The Education Blog

Sometimes we wish we had a memory chip like computers do. This way we could remember the entire exam material by just reading it once. It would save so much time and nerves.

But the fact that human memory can contain more information than a computer chip (even the most powerful ones) is extremely pleasing. We remember things that happened many years ago or we can picture situations we’ve been in with the slightest details. If you feel like you don’t have this ability, you should start exercising your brain.

Your memory consists of short-term memory (you remember the most recent information but forget it after some time, like telephone numbers) and long-term memory (remembrances that stay with you forever, like personal experiences and very important information). You should work on improving your long-term memory by following these tips:

• Concentrate – If you feel that you need to remember very important information, don’t get distracted and avoid multitasking. Find a peaceful place and pay attention to what you hear or see.

• Visual and auditory memory - Use the advantages of your brain. Some people are very good at visual memory (visual learners) while others at auditory (auditory learners). If you have good visual memory, take a lot of notes and go through them often. You can even draw what you are learning. Most visual learners can recall information in a book by just having a glance at the page. If you are an auditory learner, keep yourself busy with nothing but listening. You can record the lecture and listen to it whenever you have free time.

• Use mnemonic devices - In this case it doesn’t matter much if you are a visual or an auditory learner. Try to connect the information with smells, tastes, sounds or images. Associate names with everyday objects or jokes. Try to use acronyms and acrostics (a series of lines, the first letters of which form a word).

• Review – Review the information you learned the next day, then the following day and so on. Each time pay attention to the things you forgot and learn them over again.

Photo: © uis de bethencourt

No related posts.