posted 9th June 2025
Sometimes forgetting can be a pleasant experience. Forgetting why you disliked a subject now you have a better teacher; forgetting whatever it was you argued with your friend about; forgetting how annoying your brother is when you feel a sudden sharp stab of affection for him.
Other times forgetting can be a very stressful experience. Realising you’ve forgotten your keys when you’re ten minutes away from home and no one is in; forgetting where you last saw your phone; walking into an exam and thinking you’ve forgotten everything you learned.
Much of debating is about remembering. Forgetting can be a problem for debaters. Here are some ways in which debaters might forget, and strategies for coping with that forgetfulness.
1. Forgetting your notes
This will only apply for a long prep debate, when you are given the motion in advance. Here’s how to manage that sickening feeling when you look in your bag and remember your notebook is still on the kitchen table …
- Keep as calm as you can. Panic will interfere with your thinking. Focus on what you need to do next.
- Tell your debate partner(s). If you have prepared with them (as you should have), they will very likely remember most of your points. Even if they don’t, they will have their own ideas.
- Get a piece of paper and start writing down ideas, with your debate partner. Develop them in as much detail as you can.
- When the time comes for you to speak, think aloud, developing your ideas as you go. Ask your partner(s) to pass you notes (notes only - you are not allowed to talk to each other during the debate) if you dry up.
Remember that your speech will be that much more spontaneous and natural - and probably better for it. In one debate I took, a student had prepared the opposition when she was meant to be the proposition. She only found out when she stood up to speak. She had to improvise her entire speech. It was authentic, thoughtful and responsive, and she won the debate.
2. Forgetting what the last speaker said
Ideally, you should take notes during their speech to stop this happening. But in the cut and thrust of debate it can be hard to get everything down.
- Start by rebutting the points you can remember.
- Ask your partner(s) to pass you notes with the speaker’s points.
- If you can only remember one point, make a virtue of necessity by rebutting it more thoroughly and / or spending more time on expanding your arguments.
3. Forgetting a key fact or statistic
- Make it general rather than specific. Can’t remember if it’s 70% or 75% of students at private schools whose parents are in the top 25% of incomes? Say ‘The great majority of students at private schools come from high income families.’
- But don’t make anything up. If you’re arguing against reducing immigration, and you’re not sure if net migration to the UK has fallen or risen in the last year, don’t guess. Keep to the general arguments in favour of immigration. ‘If immigration were to fall, key sectors of the economy such as care homes, the NHS, and agriculture would suffer …’
3. Forgetting what you are going to say next
Well prepared notes will help you avoid this, but it can still happen to anyone.
- Play for time by repeating what you just said, with more emphasis. ‘One third of prime ministers went to just one private school, Eton. Yes, that’s right. One in three. To one school. With fees vastly beyond the reach of almost all families. What does that say about the unfair privileges that private education gives? One in three! I’ll just let that sink in for a moment …’
- Signal to your partner(s) to pass you a note with a suggestion.
- If the other side makes a point of information, take it.
- If all else fails, recap and summarise the points you have made, and sit down.
Remember (!) these tips, and forgetting will be less scary.
