Trying to keep track of all the material you need to learn in college can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be frustrating. Your brain is capable of storing a vast amount of information, but it often needs a bit of help recalling it from memory. There are several memorizing techniques for you to give your brain the help it needs when you have to pull up certain pieces of information for an exam or quiz.
1. Use Repetition
One of the most basic ways to remember information is by repeating it. Doing this helps build a solid connection in your brain. When you need to memorize something, repeat the information to yourself several times. You can do this silently or out loud, although saying it out loud helps you remember it more. By using repetition, your brain becomes more familiar with the information you need to memorize.
2. Make Up Rhymes
Finding humorous ways to remember information is a fun way to memorize things. Make up short rhymes using the material you need to remember. This type of memorization helps the information stand out more which makes it easier for you to recall it for a test or exam. It gives you a more creative alternative than just using rote memorization.
3. Visualize It
Using your other senses, such as sight, gives your brain a more detailed version of the material you’re trying to remember. Forming a vivid mental picture of the item or concept you have to memorize makes it more likely that you will be able to recall it easily. You can also use actual images, graphs or diagrams to help your brain store the information you need to learn.
4. Write It Down
Taking notes or writing out exactly what you need to remember helps cement the information in your brain. It also makes it easier for you to focus only on what you need to remember while ignoring extraneous information. Reading out loud what you’ve written is an even better way to memorize the material you’re studying. Doing this helps your brain process the information and store it away until you need to recall it.
5. Break It Up
Breaking the information you need to memorize into smaller pieces makes it much easier to remember. Your brain has a much more difficult time trying to remember a large amount of material all at once. If you have a long list of items or concepts to memorize, group them into categories or divide them up into groups of three or four. Your brain will form a connection between these items or concepts which will help you recall them faster.
Using various methods of memorization gives you a better chance of being able to remember information. Some of these methods might work better for you than others. Practice using as many as you can to see which ones help you the most, then focus on those the next time you need to study for an exam. The more you use memorization tricks, the better you’ll do in school.
Harold Nichols is a freelance blogger, who sometimes writes on behalf of HomeTuitionAgency, an agency that offers home tutoring to help students excel in their studies.