Not many people would assume that watching TV and playing video games are good habits for studying. In fact, most people look at me like I’m nuts when I tell them that their favorite entertainment can help them learn faster.
But it’s true. One of the best techniques for memorization involves movies, TV shows, and video games. While searching for study tips in college, I learned the ultimate memorization technique.
The most effective memorization strategy I ever discovered revolves around my favorite pastime—TV. My favorite entertainment helped me succeed in school in a way I never expected.
The Common Myth About Television
I can still hear my mom shouting from the other room for me to go play outside because the television was “rotting my brain.” My parents viewed pixelated entertainment as a waste of time and a cause of brain dysfunction.
This is a common belief that echoes throughout society, especially today. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard claims that video games cause kids to be more violent, or that the wrong TV shows and movies lead to immoral behavior.
As if this was a normal brain:
And this was your brain on TV and video games:
Many People's View of Movies, TV Shows, and Video Games is All Wrong
We need to see them for what they really are: troves of useful memories. Far from a waste of time, television creates an abundance of virtual memories—like the cityscape of Springfield in The Simpsons or the layout of Joey's and Chandler’s apartment in Friends. We collect these memories without even trying, simply by vegging out in front of the boob tube—most excellent!
Television is an Educational Asset When Harnessed Correctly
We can use these seemingly useless memories to remember nearly any amount of information. Bart Simpson’s teacher was wrong to force him to rewrite his lessons on the chalkboard. Instead, she should have told him to watch TV and play more video games. If harnessed correctly, entertainment can become an educational asset.
I Used Movies, TV Shows, and Video Games to Get Through Med School
During the difficult years of medical school and residency, I relied on Mario, Link, Aragorn, and the Ewoks to gather encyclopedias of information. Neo from The Matrix, Ofelia from Pan’s Labyrinth, and John McClane from Die Hard continue to help me remember prescription drug side effects.
Pastimes that I’d been told my whole life were a waste of time turned out to be what saved my educational career. I would have failed out of medical school if it hadn't been for blockbusters, platformers, RPGs, and sitcoms.
So how did I use my favorite virtual adventures to earn my M.D.?
I'm No Genius, and You Don't Need to Be One Either
I was an average learner who struggled my way into medical school. As soon as I arrived on campus, I was immediately swept away by a flash flood of information. I felt like a Ringwraith overwhelmed by a tsunami of elf-magic at the Ford of Bruinen.
Before medical school, retaining information had never been a strong suit of mine. I spent most of my educational career mindlessly studying flash cards and rereading. When the test came, I sat down and hoped that the information would spring forward. Sometimes it did and sometimes it didn’t, but I could never find a method to the madness. It always seemed as though my fate was based on luck. Recalling information during exam time had more to do with magic than anything I might control, and it was about as reliable as Ron Weasley’s broken wand.
Most Common Study Tips Aren't Very Helpful
Despite years of schooling, I’d never found a system that could reliably anchor the information into my brain. Flash cards could certainly be useful, but meaningless words and definitions regularly escaped from my head. Even if the info hung around long enough for the test, it was sure to be gone within a few weeks. But by then, I was on to the next class and the next stack of flash cards.
As soon as I hit medical school, I could scarcely crank out study aids fast enough. My brain became overloaded with anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and microbiology. I had nowhere to store the thousands of facts I was tasked with remembering, and I became crushed by the enormous weight of information.
I wasn’t exactly my med school’s first pick. I’d sat for months on the waiting list before gleefully receiving the acceptance call. I had no idea what was awaiting me.
I began medical school by failing (or nearly failing) test after test and my confidence plummeted. It didn’t look like I was going to make it past the first few months. To make matters worse, I’d already taken out a heart-stopping $70,000 student loan and paid my first year of tuition.
I Discovered an Ancient Memory Technique That Changed My Life
Through a bit of research and heaps of desperation, I figured out how to survive med school using an ancient memory practice that dates back to the Greeks and Romans. Using this timeless technique, I learned how to turn my schoolwork into pictures. For more on this technique, check out 3 Tips For Improving Memory From Over 2000 Years Ago.
I then stored those pictures inside memories of familiar houses and buildings. I’d drum up unique memory pictures for my study material and then place them inside familiar bedrooms, basements, living rooms, bathrooms, and offices.
Studying medicine continually required more storage space, however. Even with all my memory resources pooled together—every house, building, park, driving route, and neighborhood—I hardly had enough space to store a single class.
To Get Through School I Had to Expand on the Ancient Technique
Eventually, after months of brainstorming, I realized that I could also harness the most epic memories I possessed—the virtual ones that I’d only passively seen. Although I’d gone bungee jumping and skydiving in real life, these experiences hardly compared to Jake Sulley’s reckless romp through Pandora or Master Chief’s harrowing adventures throughout the galaxy. For more information on the specifics of this technique, check out 4 Simple Steps to Learn Anything Using Your Favorite Entertainment.
If I closed my eyes, I could instantly remember every detail of the house I grew up in and also recall nearly every detail of the house Billy Madison grew up in. I had Tommy Boy’s entire sales route down pat. I’d traveled with Link to Zel--da’s Castle hundreds of times, and, as it turned out, I’d visited far more virtual locations than physical ones.
Eventually, I transformed memories of my favorite movies, TV shows, and video games into a colossal filing system and stored the entirety of my medical education there.
Put Your Virtual Memories to Good Use!
It’s time to teach learners of all ages the importance of entertainment. Television doesn’t need to be a time waster—it can be a valuable educational tool.
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