1. Mirnell D. Gonzalez
03/22/12
Chapter 7: Memory and Studying- Retaining What You Learn
How do you handle this? Being frustrated is part of life and what sometimes makes us
realize what we are doing wrong. It also, helps us grow and mature. Anyways, starting
high school I was in depression for so many reasons. However, this stage of my life
didn’t help me to get through it quickly. I had a lot of trouble keep in on with teachers
and the class. The majority of the time I would do badly on class assignments,
homework’s and even tests or quizzes. I even was send once to detention because, I
spend the time sleeping in class or always arriving late. There were moments that I want
to give up and not try anymore. But, it made me mad because, I knew deep inside me I
could it done better. My teachers will see my struggle but, they didn’t know what I was
going through and they never asked either. Furthermore, throughout the 4 years of high
school I started doing better and better. At some point I had to open my eyes and force
me to do the right thing because, at the end of the day I was hurting myself. I started
doing my homework’s’, had better grades on my tests, quizzes and class assignments. I
also found some teachers that really helped me out, that really care for me to do better. I
couldn’t do it without the help of those teachers, my friends, my family and obviously
God. I know He had a purpose for me with these; it made me a stronger and smart
person!
How should you handle it? In a positive way that’s for sure. Why should we give up? I
made that mistake once but, if I had the chance I would take it back. To be honest people
learn from their mistakes and I sure did. However, I ended up taking a hard road to
realize what I was doing and do something about it. I learned to take it as a challenge, a

2. challenge to push me to greater and higher grounds. Also, a challenge that will make me
to do things I never thought I could do. Finally, like I said before, through this mistake I
learned to handle things in a positive and better way.
What memorization techniques do you resist trying? I had never liked to memorize
things by writing them down a couple of times or reading them in silence. In my case or
opinion, I learn nothing using strategies like these one. Is like carrying a block of cement,
which I know I can’t lift it up. I learn and memorize best by visualizing and repeating
things out loud. By visualizing things I can see how they work. It gives me the
opportunity to know and understand better what I am studying or working on. However,
by repeating things out loud I allow my brain to retain more important information about
a certain topic or lesson. These two strategies had and will help me through college and
life.
Is it because they seem too unrelated to the information, or too goofy? More like it
was a waste of time. I hate writing things ten times over and over again. Also, it’s even
worse if I had to study and memorize more than twenty words because, I will be writing
the words plus their definition over and over again. Like I said before, I don’t see the
point to it. Using strategies like this one does not help me to memorize things or retain
them for a long period of time.
What would you be willing to try? Flash cards, study groups, saying it out load, record
what I say and then listen to it multiple times. Also, using key words, pictures, diagrams
or graphs that will help me remember and retain all the information I need to know.
These learning strategies are the ones that benefit me a lot and the ones that had help me
through elementary, middle and high school and now college.

3. What does Norton’s story mean for you? It means a lot to me because; I had the same
issues when I was smaller. I had struggle a lot and pick on most of the time because of
my bad grades or scores in everything I did. I also felt frustrated and got to the point of
giving up and not try anymore. I thought I couldn’t do anything, that I wasn’t capable of
anything. It was a very hard situation to handle and as kids and teenagers these types of
problems affect us a lot emotionally and physically. Until I realize I was made to do
better than this. God made me capable of doing anything in life because, what seems
impossible for me is possible for Him. I learned with time that I can do anything I put
myself to do.
What effects can take you beyond your world? I have said this a lot of times =). These
effects will be not trying my best, not being myself, not believing that I can do anything
because, like I said before, I have God by my side and whatever I see impossible I know
is possible when I put it in His hands. I have a lot of goals and dreams and I need to see
them fulfill. Also, I have a family to make proud of those achievements that I know I will
accomplish someday. This is one of my purposes of life.
What can you learn from Norton’s case about memory and study strategies? They
were very weak at first. He didn’t show any interest in his classes or studies in general.
When we lack at showing interest and passion for studies these types of things will
happen to us. However, at the end, he did realize how smart he really was and that he
could do better than what he was really doing. These strategies that he used help him to
make the best of his studies and career and become a better person.
What can you learn from Norton about analytical, creative, and practical thinking?
He did and amazing job using these three steps of thinking. After he realizes what he was

4. doing wrong, he stop and break everything into parts, examine and evaluate carefully the
situation or problem. Later, he generates new ideas of how to study, understand and
memorize better things. Then, he adapted himself perfectly to the new ideas he propose to
himself to work with. Finally, his story is a perfect example of how to use the three
thinking strategies in our lives. These will help us benefit ourselves with our studies and
life situations just like it benefit Norton.