Memorization - Share Tips and Tricks!

Malakaiii

I noticed in some of the other forums that people are having trouble with memorizing things in their courses. So here's a place for everyone to share their ideas... or what they need help with!

One thing I do is use sentences to remember a group of ideas. A favourite from childhood was the compass directions: Never Eat Shredded Wheat (North, East, South, West). Of course that is very simplistic, but it does the trick!

How do you guys remember things?

toast

dont attempt to memorize it at all.

For me, I look/read without any attempt of memorizing it, for 10 to 15 mins. Keep on repeating this everyday. By the end of the week, at least SOMETHING will get in ur head

Malakaiii

Ah okay, so you use short and frequent bursts. But what happens when you have five huge textbooks and need to read many chapters each week?

toast

Malakaiii said:

Ah okay, so you use short and frequent bursts. But what happens when you have five huge textbooks and need to read many chapters each week?

ok, after u read portion of it. Relax, and think deeply about what you read. Don't read it then attempt to memorize it right away, cause it wont work. One more thing tho, no one (almost)can read it and get it the first time, so you should go back to and scan it a bit. They say it works better if you learn it as an interest instead for marks. I agree too - only if marks doesn't count at all.

P.S: I assume that those five huge textbooks readings are the result of procasintation, is it not?

illicit

understand concepts instead of straight up regurgitating the fact with memorization

Malakaiii

toast said:

ok, after u read portion of it. Relax, and think deeply about what you read. Don't read it then attempt to memorize it right away, cause it wont work. One more thing tho, no one (almost)can read it and get it the first time, so you should go back to and scan it a bit. They say it works better if you learn it as an interest instead for marks. I agree too - only if marks doesn't count at all.

P.S: I assume that those five huge textbooks readings are the result of procasintation, is it not?

Yeah, re-reading is a good suggestion, as is actually caring about the topic at hand! Thanks for the tips. :smile:

And the 5 textbooks is a hypothetical situation, as I know from taking many Psych or Bio classes at one time that those textbooks can pile up! And often they assign a chapter a week. I don't often fall behind on the readings, but I know that many people do! And especially if you need to re-read the chapter to help remember the information (as you wisely suggested), the reading alone can take up a good chunk of your life!

meesh

um, i have a very weird kind of memory. i have a photographic memory, so i remember things by what I see, like lecture slides, or when i'm reading a textbook, I just remember where everything is. i would even know which subtopics came after one another in a chapter. but the thing is i'm not trying to remember these things on purpose, it just...happens that way? if that makes sense?

this is the way i've always seemed to pick up on things. i don't know if anyone can really "use" this tactic, but it really works for me.

Bhambra

Que cards are a gal's best friend:embarassed:

( I don't use them... but one or two times that i have... they were :omg: ... thas right :omg: !! )

b

Malakaiii

I have a hard time with using flashcards... They take SO long to make the damn things that I never want to look at them again!

Bhambra

....... even the process of making them helps you memorize things. .. it's truuu guyss!

NukeChem

I've never used flash cards. However I find that the more I read over something, especially if I've done the homework on it and thought about it, the more it sticks in my mind.

What helps for me is even if they're not allowed, I make up what would be a "cheat sheet" for the course. The process of doing so helps get the equations and concepts into my mind so even if the exam doesn't allow a cheat sheet (and of course I don't bring it into the exam in that case!), my mind has some retention of what I looked over. :smile:

Bhambra

[QUOTE=NukeChem]What helps for me is even if they're not allowed, I make up what would be a "cheat sheet" for the course. QUOTE]



I do that too. Its nice having one piece of paper with all the equations, and formulas and key concepts on it ya kno?! :teeth:

Jimmy

i also have a good photographic memory :teeth: but if im digesting large amounts I usually read it and at the same time write notes about it and i keep on doing that so it stays in my head and stays in my hand (like if i cant think of it my hand will write it out for me) What I learnt from studying physics; write, dont think!!

Tinana

Never Eat Shreaded Wheat????

Mine was Never Ever Smoke Weed...

and what do you mean by CHILDHOOD?! I still use it.. :$:$:$ haha

Oh and for memory. I'm pretty much hopeless.
I've gotta write things out like soooo many times before I can remember.
When I cram, I can't remember anything. So I always prepare weeks in advance..

illicit

meesh said:

um, i have a very weird kind of memory. i have a photographic memory,

DAM YOUUUU *shakes fist

Bhambra

illicit said:

DAM YOUUUU *shakes fist

a photographic memoryy?!?!? grrr !!!!!

