Milan FFA members and their advisor, Jarred Sayre (center), smile with their first-place plaques, which they received at the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo in 2023. Photo courtesy of Jarred Sayre.
Whether it’s a prepared speech, banquet or convention script, retiring address or competitive event, memorizing and recalling information is an essential skill for FFA members to possess.
Just ask Milan FFA. During the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in 2024, members of this Missouri chapter won the National Invitational FFA Quiz Contest for the second year in a row.
“This competition requires several hours of studying,” says Milan FFA advisor Jarred Sayre. “Most of our time preparing takes place on weekends and before school. Team members take numerous practice tests and break down the Official FFA Manual. I like to work in small chunks and continuously build upon what we learn at each practice.”
Milan FFA member Kendra Sayre competed on the 2024 team and learned the importance of being a team player. “There are lots of areas where you have to work with other people, and this event helped me work with others and put trust in my teammates,” she says.
Gracie Simpson, another Milan FFA member and 2023 competitor, agrees with Sayre. “As a team, we dedicated time to each other, our chapter and the competition. Our dedication allowed us to clinch the title and set us apart from our competitors.”
Sayre and his 2024 award-winning team prepares to be recognized on stage during the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo. Photo courtesy of Jarred Sayre.
As you hone your memorization skills, lean on the following 7 tips from the Milan FFA Chapter.
1. Learn in segments.
Don’t look at the Official FFA Manual as a book of 104 pages. Instead, break it into individual parts to focus on so you don’t get overwhelmed.
2. Buy that whiteboard.
Constantly writing things down helps you recall information. Plus, the best part of using a whiteboard is you can erase and start again as much as you need.
3. Make memorization fun.
You aren’t going to do something if you find it boring, so make it an enjoyable process.
4. Read, read…and read.
Review every word to make sure you don’t miss important information. If you think it’s important, then highlight it.
5. Use active recall.
Return to the things you highlight often, use flash cards and summarize. These things will make it easier to continue studying.
6. Quiz one another.
Encourage your teammates to quiz one another again and again. If you get an answer wrong, discuss the correct answer and learn from your mistake.
7. Make acronyms.
Creating abbreviations or short phrases can help you commit things to memory faster.
Test Yourself
Think you’re ready to apply what you’ve learned? Grab a few friends or classmates and try a National FFA Career or Leadership Development Event this year.
