Each night before a precalculus math test last year, I’d memorize formulas, practicing how to solve the exact problems I was given. The next day, I’d use these quick-recall formulas to solve identical problems on the test, copying them down from memory with little thought of how I was applying them. Afterward, I’d discard that information from my brain, thinking I didn’t need it once the test was over. Although I later struggled to remember the material for finals, this short-term study method earned me the most valued currency in our education system: high grades.
Unfortunately, short-term studying is common among students at Redwood. At 66 percent, more than half of students reported focusing on short-term memorization of information they can forget after a test when studying, and only 34 percent reported focusing on a true understanding of material in an October Bark survey.
This lack of genuine learning is a significant issue because many students load their schedules with Advanced Placement and honors classes. Since these students have lofty coursework, they study for survival and high marks, rather than to learn. Especially at Redwood, school is more about short-term memorization and getting good grades than real understanding. Students are rewarded for memorizing facts for a test, rather than for deep thinking.
Throughout the nation, students can earn straight As by memorizing and cramming information, and not actually retaining any knowledge. According to therapist Katelyn Nixon, who works at the Sandstone Psychology mental health clinic, “Students are taught to cram facts, take tests and then move on to the next set of information. This process, while it may result in high test scores, often fails to foster a genuine understanding of the material. Children become adept at memorizing information temporarily but lack the skills to apply or retain this knowledge in meaningful ways.”
BetterHelp therapy sees the same issues with rote learning—the process of memorizing information through repetition without understanding its meaning. Elaborating on the consequences this learning method has on future careers, it states,
“Some adults may find it difficult to function in the workplace because they tend to rely on rote memory. An employee might be able to memorize a list of features of a product but be unable to sell it effectively because they may not put those features into a context that can be easily translated into benefits for the consumer.”
Another significant problem is that an emphasis on grades leads to routine cheating. According to Sandstone Psychology, while grades are a measure of academic success, they fail to show a student’s true understanding. This created pressure causes extreme fear of failure, which stifles a child’s willingness to take risks and think outside the box. It also results in students consistently cheating. The Open Education Database online directory found that 61 percent of polled college students admitted to cheating. Worse, a study done at Fordham University found that “the average GPA for cheaters was higher than that of non-cheaters.”
When good grades are valued above the honor system and actual learning, students turn to unethical choices like copying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to achieve them.
But some may say that one cannot be expected to think deeply about a topic without first knowing the basics of it through memorization. Online tutoring platform, Brightly, finds that an average U.S. student takes 112 standardized tests between pre-K and grade 12, so others may argue that short-term memorization is promoted so teachers can prepare students for these tests.
Regardless, memorization should be the first step in learning, not the end goal. Without practical, real-world application, memorization fades quickly and loses value. In an uncertain future job landscape, where factual information is readily available online and AI can complete many previously human tasks, critical thinking and problem-solving are necessary to keep up and succeed.
To refocus our education on learning, our curriculum should incorporate more project-based assessments and interactive elements, like Socratic seminar discussions and field trips outside the classroom, to gain real-world application. Assessments should also include revisions that reflect growth, analysis questions and more common usage of low-stakes practice quizzes to prioritize understanding and encourage critical thinking.
Short-term memorization is like learning how to cook by memorizing a recipe—maybe you can cook a few great dishes, but only if you learn to understand and apply concepts in real-world scenarios will you flourish and become a great cook.
