I needed to learn psychology terms for a certification exam in two weeks. Felt totally overwhelmed staring at textbooks full of words like “cognitive dissonance” and “operant conditioning.” Tried just reading them over and over – big mistake. Retained nothing after 48 hours. Got desperate and made my own system.
Step 1: Dumped every term into sticky notes on my wall.
Literally grabbed a neon sticky note pack. Wrote one term per note without definitions – just the scary words themselves. Covered half my bedroom wall. Looked like a serial killer’s conspiracy board. But seeing them daily forced my brain to acknowledge the enemy.
Step 2: Attacked five terms daily with toilet time.
Every morning, I’d peel five sticky notes off the wall. Carried them to the bathroom. While brushing teeth or whatever, I’d google simple definitions on my phone. Read each one three times out loud. Made weird associations – like imagining Pavlov’s dog drooling on my neighbor’s ugly carpet.
Step 3: Drew doodles on the sticky notes.
Added ridiculous stick figures to each term after “learning” it. For “confirmation bias,” I scribbled a guy high-fiving a mirror. For “neuroplasticity,” drew a brain lifting weights. Tape them near light switches and door handles. Stared at them every time I left my room.
Step 4: Shoved terms into random conversations.
Forced myself to use at least three terms daily when talking to people. Told my barista: “My dopamine levels depend on this latte – classical conditioning!” Explained to my mom that her crossword obsession was “intrinsic motivation.” They thought I’d gone nuts. Didn’t care.
Step 5: Weekend demolition drills.
Sundays became purge days. Took all sticky notes down. Laid them on the floor. Timed myself sorting them into piles: “Know it,” “Sorta know it,” “Nope.” The “nope” pile got brutal extra attention – more doodles, louder recitals, stupider real-life examples.
End result? Scored 92% on the exam. Still remember every stupid doodle six months later. The wall’s bare now – but my brain’s wallpaper is full of psych terms stuck like gum.
