Some students study using what psychologists call distributive practice: shorter study sessions with breaks to help remember information. Others use massed practice: trying to learn all material in one intensive session. While utilizing the most effective learning strategies is more beneficial, all students (no matter how they study) fall victim to error.

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) is known for what’s called the forgetting curve. This graph shows the rate at which forgetting information occurs. Ones who regularly review information increase their general understanding and are less likely to forget it as quickly. On the other hand, those who irregularly review the information are more likely to struggle to remember it.

There are more obstacles than simply forgetting the information. Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with new information: calling a new partner by an ex’s name. On the flip side, retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with old information: forgetting an old phone number after learning a new one.

As if this isn’t bad enough, sometimes there are gaps in memory as well. When words or information at the beginning is remembered better than the middle, this is called the primary effect. When words or information at the end is remembered better, it’s called the recency effect. When the information at the beginning and end are remembered more easily, this is called the serial position effect.

With all of these variables, students can have good study habits and still fall victim to encoding failure: the failure to process information into memory.

The result of these uncontrollable mental processes — bad grades on quizzes, tests, or assignments.

“I feel like a change in their lifestyle would impact the way students manage their time on schoolwork,” junior Lea Ortiz said. “Not getting enough sleep, zoning out, and not caring about any schoolwork would be a cause to their poor grades.”

This may not happen every time, and should not be used as an excuse for bad grades, but our minds aren’t always perfect. 

Students aren’t the only ones who have to worry about this.

According to Stanford Medicine, memory starts declining around the age of 30. Even though we cannot stop the effects of aging, there are habits that delay memory loss.

Things like exercising, cognitive stimulation, learning new things, social interaction, a good diet, and a good sleep schedule are all things that improve our memory.

Everyone falls short to human error, but good habits keep it from defining every outcome.