The phrase "if you don't use it, you lose it," is most apt for students in the summer months – between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of classes in the fall. During that window, the academic brain can be on a temporary vacation. But now that we are at the halfway mark through “summer break,” it is time – say WVU Potomac State College instructors and mental health counselors – to start gently nudging the grey matter awake and get back to learning mode.
Academically, there is something known commonly as “brain drain” or clinically referred to as the “curve of forgetting.” This curve is a psychological phenomenon that purports that memory retention declines over time when there is no active attempt to remember information. Discovered by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, it reveals a steep drop-off where humans lose about 50% to 80% of newly learned material within a few days if that information is not reviewed.
“I think the biggest gap is Math,” says Michele LaBar, Title III Professional Advisor at PSC. LaBar also leads a time management presentation at new student orientations. “As advisors, we spend as much time as we can helping students with study skills and time management since time management isn’t really something they exercised in their high school experience.”
Abby Shillingburg, is a Title III Activity Director and instructor at PSC. Shillingburg said while the “curve of forgetting” is a theory discussed at length among staff and faculty at elementary, middle, and high schools, it is sometimes overlooked when a student enters higher education.
“I feel that we talk about the ‘curve of forgetting’ all the time when it comes to K-12, but we don't address it enough for college students. In our degree structure, where so much is built on prerequisites and mastery of content, a memory gap can be a frustrating thing,” she said. “After being a student for years myself, I've found that staying engaged—maybe reading up on new studies in my field, taking a free open course, or just discussing material with others—makes a huge difference.”
There are also stages to the curve:
· The Initial Plunge: Forgetting new material can happen as fast as 24 hours after learning something new. Think about being introduced to someone for the first time. What is the likelihood that you will remember that person the very next day if that person did not make some kind of impression on the brain? Your brain naturally “prunes” information that isn’t reinforced, making room for new information.
· The Leveling Off: After the initial sharp decline, the rate of memory loss slows down significantly and gradually flattens out. The implication of this for college students is that a day or two after attending class or reading a chapter or article, students will have forgotten approximately 75% of what was learned, unless the material is reviewed and studied in a setting outside of a classroom. Considering that 90 days exist between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall, it is easy to understand why some students struggle with learning during the first two weeks of resuming classes.
There are things students can do, however, to address learning retention, self-care, mental health, and stress before coming back to campus. How do you retain what you have learned – especially from spring to fall? Right now is the time to start, said Shillinburg.
“College students are continuing the path of being lifelong learners, and that should present itself inside and outside of the classroom,” she said.
Here are some tips for “brain exercises” that can be done anytime to learn, relearn, or retain information.
· Review new information at increasing intervals.
· Instead of just re-reading, test yourself using flashcards or practice quizzes.
· Force your brain to retrieve the information.
· Every time you review the material, it takes less time and mental effort to recall it.
While academics are important, the beginning of a new semester after fall break can also place an additional mental strain on students, causing stress and feelings of being overwhelmed.
That is where Michelle House, PSC Behavioral Health Therapist, comes in as a valuable human resource tool for incoming and returning students.
“Think of the brain like a muscle, and like any muscle, we have to exercise it and keep it in shape,” House said. “The brain is like our big confidence muscle. The brain is the muscle we use for learning and to deal with our mental health issues. The brain is what we use for coping skills and to organize our thoughts. And so now is the time to start reviewing and waking up those coping issues to be ready for classes and all the work coming ahead in the fall.”
House says it’s good to give the brain a rest at times. Too much information at one time can be overwhelming and lead to “burnout.” When a person experiences an avalanche of information at once, it can trigger coping and survival skills in which the brain will react with emotion instead of logic. This will cause people to react with anger, frustration, exhaustion, and even depression. Because of this, the brain also needs a period of rest. Just not too much rest. It is important to know when to set “the mental alarm” to awaken the brain, said House.
But the brain is also not the only part of the body that needs to be retrained to respond to a new and busier season that lies ahead in about six weeks. A person’s nervous system should also be considered.
“There is this thing in our bodies called the Vagus nerve. I like to tell people what happens in Vagus doesn’t stay in Vagus but impacts the whole body,” House said. “The Vagus nerve is responsible for the parasympathetic nervous system, or our rest and digest function. Vagus is Latin for wandering. It travels from our brain to our gut, affecting all cells and organs in between. When we stimulate our Vagus nerve, we allow our bodies to slow down and take a break from stress. It’s an amazing nerve!”
House said some techniques can be applied and exercises a person can do to help calm the Vagus nerve and spark a chain reaction of wellness throughout the body:
· Inhale deeply through your nose, take a second quick breath to fully inflate your lungs, then exhale slowly and completely through your mouth. Repeat two to three times to quickly signal safety to your brain. Deep belly breathing is also known to naturally reduce blood pressure.
· Splash cold water on your face or place an ice pack on the back of your neck. The sudden cold acts as a physical reset, immediately dampening the “fight-or-flight” response.
· Squeeze and tense your muscle groups tightly, starting from your toes and working up to your head, then instantly release.
· Look around and identify five things you can see, four things you can physically touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste to pull your racing mind back into the present moment.
· Limit exposure to social media. Constant alerts and doomscrolling keep your brain on high alert. Use app limits to restrict screen time, especially before bed.
· Break up sitting time with brief stretching or gentle walks. Movement burns off stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
· Activities like humming, singing, chanting, and even deep belly laughing can also stimulate the Vagus nerve, which lowers your heart rate and forces your body to relax.
The Mental Health and Counseling Services Center offers individual and group therapy as well as across-campus programs, activities, and initiatives that seek to promote mental health awareness and destigmatize mental illness. WVU Potomac State College also has trained counselors available 24 hours a day if things feel urgent. Those counselors can be reached by texting WVU to 741741 or by calling 304-788-6977. Michelle House, behavioral health therapist, MSW, can be reached directly at mahouse@mail.wvu.edu or by calling 304-788-6976.