Helen

lol well i dont really have a photographic memory but i am really good at remembering things that were said in lectures really well... i barely need to invest in textbooks:P but that doesnt work in interactive classes, such as math and spanish.. mostly for the lecture/note taking based ones

Smartso

Good idea for a thread!

Memorization has never been my forte but repetition usually helps a lot when I am studying for an exam. For example, I will write key phrases down with a pencil all over the place, repeat them to myself and occasionally even talk to myself (I get weird looks from family members passing by my room all the time). Once it clicks it usually sticks so I try to stick with it until I have a majority of what I need to know memorized.

I've always liked the idea of flashcards but have never been disciplined enough to actually go and make them. The best I can do is type up my notes on my computer and study from that. Good suggestions so far...

toast

flash card=waste of trees

hta

toast said:

flash card=waste of trees

Yeah, totally.
The best way is to write important things in the palm of ur hand to look at during exams. This is not cheating, its called being smart.
:teeth:

Malakaiii

I sort of doubt that anyone here actually has a TRUE photographic memory. It's mostly savants and people who are geniuses who actually have it! It's also called Eidetic Memory.

But I do know what you mean about being able to remember headings or know that a certain sentence was in the bottom left of some page. Memory works in weird ways!

I really don't do a lot of notetaking because it screws up how I'm remembering things. If I actually listen to the prof I remember things better than if I'm half-listening and madly writing.

Another neat memory thing, I found that I encode things based on where I am when I learn it. So I remember things better if I'm in the same room or looking at the same thing.

Lots of great ideas so far! Keep 'em coming!

Malakaiii

Has anyone used the Loci Method to remember things?

Basically you imagine a path that you frequently walk or a room that you know really well and then you attach what you have to remember to those things. So if you wanted to remember what you need to buy at the store, you might picture milk, bread and vegetables in specific spots in that room.

It sounds like it might work, but it also sounds complicated.

melissaw28

hta said:

The best way is to write important things in the palm of ur hand to look at during exams. This is not cheating, its called being smart.
:teeth:

no, I'm pretty sure it's called cheating

hta

melissaw28 said:

no, I'm pretty sure it's called cheating

It's not cheating if no one notices it. Clean your hands after to hide the evidence, too.
I have always done this and it works.
:teeth:

TiNgLu_SiNgH

Malakaiii said:

Has anyone used the Loci Method to remember things?

Basically you imagine a path that you frequently walk or a room that you know really well and then you attach what you have to remember to those things. So if you wanted to remember what you need to buy at the store, you might picture milk, bread and vegetables in specific spots in that room.

It sounds like it might work, but it also sounds complicated.

Thats actually a really useful method for "visual thinkers" I've done this to some extent, I just didnt know it had a name or how to describe it. I don't do it as elaborately as the link that Malakaii gave but to some extent, it is useful visualizing things that realate to what you are trying to memorize

NukeChem

hta said:

It's not cheating if no one notices it. Clean your hands after to hide the evidence, too.
I have always done this and it works.
:teeth:

As a TA I have to go on record as officially stating this is, in fact, cheating if you're not allowed access to reference materials during the exam. If you're allowed a cheat sheet, then why bother writing on your hand?

hta

NukeChem said:

As a TA I have to go on record as officially stating this is, in fact, cheating if you're not allowed access to reference materials during the exam. If you're allowed a cheat sheet, then why bother writing on your hand?

:omg: :angry: :cry: :unlove: :thumbs_down:

Malakaiii

For anyone who benefits from rewriting things or needs to work through a few problems to understand a theory, I have a suggestion!

I bought a huge whiteboard from Staples (I think it was $20, but they have fancier ones for more) and some snazzy coloured pens. I'm studying for my math exam tomorrow and I've been doing sample questions on the board. It's been VERY useful! It's nice to be able to quickly erase and start on something new. Plus you can stand back and take a look at it.

(Plus the board is fun when my friends are here cuz they draw all over it. :wink:)

Rhea

Malakaiii said:

For anyone who benefits from rewriting things or needs to work through a few problems to understand a theory, I have a suggestion!

I bought a huge whiteboard from Staples (I think it was $20, but they have fancier ones for more) and some snazzy coloured pens. I'm studying for my math exam tomorrow and I've been doing sample questions on the board. It's been VERY useful! It's nice to be able to quickly erase and start on something new. Plus you can stand back and take a look at it.

(Plus the board is fun when my friends are here cuz they draw all over it. :wink:)

Thats so smart!

Malakaiii

Another thing I've learned studying for this semester's exams is to make use of your short-term memory as well! One last peek at your notes before going into the exam can be really helpful to keep one or two ideas in mind as you write.