
Instead, ask yourself questions and force yourself to remember it without looking at the answer or material. Often, students think they remember material just because it is familiar to them when they reread it. Make sure to actively quiz yourself-do not simply reread notes or a textbook. Quiz yourself every so often by actively recalling the information you are trying to study.

Try to review information just before you go to sleep-even if it’s only for a few minutes-and see if it helps embed the information in your memory. Studies show that your brain processes and stores information while you sleep. It’s a crazy link, but it can help that fact to stick. Link these two by imagining throwing your phone into a boiling ocean. For example, say you are trying to memorize the fact that water at sea level boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and 212 happens to be the first three digits of your best friend’s phone number. If you cannot think of a way to connect the information to something you already know, make up a crazy connection. Material in isolation is more difficult to remember than material that is connected to other concepts. Connect the information you are trying to memorize to something that you already know. If you find that you don’t understand the material, spend some time on understanding it before trying to memorize it. Information that is organized and makes sense to you is easier to memorize. Check out this video from the Learning Center for a quick explanation of many of these tips. In addition to visual and spatial memory techniques, there are many others tricks you can use to help your brain remember information. Keep reading for an introduction to effective memorization techniques that will help you in school. Finally, memory tricks like these lead to understanding and higher order thinking.

These techniques can also enable you to remember some concepts for years or even for life. Memory tricks help you expand your working memory and access long term memory. Research shows that students who use memory tricks perform better than those who do not. Fortunately, though, memorizing is not just for an elite group of people born with the right skills-anyone can train and develop their memorizing abilities.Ĭompetitive memorizers claim that practicing visualization techniques and using memory tricks enable them to remember large chunks of information quickly. Many students feel like they simply do not have strong memory skills. Memorizing for one class can be difficult, but it can be even more frustrating when you have multiple classes. Many college courses require you to memorize mass amounts of information.
