<p>Our teacher makes us memorize 15 words or so for a vocabulary test every week. It is basically like a fill-in-the-blank test with no word bank (and you can only use the words she provides you specifically). Most of them have common prefixes and such. How would you guys memorize these words fast and efficiently? (Not their actual meanings but the words themselves)</p>
<p>hah we do the exact same thing. i'd like any advice as well.</p>
<p>Oh there is an easy way to memorize, at least for me. When I was in HS, I made a set of flash cards for each set of vocab words I had. Just make a set of cards and quiz yourself over and over until you get every one right. But don't just remember based on the context or phrasing of the definition. Actually understand what each word means. You can do this by studying your flashcards backwards (seeing the word and trying to explain the meaning without looking). That will guarantee that you master the vocab. Trust me, 15 isn't bad at all. SHouldn't take more than 30 min or so. For my exams at Boston U, such as my marketing exam tomorrow, I have a good 200 words and concepts I gotta remember. Maybe I should get to those flashcards lol.</p>
<p>true true ^. 15 is not bad...i've had 20 every week for like 5 years! In the words of my english teacher this year, "internalize" each word...like, use it in daily convo (correctly).</p>
<p>It seems to me that the problem is not so much in learning the definitions as in remembering what all the words are. The flash cards are the way to go for the definitions and the way we remember long lists of things in our family is to create a sentence or a nonsense word with words that start with the same letters as the words you are trying to remember. For instance:</p>
<p>ethnocentrism stereotypes authoritarian assimilation caste racism cyclic institutional discrimination feminization poverty socioeconomic status intergenerational stratification</p>
<p>SACRED FISh IS CAPS</p>
<p>(the lower case h does not represent a word)</p>
<p>I usually just read over the words a couple times a few minutes before the class and that works for me.</p>
<p>definitely reverse your flashcards. so when you get the test, look at the blank and think what <em>kind</em> of word would fit in there. like, using schmoomcgoo's words, if it seems like you need a word about generalizations of people...then you know the meaning of "stereotypes" is similar to that...you're all set.</p>
<p>Just look at the parts of the words. See what they're made of. It's as simple as that for most words.</p>
<p>Anyone else have any suggestions as on how to memorize these words? What about words that have no specific prefix pattern?</p>
<p>I personally tend to write every word including the definition at least ten times.</p>
<p>Hmm...our vocab words come from a book, so I just study from the book. We have to memorize 25 words, their definition, synonyms, antonyms, and parts of speech...so I would be thrilled to trade vocab tests. Honestly, I have very good memory, so I just look over them a couple times and I'm good to go. I agree with using flashcards. A lot of people in my english class use them to study.</p>
<p>Break them up into three groups of five words each and then memorize them group by group. If possible, break them up logically (whether it's by prefix, suffix, similarity in meaning, or whatever associations you can come up with). Once you've memorized one group, memorize the second one separately and then put the two together.</p>
<p>If you memorize them in a particular order, though, you might get messed up on the quiz when you have to regurgitate them randomly. So if necessary, write down all the words first before you look at the quiz.</p>
<p>it also can really help to think of a silly little story or something that will help the word stick to your memory. . .example:
redoubtable=formidable
story: "there is no DOUBT in my mind that the TABLE is formidable. . ."
or I just picture an awe-inspiring table.
silly, yes, but it works like a charm.</p>
<p>15 a week is nothing...
I had to memorize 450 in one day before the SAT Reasoning Test
:/
Short term memory for the win!</p>
<p>Here's what I do on our English vocab quizzes:
I just read the word and the definition over and over, and then cover the word, and solve for the definition, and then go backwards. It's good to do this the night before, so you can sleep on it, and then refresh yourself in the morning.
^ but that is definitely not good for long term memorization</p>