| Memory-Enhancing Tips for Learning |
| It’s not always about studying harder, but about studying smarter. Follow these tips to help your brain absorb more, no matter what your age. |
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START FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC. Learn the big ideas first before moving on to their specific details. When you study and understand the general concepts first, the details make more sense – and have a better chance of sticking in your memory. |
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ORGANISE WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING. Learning something in a particular order and making intentional associations between ideas – for example, understanding how one idea is related to another – make it easy for you to remember all the details. You can simply organise the ideas in your head, or even write them down on paper by creating an outline of the subject matter. |
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ORGANISE THROUGH ASSOCIATION. When you associate things in your memory, thinking of one helps bring the other to mind. Relating one idea to another creates a “mental path” so that ideas are laid together in a line in your head. You use this “mental path,” for example, when you lose your keys and try to mentally retrace your steps from where you are all the way to when you first entered your house. |
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| There are different kinds of association: |
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Relate the material to yourself. You can process information more deeply, and also create meaningful associations, by relating the new idea to your life, your experience, or your goals. If you can link new information to what’s already stored in your brain, your memories will be the mental hooks to which new ideas have a better chance of sticking. |
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Group ideas by categories or subjects. For example, instead of remembering a random list of groceries, try grouping them according to kind: milk and soda under beverages, apples and oranges and papaya under fruits, and so on. Sometimes, the groupings don’t seem natural – they may seem far out, but if they help you remember, then group things any way you like. |
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Get creative with your associations. When learning something new, try pairing it with something you know very well, such as images, music, word play, whatever. The association does not have to make sense. Sometimes, funny associations have a better chance at recall. For example, if you have to remember the name of someone you just met, try making up a colourful story in your head about the way this person dresses or moves and relate it to his or her name. The more interesting your story, the bigger the possibility you will recall the name. |
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ACTIVE LEARNING. Simply put, pay attention to what you’re learning and make an effort to understand it, ask questions and discuss them with a group. When you fully grasp a new concept, it has a better chance of being imbedded in your memory. |
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REMEMBER WITH VISUALS. Sometimes, it’s easier to absorb an idea if you see it in pictures or in a table or graph. Translate a difficult material into actual pictures or diagrams, or convert words into mental images. You can also remember words, theories, or algebraic formulas more vividly if you write them down. When you draw or write down things you want to remember, you get to see them on paper – you also get the chance to think about the information more deeply. |
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TALK IT OUT. When trying to memorise something, it can help to actually recite the information aloud. Repeating information aloud can help you encode the information in your brain. Talking about it with a study partner also helps you understand a material better. |
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IMAGINE YOU’RE THE TEACHER. This forces you to organise the material in a way that makes sense to you and to understand it enough so that you can be confident about teaching it. This also helps you anticipate potential questions your students may ask – and therefore help you determine the potential questions that may appear in the exam or interview you’re preparing for. |
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