Memory Aids
Do you find that you have trouble remembering things like your grocery list or the formulas for your math exam?
Memory aids (mnemonics) have been shown to help with this. Studies find that using mnemonics can increase test scores up to 77%!
Mnemonic memory aids are any learning techniques that help us remember things better.
Below are several mnemonics that can be used alone or combined with other mnemonic techniques to increase your memory.
Acronyms are words or abbreviations that are formed from the first letters of other words.
You create a scene in your mind and visualize the things that you need to remember located in places in the scene.
Associative Imagery. These associate an image with characters or objects whose names sound like the item that has to be memorized.
A way of remembering information by separating it into small groups or chunks.
Effective to link two pieces of information. Good for remembering definitions and words. This has two steps, find a key word and associated it with a picture.
This involves thinking about the meaning of the term to be remembered, instead of simply repeating it to yourself, then associating it with something you already know.
This creates mental associations between items to be remembered and items that you already associate with numbers, sometimes as rhymes.
This is a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts. It connects a central idea to all of its components.
TIPS
When we teach, we learn (Roman philosopher Seneca). Pretend to or actually teach someone what you need to learn. Make a PowerPoint. Research shows that students who are teaching other students score higher on tests than students who are learning for their own sake. This is called the "protégé effect."
Sleep. Our understanding of memory is that while we sleep, our brain encodes information into our long term memory. Long term memory is where information is stored to pass our tests. Getting enough sleep, and sleeping after studying helps us remember. So, pulling an all-nighter to cram for a test actually interferes with the efficiency of our memory. You have to study harder and longer.
Exercise! In our brain, the hippocampus is where long term memories are stored. Studies show that exercise not only improves our memory, but intense aerobic exercise that increases your heart rate actually results in growth and development of new neurons in the hippocampus. Plus, exercise help us sleep better, which also helps our memory.
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