How Long Is Memory?

Old grads sometimes complain, sometimes boast that they have forgotten most of what they learned in college. A few years ago the Carnegie Foundation decided to check up on how much a college graduate forgets. It had already tested the learning of thousands of Pennsylvania college students, first as sophomores, then as seniors. Five years after their graduation, the Foundation rounded up a group of these former students, gave them the same test again. This week, in the Foundation's annual report, Researcher William S. Learned reported his findings:

> The graduates had forgotten remarkably little. One group of 70 men & women had an average score of 53 points as sophomores, 59 as seniors, 57.5 five years after graduation. Another group improved its college score after graduation.

> Subjects in which graduates backslid most: mathematics, foreign literature, history.

> Subjects they retained best: fine arts, general science.

> Subject in which they improved most: vocabulary.

Belittling the significance of these average scores, Researcher Learned observed that post-college forgetting and learning varied widely according to the individual and his occupation. Examples:

> Teachers and college professors held their own in academic learning, businessmen lost ground.

> A farm laborer forgot more than half of the new words he learned in college.

> A store clerk gained in almost every subject, learned five times as much about foreign literature after college as in his last two college years.

> Biggest post-college gain (eight points) was made by a vocational schoolteacher. In fine arts he improved 25 points.

> Worst backslider (13 points): a salesman. His knowledge of English literature dropped near the vanishing point, but his vocabulary broadened six points.

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