Ten tips to help
your memory
improve
Jun 7th, 2010 by Ahmed.
Before you study for
your next exam, you
might want to use a
few strategies to
boost your memory of
important information.
There are a number of
tried and tested
techniques for
improving memory.
These strategies have
been established within
cognitive psychology
literature and offer a
number of great ways
to improve memory,
enhance recall and
increase retention of
information.
1. Focus your attention
on the materials you
are studying.
Attention is one of the
major components of
memory. In order for
information to move
from short-term
memory into long-term
memory, you need to
actively attend to this
information. Try to
study in a place free of
distractions such as
television, music and
other diversions.
2. Avoid cramming by
establishing regular
study sessions.
According to Bjork
(2001), studying
materials over a
number of session’s
gives you the time you
need to adequately
process the
information. Research
has shown that
students who study
regularly remember the
material far better that
those did all of their
studying in one
marathon session.
3. Structure and
organize the
information you are
studying.
Researchers have found
that information is
organized in memory in
related clusters. You can
take advantage of this
by structuring and
organizing the materials
you are studying. Try
grouping similar
concepts and terms
together, or make an
outline of your notes
and textbook readings
to help group related
concepts.
4. Utilize mnemonic
devices to remember
information.
Mnemonic devices are a
technique often used by
students to aid in recall.
A mnemonic is simply a
way to remember
information. For
example, you might
associate a term you
need to remember with
a common item that
you are very familiar
with. The best
mnemonics are those
that utilize positive
imagery, humor or
novelty. You might
come up with a rhyme,
song or joke to help
remember a specific
segment of
information.
5. Elaborate and
rehearse the
information you are
studying.
In order to recall
information, you need
to encode what you are
studying into long-term
memory. One of the
most effective
encoding techniques is
known as elaborative
rehearsal. An example
of this technique would
be to read the definition
of a key term, study
the definition of that
term and then read a
more detailed
description of what
that term means. After
repeating this process a
few times, your recall
of the information will
be far better.
6. Relate new
information to things
you already know.
When you are studying
unfamiliar material,
take the time to think
about how this
information relates to
things that you already
know. By establishing
relationships between
new ideas and
previously existing
memories, you can
dramatically increase
the likelihood of recalling
the recently learned
information.
7. Visualize concepts to
improve memory and
recall.
Many people benefit
greatly from visualizing
the information they
study. Pay attention to
the photographs, charts
and other graphics in
your textbooks. If you
do not have visual cues
to help, try creating
your own. Draw charts
or figures in the
margins of your notes
or use highlighters or
pens in different colors
to group related ideas in
your written study
materials.
8. Teach new concepts
to another person.
Research suggests that
reading materials out
loud significantly
improves memory of
the material. Educators
and psychologists have
also discovered that
having students
actually teach new
concepts to others
enhances understanding
and recall. You can use
this approach in your
own studies by
teaching new concepts
and information to a
friend or study partner.
9. Pay extra attention
to difficult information.
Have you ever noticed
how it’s sometimes
easier to remember
information at the
beginning or end of a
chapter? Researchers
have found that the
position of information
can play a role in recall,
which is known as the
serial position effect.
While recalling middle
information can be
difficult, you can
overcome this problem
by spending extra time
rehearsing this
information or try
restructuring the
information so it will be
easier to remember.
When you come across
an especially difficult
concept, devote some
extra time to
memorizing the
information.
10. Vary your study
routine.
Another great way to
increase your recall is to
occasionally change your
study routine. If you are
accustomed to studying
in one specific location,
try moving to a
different spot to study.
If you study in the
evening, try to spend a
few minutes each
morning reviewing the
information you studied
the previous night. By
adding an element of
novelty to your study
sessions, you can
increase the
effectiveness of your
efforts and significantly
improve your long-term
recall.