Allow me to paint you a scenario painfully familiar to all too many of us: it’s the second semester, specifically during the month of April, and the inescapable pressure of finals and AP exams loom in the near distance. Every class, your job, your extracurriculars are absolutely overwhelming you with a never-ending slew of excruciating tasks to complete. The quality of your work is no longer your priority; you must simply survive. The urgency and desperation of situations like this inevitably force us to take refuge in a mode of learning known as “rote memorization.” 

 The term rote memorization refers to the phenomena in which an individual, oftentimes a student, uses repetition to remember information without necessarily seeking deep understanding. For the most part, this phenomena can largely be attributed to the schooling system. Whether consciously or not, it fosters an environment that rewards surface-level understanding and memorization of concepts rather than real, comprehensive understanding.

Subjects like math, science and even social studies are particularly vulnerable toward perpetuating this method of learning. Being a student myself, I can recall countless times where I was pushed to blindly memorize information in a hurry, being left with little time to develop deeper understanding. 

In fact, I’m not alone in my struggles; a testimony from Monette McIver, professional at the Dana Center at the University of Texas, shared her grievances and attested to the stop in her progression in the field of mathematics due to reliance on memorization. She described how as she began taking more difficult math classes in university, she was often told by her friends and professors to “just memorize” in the face of understanding very complex information. This led her to resent math, stop progressing so rapidly and ultimately lose her passion for the subject. 

Reading McIver’s testimony truly broke my heart and, sadly enough, resonated with my own experiences. I’ve had many friends in my own classes tell me about how simply memorizing certain definitions and concepts will get you a good score on whatever test in a variety of different subjects. The most devastating part of it all is they really are right. Sure, reliance on rote memorization will allow you to “understand” information in the short-term—it might even get you an A on a test—but you will absolutely lack the ability to sufficiently apply your knowledge nor will the information stick with you for long.

You know what the most mind-boggling part is? Teachers will be the biggest proponents for “deep and thorough understanding,” yet their very curriculum and pacing of their class deem it impossible to successfully do this. To be completely clear, I am not blaming it on the teacher; they are obligated to teach a certain curriculum, meeting certain standards that are ultimately out of their control.

The unfortunate fact is the makeup of our school system is a large and nuanced subject that would require reform with the very philosophy surrounding learning. The scale of this issue shouldn’t be viewed as demoralizing, as there has been a recent gradual shift in learning that prioritizes deep understanding, particularly in elementary and middle school education. According to McIver, her relatives in middle school had been learning how to solve math problems that involve far more real-world application than had been the case for her middle school days. Oftentimes, it’s small steps that work to tackle a large issue. The way we learn in school will continue to improve with the passionate voices and genuine effort to create tangible change.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Aida Karim at [email protected].