounds fairly simple and it is, but it's part of the neuro-science based, Focus Training System that I used to become a two-time Guinness World Record Holder for Greatest Memory and it's what I use to help students and adults gain control over … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Study Skills Tagged With: #collegeexams, #finals, #studyskills

‘Learning Skills’ beats ‘Good Grade Pills’

By Dave Farrow

Dave Farrow sets Guinness Record for Greatest Memory

The big news according to the graphic below from OnlineDegrees.org and a June New York Times article is that an alarming - and increasing - number of students are resorting to drugs to get better grades. Drugs like Ritalin and Adderall, intended for people with ADHD and similar ailments that makes focus and learning difficult are now being hawked on college campuses as 'good grade pills." On my opinion, this is symptom of a greater problem: schools and educators haven't taken responsibility for teaching students how to learn. There is a daily pressure to get the grades you need and students are caught between a rock and a hard place. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Study Skills

Where you study matters

By Dave Farrow

In developing your lifelong ability to study and remember effectively it really does matter where you study. I highly recommend that you have a separate place to study and do school work. No, not at the kitchen table, in that comfortable spot at the end of the couch or propped up on a dozen pillows in your bed. I recommend a separate table even if it's just a small coffee table. When you are in this separate space you are actually training yourself to get into right mindset for study and learning. I have a shelf that I call my 'shelf of learning.' I keep books and other things I intend to read and study here and it's where I go for serious … [Read more...]

Filed Under: ! What's HOT!, Study Skills Tagged With: #collegeexams, #finals, #studyskills

Get some sleep! If you’re tired, so are your grades

By Dave Farrow

If you're tired, so are your grades -photo copyright 1976 Rick Sherrell

Not getting enough sleep could be the number one thing that's hurting your GPA. Simply put, if you study while you're tired your retention rate will be down. I teach students and professionals my Guinness Record winning memory techniques all over the country and sleep deprivation is one thing I just can't overcome. If the members of my audience are tired or fatigued, even the best memory techniques just won't stick. If you're studying while you're tired in addition to the fatigue factor that will be holding you back, you'll also be ingraining bad habits that your body will remember. That's right! Your body will remember that you were … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Study Skills Tagged With: #collegeexams, #finals, #studyskills

Training your students to compete with the rest of the world

By Dave Farrow

Reading... 17th place. Science... 23rd place. Math... 31st place. In a country that's used to gold, silver and bronze that's a pretty poor showing. These stats come from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which tested students in 65 countries and shows that students from the U.S. might want consider training a little harder. Or maybe we need better coaching... or better training facilities? In any case when it comes to global competition - especially for the jobs of the future - we're getting the pants beat off of us by the likes of Shanghai, China (who ranked !# in all three areas), Korea, Finland, Japan and too many … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Study Skills, Success In College and In Life

Cram it in one ear and it goes right out the other

By Dave Farrow

Cram it in one ear - Photo copyright 2012 Rick Sherrell

This is a great graphic below from OnlineColleges.net that drives home some points I've been making to colleges students all across the country. It makes several great points but these are the ones that really stick out to me when it comes to colleges students and study skills: Most of the 'forgetting' happens right after you learn something. You lose half of what you learned within a few days unless the information is reviewed. The more you review something the stronger you'll make the memory and the longer you'll retain it. Expose yourself to the same information repeatedly and you'll be able to pull it from your long-term … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Study Skills

3 Tips to keep you from blanking out under exam stress

By Dave Farrow

Dave Farrow - Memory Champion - College Speaker

The stress of taking an exam, competing on a quiz show or speaking in front of an audience can make you go blank in a minute. Sometimes even the best and most prepared will 'blank out' under the glare of the harsh spotlight. If you think you're alone on this check out former 2012 Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry. It's painful to watch him blank out in front of a national TV audience of potential voters. He was proposing the elimination of three government departments to balance the national budget by the year 2020 if he were elected - "commerce, education and... and..." Well, the YouTube video says it all. Given three chances … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Study Skills Tagged With: #collegeexams, #finals, #studyskills

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