ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In this edition of Sally’s Hotline, we hear from host Sally Hed Dahlquist with a different kind of workout: a workout for your brain. Instead of focusing on running, racing, or physical training, Sally shares practical tips for studying, remembering information, and building stronger learning habits for school, work, and everyday life.
As back-to-school season begins, Sally reflects on her own experience as a lifelong learner. Even though she did well in high school, college pushed her to learn how to actually study. After taking a “How to Study” class as a senior, she developed habits that helped her through college, her professional career, and now her work as the host of Unstoppable: Stories That Move.
This short but helpful tip episode is a reminder that memory is built through repetition, creativity, and using your whole brain and body. Whether you are a student, a professional, or someone who simply wants to remember more, Sally’s advice is clear: take notes, review often, make it fun, and use every tool you can to help the information stick.
In This Episode, You’ll Hear:
- Why repetition is the key to remembering information
- How studying builds “neural pathways” like a trail through the woods
- What to do before class to prepare your brain for learning
- Why taking notes by hand can help you remember more
- How to use colors, Post-it Notes, doodles, songs, and funny associations to make information stick
- Why sitting in the front row and avoiding distractions can make a difference
- What to do immediately after class to strengthen what you learned
- How studying with a friend can help you remember by teaching, speaking, and hearing the material out loud
- Why humor, movement, and creativity can make studying more effective
- How Sally applies these same study techniques to preparing for podcast interviews
Key Takeaways:
- Read before class whenever you can.
- Take notes by hand.
- Review your notes within an hour after class.
- Use colors, doodles, songs, gestures, and Post-it Notes to make studying more memorable.
- Teach the material to someone else.
- Say things out loud so you can hear yourself explain them.
- Study in an environment that helps you focus, like the library.
- Make studying active, creative, and a little messy.
- Your textbook should look used, loved, and full of effort by the end of the semester.
- Remember: you are not just memorizing. You are building pathways in your brain.
If you want to hear more of Sally’s story, including how she became an unstoppable runner, lifelong learner, and the host of a podcast with a purpose, listen to Episode 1 of Unstoppable: Stories That Move.
Support the Mission:
Unstoppable: Stories That Move is a podcast with a purpose to raise money for medical research to help fund cures for cancer and other diseases.
Donate today at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com or mail a check to: PO Box 12, Afton, MN 55001, USA
Together, we can save lives.
