Many college majors and competitive exams require memorizing large amounts of information. Memorizing for a class can be difficult, but it can be even more frustrating when you have multiple classes. Many students feel that they simply don’t have great memory skills
Fortunately, however, memorizing is not just for an elite group of people who are born with the right skills: anyone can train and develop their memorization skills.
Competitive memorizers claim that practicing visualization techniques and using memory tricks enables them to recall large chunks of information quickly. Research shows that students who use memory tricks perform better than those who do not. Memory tricks help you expand your working memory and access long-term memory
These techniques can also allow you to remember some concepts for years or even a lifetime. Finally, these types of memory tricks lead to comprehension and higher order thinking. Read on to learn about effective memorization techniques that will help you in school.
Simple tricks and tips to improve memory for studying
In addition to visual and spatial memory techniques, there are many other tricks you can use to help your brain remember information. Here are some simple tips you can try. Watch this video from the Learning Center for a quick explanation of many of these tips.
Try to understand the information first. Information that is organized and makes sense to you is easier to memorize. If you find that you don’t understand the material, spend some time understanding it before trying to memorize it.
Relate it. Connect the information you are trying to memorize to something you already know. Isolated material is harder to remember than material that is connected to other concepts
If you can’t think of a way to connect the information to something you already know, come up with a crazy connection.
For example, let’s say you’re trying to memorize the fact that water at sea level boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and that 212 is the first three digits of your best friend’s phone number. Link these two facts by imagining that you throw your phone into a boiling ocean. It’s a crazy link, but it can help the data stick.
Sleep on it. Studies show that your brain processes and stores information while you sleep. Try going over the information right before you go to sleep – even if it’s just for a few minutes – and see if that helps the information stick in your memory.
Self-test. Test yourself from time to time by actively recalling the information you are trying to study. Make sure you actively test yourself, don’t just reread your notes or textbook. Often, students think they remember material only because it is familiar when they reread it
Instead, ask yourself questions and force yourself to remember it without looking at the answer or the material. This will allow you to identify the areas you are having difficulty with; then you can go back to one of the memory tricks to help you memorize it. Also, avoid testing yourself immediately after trying to memorize something. Wait a few hours, or even a day or two, to see if it has really stuck in your memory.
Use distributed practice. For a concept to move from your temporary working memory to your long-term memory, two things have to happen: the concept has to be memorable and it has to be repeated. Use repetition to fix the information in your memory
Repetition techniques can consist of flash cards, use of the simple tips in this section, and self-assessment. Space out study and repetition over several days and begin to increase the time between each study session. Spacing out and gradually extending the times between each session can help us be more confident that we master the concepts and fix them.
Write it down. Writing seems to help us more deeply encode the information we are trying to learn because there is a direct connection between our hand and our brain. Try writing your notes by hand during a class or rewriting and reorganizing notes or information by hand after a class
While writing a concept you want to remember, try saying the information out loud and visualizing the concept as well.
Create meaningful groups. A good strategy for memorizing is to create meaningful groups that simplify the material. For example, suppose you want to remember the names of four plants: garlic, rose, hawthorn, and mustard. The first letters are abbreviated as GRHM, so you can relate them to the image of a GRAHAM cracker. Now all you have to do is remember the picture of a graham cracker, and the plant names will be easier to remember.
Use mnemonics. Mnemonics are systems and tricks that make information memorable. A common type is when the first letter of each word in a sentence is also the first letter of each word in a list to be memorized
Talk to yourself. It may seem strange at first, but talking to yourself about the material you are trying to memorize can be an effective memory tool. Try talking out loud instead of just underlining or rereading the information.
Exercise– seriously! Studies show that exercise can improve memory for studying and learning ability because it helps create neurons in areas related to memory. Both cardiovascular and resistance training (weights) have powerful effects, so do what works best for you.
Practice interleaving. Interleaving is the idea of mixing or alternating skills or concepts that you want to memorize. For example, spend some time memorizing vocabulary words for your science class and then immediately move on to studying historical dates and names for your history class
Next, practice some math problems and then return to science definitions. This method may seem confusing at first, but it ultimately yields better results than if you just spend a lot of time on the same concept
Visual and spatial techniques to improve memory for studying
Visual and spatial techniques are memory tricks that involve all five senses. They use images, songs, feelings and our body to help information stick. Humans have extraordinary visual and spatial memory systems. When using visual and spatial memory techniques, fun, rote and creative approaches are used instead of boring rote memorization.
This makes it easier to see, feel or hear the things you want to remember. Visual and spatial techniques also free up working memory
When you group things together, you can improve memory for studying for long-term. Using visual and spatial techniques helps your mind focus and pay attention when your mind would rather wander to something else. They help you make what you learn meaningful, memorable and fun.
The common practice of using your knuckles to remember the number of days in each month is a great example of an easy visual and spatial technique that helps you remember details.
Memorable visual images. The next time you have to remember a key item, try to create a memorable visual image that represents that item. Images are important because they connect directly to the visuospatial centers of the brain. Images help you remember difficult concepts by tapping into the visual areas
But you don’t just have to use images: the more senses you use, the easier it is to remember the information. Instead of just visualizing an image, try smelling, feeling and hearing it as well. For example, if you are trying to remember that the capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge, draw an image of a girl named Louise carrying a red baton.
The memory palace technique. This technique consists of visualizing a familiar place – such as the layout of your house or your bedroom – and using it as a visual space in which you can deposit the concept-images you want to remember. This technique can help you remember unrelated items, such as your shopping list. To use the memory palace technique, visualize your place (home or bedroom) and then imagine the items on your shopping list in different areas of the place
For example, imagine a cracked egg dripping on the edge of the table or a pile of apples on the couch. It may take some time to get used to this technique, but once you do, it will be faster and more effective. This Ted Talk explains memory palaces best.
Songs and jingles. Like the memory palace and pictures, songs or jingles use the right hemisphere of the brain and can help us remember complicated things like equations and lists
There are already many songs for things like the quadratic formula. Try Googling what you want to remember to see if someone has already created a tune. If not, try creating your own.
The five senses. Using as many senses as possible when studying helps you use more parts of your brain and retain information better. For example, if you are studying for an anatomy exam, take the anatomy models, feel each of the parts and say their names out loud.
Metaphors or animated visual analogies. This can help you not only remember but understand concepts, especially in math and science. A metaphor is a way of realizing that one thing is somehow similar to another
For example, think of the country of Syria as being shaped like a bowl of cereal and the country of Jordan as being like a Nike Air Jordan sneaker. Metaphors-especially visual ones-can stick in your mind for years. They help stick ideas in your mind because they make connections to neural structures that are already there.
