Were you able to recall what you had for dinner four days ago? Chances are good that you had to work your way back in time-- perhaps remembering first what you were doing four days ago, what events in the day led up to dinner, and then, maybe, the answer came to you. This question illustrates that little of the information we store for more than a day or so is isolated or unconnected. This answer, unlike the first, probably didn’t just pop into your head. You had to "walk a mental path" to get to the answer.

The implication for students about this "connectedness" is that we have to process the information in our working memory long enough to see relationships. Real learning is not about memorizing; it’s about building a network, and that can only happen if we process the information over time.

This connectedness also underscores the importance of not panicking in a test-taking situation when you are having trouble recalling a specific bit of information. If you know you know it, but just can’t recall it at this moment, don’t try to force the issue. Try to get at the detail by mentally walking a path back to it; explore the details related or connected to it and trust that the information will come to you. You might also want to go on to another test item and come back to the troublesome one later. The mental associations you make as you answer other questions may help you when you come back to the item.