Have you seen the movie Limitless? The main character found a special pill that allowed him to recall all experience and memorize things quicker whenever he needed to.
Too bad this isn’t true for real life! Unfortunately, we forget a lot of information over the course of our lives.
In this post we’ll share with you some simple memorization tips and a universal formula that will retrieve any information from memory when you need it. Ready? Let’s get started!
First of all, it’s important to remember your brain is like a hard drive. The space is limited! Remember that Sherlock Holmes couldn’t name all the planets of the solar system. He wasn’t stupid, it’s just that he was too smart to have such irrelevant information in his memory.
Instead, Sherlock deliberately erased facts he would never need from his memory. We all do this to some degree. Some of us are less conscious about it than Sherlock, but your brain deletes unneeded information for you regardless. This protects you from overloading with information. That’s why all new data is stored in the short-term memory not the long one. If you don’t repeat it or use it you forget it very quickly.
A German psychologist named Hermann Ebbinghaus researched the memory and its mechanisms. He described the forgetting curve by showing that just one hour after learning something new we forget more than half of the learned information.
One day later we remember only about 30%. You get the idea!
So how to remember everything? There is a memorization technique called spaced repetition to keep some information in your head for a longer time when you need something in your long-term memory. It also helps to find a few good study tips to apply to your habits.
Forced memorization is not very effective in this case because your brain can’t make sense of the information quickly and form strong associations. It all depends on the reason why you are learning something.
There are two big strategies to consider to memorize things quicker:
The first is when you need to learn the information quickly, use it once, and forget most of it. This looks like a typical exam preparation.
To memorize something quickly, repeat the information right after learning it. The second repetition should be after 15 to 20 minutes. You don’t need to return to the information between repetitions. Instead, just rest and do something different to let your brain relax. Then repeat the learned material the third time after 6 to 8 hours. You should have the final repetition 24 hours after the first contact with the information.
But how do you memorize something if you want to remember things for a long time? If you need to extend the memorization period, here’s the plan:
a. The first repetition should be right after learning just like in the previous technique. Then repeat the material after 20 to 30 minutes.
b. The third repetition should be only after one day.
c. The next one comes after two to three weeks.
d. The final round is after two to three months.
This way you can learn something for a very long time. The brain thinks that if you return to the information it means that it’s necessary, so it doesn’t get erased.
With that said, here are eleven simple tips that will help you memorize things quicker!
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1. Try to understand what you learn
You probably know the feeling when you’re learning something but you don’t understand. The information usually turns into a nightmare because it looks like learning a poem that has no rhyme.
Another bad thing about learning something you don’t understand is that
if you forget some part of it you will not be able to continue. This is because you have only memorized the order of words and not their actual meaning. Instead, you should read the entire piece of information and figure out what the main point or points are.
Try to retell what you have read using your own words. Do it as simply as you can. If you are successful that means you understood the information and now it will be way easier to memorize the details.
2. Learn the most necessary information
If you feel like you have too much on your plate, set your priorities correctly. Decide what you have to know and what you can do without just fine. Focus on the key parts of what you need to memorize. If you find some time to devote to the less important information, that’s great but it can be done later.
3. Embrace the serial position effect
No this is not when you position your Cheerios on the right side of the table and your homework on the left when learning something new! Things that are at the beginning and the end are memorized the best. Use this effect to your advantage. Sort the information so that the key parts are at the beginning and at the end.
4. Interference theory rocks!
Switch your attention from one topic to another and from one activity to another. For example, you’re preparing for a public talk. You’ve learned the text for 15 minutes. Now it’s time to take a break and rest every 15 to 20 minutes. This is the period when attention is at its best. Others call this the Pomodoro technique, and it gets summed up well with Study Skills tutors.
Unfortunately, people usually stop being attentive during this time. The best thing you can do is switch to something completely different like playing the guitar or blasting bush campers on Fortnite.
Another thing you should be careful with is learning similar information. Interference theory suggests that similar memories get mixed up and become a mess. That’s why if you know you’re about to learn something that at least remotely resembles what you’ve already learned, we recommend taking a long break before starting something new.
5. Learn opposite things
Opposites are easily memorized in pairs. If you’re learning a new
language, work on learning at the beginning of the day and at night too. This way, you will build a connection between these two events in your mind. If you forget one study session, the second one will help you recall.
6. Build your own mind palace
This is about Sherlock Holmes again. Do you remember how he could travel in his mind palace for hours looking for the necessary information?
The idea is to associate items to memorize with a certain object. If you are in your room, try to connect the thing you are learning to something in your room. Recall the objects a few times after that to recall what the room looks like in your memory and repeat the things you associated with each object.
Want to make this technique even better? Divide all the concepts you need to memorize into a few parts. Then place these parts in different parts of your apartment. Better yet, place them in different places in your city.
This way the memorized information won’t be something dull or boring. Instead, it will be associated with some other memories like smells of places and people you saw there.
7. Use nail words
The point of this technique is to nail one learned thing to another. If you need to memorize the French word for nail, you should also look up wall, hammer, and other related words that you can logically connect to nail.
8. Make up stories
If you need to memorize a lot of information in a particular order, try to put the pieces into a story. It’s important that the pieces are connected to each other with some kind of plot. This way, if you accidentally forget something, you can always recall what was supposed to happen next in the story.
Yes, this might seem like you need even more effort but it’s true! Believe us, it works wonders!
9. Use a tape recorder
Record the information somehow you are learning and listen to the recording a few times. We don’t think anyone uses tape recorders anymore, but you get the point!
Yes, it might take you some time to get used to the sound of your voice. It might seem strange or unpleasant in the beginning, but this method is handy because it allows all types of memory to work.
First, you read the information so you can see it with your eyes. Then you hear it with your ears. The more contact you have with what you are learning, the better you can memorize it!
10. Visualize
Use your body language when learning. This will help you trigger your muscle memory. Use expressive gestures to recite to yourself what you just learned in front of a mirror. Emotions like anger and awe have the strongest effect on us. With a little acting, this technique will internalize your studies.
11. Choose only the best materials
Don’t use outdated books and methods of learning. Things have changed a lot since textbooks were written. Don’t waste your time on something that may turn out to be wrong. Go online and check the most recent information on the subject.
Content originally posted on YouTube by Brightside