Why memorize anything when you can Google it? Gomer and Dave discuss memory, recall, and study habits. They explain how to build a memory palace and why recall beats rereading. They also share practical tips for notes, flashcards, and acing any test.

Shownotes

Key Takeaways

• Memory still matters. We think with what we already know, and a well-stocked mind makes connections on its own.
• Forgetting is normal. It’s part of learning, not proof that you’re “stupid.”
• Recall beats rereading. Close the book and try to explain it or teach it out loud.
• Space it out. Four 15-minute sessions beat one hour of cramming.
• Sleep is studying. Your brain stores the day’s learning overnight.
• Write every day. A short summary in your own words shows you what you don’t understand yet.
• Find the center. Build what you learn around the main idea, and the details will follow.
• Use one big flashcard deck. Shuffle it, answer out loud, and never retire old cards.
• Practice tests win. Start a week early and focus on what you miss.

Pro tips for notes and tests:

• Listen for signal phrases such as “three reasons,” “write this down,” and “however”
• 10-minute nightly routine: fill gaps with the book open, write margin questions, and add a three-sentence summary at the bottom
• Flashcards: keep one big shuffled deck per subject, answer out loud before flipping, and never retire old cards
• Take practice tests. Use AI tools like NotebookLM to quiz yourself from your own notes and readings
• Start a week out: reread on day one, then spend 15 to 30 minutes of closed-book recall daily, focusing on what you miss
• Get sleep the night before

Resources mentioned:

• St. Thomas Aquinas and Hugh of St. Victor on memory and learning
• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
• A.G. Sertillanges, The Intellectual Life
• Ryan Holiday (Daily Stoic)
• Patrick Deneen and Joshua Mitchell
• Byung-Chul Han
• Church documents: Inter Mirifica, Communio et Progressio, The Church and Internet, Directory for Catechesis, Antiqua et Nova
• Scripture: John 1, Amos 3:8, Genesis 4 (Cain, Enoch, and Lamech)