5 Best Memory Techniques for Your Study Sessions

Many students face difficulties with their studies due to a lack of good memory. It’s still an open question if the education system itself is perfect in terms of judging every student equally, based on their knowledge and, thus, often good memorization skills. As all we know, intellect can’t always help during your test if you just can’t remember what that paragraph you were reading yesterday was about. Of course, it’s not an excuse, but it’s still a pretty bad situation to be in.

You might spend a lot of time reading your notes and textbooks like a real hard-working student but end up sitting on the exam with no good thought in your head. Does it sound familiar? Are you tired of rereading the notes after the exam and thinking, “I’ve read this, why couldn’t I remember it?” over and over again? That is a pretty common problem, actually. There are, of course, some students who have kind of photographic memory, but if you are reading this post, chances are you are not one of them.

Though our professional team can help you manage your assignments, studying for the finals is still on you. So, if you want to improve your memory and try out some hacks on how to memorize the material better, keep reading this article.

Read Aloud

Reading aloud is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about memory techniques. It might seem banal, but it is, in fact, pretty useful. Try to read a paragraph or two aloud. It will definitely take more time than usual, but it is worth it. Be sure to focus on the content of the text. You will see that it is much easier to understand and memorize. Take your time while reading – give your brain some time to perceive, understand, and organize information rather than racing through your text.

Repeat

It’s easier to learn when you have an opportunity to repeat the material either by reading or listening to it more than once. Read the material multiple times or, if you don’t have much time, reread the key points. By the way, we have some awesome tips for you on how to spend less time on homework.

Read Again in the Morning

The majority of students have their study sessions in the evening, many even pulling all-nighters. If you study in the evening (especially late in the evening) too, go to bed when you’re finished but look through the material one more time in the morning.

Make Notes or Doodle

It’s scientifically proved that writing down the key points or quick summaries of what you have just read makes it much easier and effective for your brain to understand and remember information. So, take this as a rule – write a little summary after reading a chapter or two.

Doodling is also very effective when it comes to remembering information. Once you need to remember something, draw a little doodle in your notebook. Associate the drawing with the material, maybe draw a little illustration of the phenomena or the fact that you need to remember. Reading or listening to the information isn’t enough, especially for the visual learners, so try these techniques the next time during your study session or even during your class.

Build Your Palace

A memory palace is a concept that implies organizing your memories using visualization and imagination. It is a pretty cool and useful technique that, if mastered, can provide you with amazing results. So, how do you do it?

Close your eyes and think about the place that you visited and remember vividly. It might be your room or your favorite café. The important thing is to be able to visualize the interior in detail. This is your mind palace. Then give the information that you need to remember a visual form. It might be anything that you would like, from a piece of paper with written information to a big apple that you associate with the info. Place this item in your palace – put it in the drawer or on the table, or even hang it on the wall.

Now, you will be able to come back to your palace when you need it and find the information that you are seeking.

Use Mnemonics

Mnemonics are used when a person needs to remember some core concepts, lists, or sequences. You have probably learned a few in the elementary school, like “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November…” or “ROY G. BIV.” Now, you can create your mnemonics whenever you need to remember, for example, a list of bacterial endocarditis signs:

FROM JANE: Fever – Roth’s spots – Osler’s nodes – Murmur – Janeway lesions – Anemia – Nail hemorrhages – Emboli

You can use mnemonics for almost anything that you need to remember. Create ones that will stick on your mind for a long time – something funny will do the best. Also, check out our article on how to make your writing fun.

Use the Power of Your Senses

When it comes to remembering something, your five senses are there to help you. You might have already been in a situation when a smell brings some old memories back, and they become very real and vivid. You can use this for your studies as well.

For example, many articles and studies confirm that if chewing the gum during your study sessions and then chewing it during the exam, it will make remembering the information much easier.

You might also try it with different scents – for example, the smell of your favorite perfume or some kind of specific smell – some particular flower you smell while studying, fruit, or even such scents as a brand-new paper or an eraser.

Wrapping Up

It’s always frustrating when you can’t remember the particular chemical formula or a historical date when writing an exam. Develop your skills, keep your mind sharp, and use the techniques from our article to get prepared for your next exam. Good luck!