With final exams right around the corner, you may be struggling to remember all of the chemistry terms you have learned this semester. Or, you may be putting off studying for your history exam because you are not good at remembering dates. Well, quit delaying!!!Perhaps some of these memory tricks that I stumbled upon in Reader's Digest will help you remember that the Civil War ended in 1865 and that Potassium’s symbol on the Periodic Table is K.
1. Pay Attention – When you see or read something you are going to need to remember.
2. Visualize It
3. Create Memorable Associations – Mentally associate a person or thing with another person or thing you know of with a similar name.
4. Make Notes – For example, when you are trying to remember someone’s name, make notes on the back of business card specifying what they looked like.
5. Retracing the Track(s) – Mentally or physically.
6. Turn it Into a Routine – e.g. Every time you think of the term ‘Acute’, mentally associate it with a ‘cute little girl’.
7. Sing It – Create a corny song if you have to.
8. Try Mnemonic Devices – e.g. ROY G BIV
9. Use Your Body – Remember multiple things according to major body parts. Start at your feet and work your way up. For example, if you have to remember 5 types of stones, think: Feet = Flagstone, Legs = Limestone, Torso = Terazzo, Arms = Agglomerate, & Face = Fossilstone.
10. Go Roman – Using rooms of association. Associate rooms in your house to what you need to memorize.
11. Rhyme It
12. Practice your ABCs – If you are drawing a blank, say the alphabet aloud or in your head. When you get to the first letter of the word you are trying to recall, it should dawn on you.
13. Read it, Type it, Say it, Hear it – The more interactive you get with the material, the more you will be able to recall.
14. Color Coordinate – Use hi-liters, colored flash cards, etc. Colors are mind triggers.
15. Make a Mental Map – Imagine an intersection, place a word, fact or number on each street corner.
I know most people may already know some of these study techniques but it is still nice to see them all together. I admit I am one of those people who find studying very difficult and was looking for some new ideas. Another student suggested this site. You mentioned some old favorites of mine and some that I had never heard of but am going to have to try for my fast approaching final exam. I thought saying the abc’s was a joke until I gave it a try and remembered the name of a psychiatrist I had spent ten minutes skimming my chapter for.
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