Brainy Dose Presents:
How To Memorize Fast And Easily
Whether it’s a new technology, a foreign language, or an advanced skill, being a quick
learner can certainly give you an edge, but using the following memorization techniques
can have an even greater effect on your brain!
First, you learn the information at hand, and second, you become better at remembering
over time.
Here are some of the most commonly used techniques that can help you with everything from memorizing
a speech to remembering names of new people you meet!
Number 1 - The Loci Technique
Popularly known as “The Memory Palace”, this technique is believed to have been developed
in Ancient Greece, and it’s easy to use.
All you have to do, is try to associate each item you’re trying to remember with a specific
image and a place.
The effectiveness of this technique relies on your ability to mentally see and walk around
in that place with ease.
A good first choice could be your own home.
Now go on and mentally walk around your Memory Palace.
After you go through the door, what’s in the first room?
What is the next feature that catches your attention?
It may be the table in the dining room, or a picture on the wall.
Continue making mental notes of those features as you go, and use each as a “memory slot”
to store a single piece of information.
You can use this technique to memorize tons of information, from lists, to birthdays,
names and faces.
Number 2 - Mnemonics
We’ve all encountered mnemonics as kids.
Whether it was to learn the alphabet, or number of days in each month, we were presented with
acronyms, music or rhyme to remember and retrieve information.
Another popular mnemonic is memorable sentences that are constructed out of words that start
with the same letter as the items you are trying to memorize.
While most mnemonics can be a bit tricky to remember, once you do, it’s going to be
preserved in your mind for a long time.
Number 3 - The Storytelling Technique
Stories encompass all the qualities of information that makes our brain love and remember it,
which are vivid and colorful pictures and engaging plot-lines.
By creating different images that include items you need to memorize, and connecting
them in a sequence, you create a story your brain can follow.
For example, say you're trying to remember that you need to buy milk, eggs, and bread
at the grocery store.
You might picture taking a bath in milk, stepping out onto the bathroom floor which is covered
in eggshells, and drying yourself off with slices of bread.
Weird, yes, but that's the key - you want to make the items stand out in your mind!
Number 4 - Chunking
The chunking technique is all about grouping items together in order to remember them easier.
Most people come across this technique when they are trying to memorize phone numbers,
social security numbers, or bank account numbers; but this technique can be used for other types
of information as well.
The key aspect that makes this technique work is grouping things based on semantic encoding,
meaning things are put in groups according to context or pattern.
Number 5 - The Building Technique
This is a technique that can be built on top of the techniques I just mentioned.
And it can actually help you expand much further beyond simply recalling facts, names and phone
numbers.
While recalling facts can be helpful, nothing beats deep knowledge and a profound understanding.
This, however, cannot be achieved by a mere recalling of things.
A fact or a concept that you understand has a much higher chance of sticking in your memory
compared to something you just memorized.
Once you introduce a sense of understanding and meaning to the things you are trying to
remember, you can both remember things better and apply them in different contexts.
The building technique is mostly useful when you need to remember bigger, more complex
concepts or facts.
The key element of this method is to relate facts and concepts to each other, in order
to help you understand them better.
Number 6 - Mind Maps
Mind maps are mostly known for their benefit in increasing creative thinking.
But they can also be used for learning new information or simply organizing it in a more
coherent way.
For example, if you are new to a job, you can use mind maps to better understand the
products and services your company is offering; Or even develop your own sales and marketing
techniques.
All you need is a piece of paper and a pen, and start by writing down the main topic or
idea you are trying to remember.
Proceed by connecting it to sub-topics with simple lines as they relate to each other.
The further away from the main topic you are, the more in detail you get about the topic.
Number 7 - Write It, Don't Type It
Put away your laptop, because you're more likely to remember information if you write
your notes by hand!
When you're writing by hand, your brain is more active in forming each letter, compared
to typing on a keyboard where each letter is represented by identical keys.
Also, research has shown that when people take notes on their laptops, they tend to
transcribe information verbatim.
Conversely, when taking notes by hand, we tend to reframe the information in our own
words – it’s a more active kind of learning.
Number 8 - Learn In Short Bursts
Brief, frequent learning sessions are much more effective than longer, infrequent ones.
Experts suggest dedicating 30-50 minutes to learning new material.
Anything less than 30 is just not enough, but anything more than 50 is too much information
for your brain to take in at one time.
Once you’re done, take a 5 to 10 minute break, before you start another session.
Number 9 - Repetition
You might find it silly that we put this one on the list, but even though most people know
that “repetition is key”, few actually practice it.
With simple concepts and words, you might have to repeat them up to 30 times before
they stick for good.
Bigger things, such as speeches or presentations, may require more repetitions.
Unless you are trying to memorize specific facts or words, try to understand the essence
of what you are trying to memorize in order to avoid hiccups and making mistakes.
Number 10 - Pretend You’ll Have To Teach It
If you imagine that you’ll need to teach someone else the material or task you are
trying to grasp, you can speed up your learning and remember more.
The expectation changes your mind-set, so that you engage in more effective approaches
to learning; As opposed to those who simply learn to pass a test.
While memory might still be a mystery to us, studies have shown that these techniques will
help you memorize fast and easily, and retain more of what you learn.
Try them out and let us know what you think, or share your favorite memorization techniques
in the comments below!
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