Nothing is necessary. School is a competition just like everything else. If you memorize the periodic table, it will give you an edge over other students who haven't memorized it. Aka hard work pays off.
If you mean CHEM 100 you'll have to memorize it during the course. If you mean >100, you're supposed to know how to "classify elements as metal, non-metal, or metalloid and locate them on the periodic table" in high school. and SFU tends to start above what's taught in the minimum high school curricula rather than ensuring students have a solid foundation.
Here He Lies Beneath Bed Clothes, Nothing On, Feeling Nervous. Naughty Margaret Always Sighs, "Please Stop Clowning Around." That's the first 18.
I'd say your best bet, though, is to make your own mnemonic with the whole thing at least till you have enough practice to remember off-the-cuff. That way, if you blank on an exam you can easily scribble it out. I always miss words in mnemonics like this because they're not how I talk.
Also, Quizlet.com is awesome for flashcards. I use Audacity to record the flashcards being spoken by the computer, toss it on my phone, then listen to it in my car--awesome for language vocabulary (it has a bunch of different ones on there)
Comments
Try the Periodical Table Song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgVQKCcfwnU