How To Memorize Things Quicker Than Other People
People
like to joke that the only thing you really “learn” in school is how to
memorize. As it turns out, that’s not even the case for most of us. If you go
around the room and ask a handful of people how to memorize things quickly,
most of them will probably tell you repetition.
That
is so far from the truth, it’s running for office. If you want to memorize
something quickly and thoroughly, repetition won’t cut it; however, recalling
something will. The problem is that recalling something requires learning, and
we all learn in different ways. Below are some universal steps to mastering the
art of recalling so that you can start memorizing a ton of data in a short
amount of time.
Before
we start, you need to establish something: are you an auditory, visual, or
experiential learner? If you’re an auditory learner, then the most effective
way for you to grasp information is by hearing it. As you can imagine, visual
learners favor seeing something in order to learn it, and experiential learning
types are more akin to learning from events and experiences (or, doing
something with the material). Most of us are a combination of at least two of
these categories, but I will denote which step is most favorable to your most
agreeable learning style so that you can start to memorize things quickly and
efficiently.
Step 1: Preparation
To
optimize your memorization session, pay close attention to which environment
you choose. For most people, this means choosing an area with few distractions,
though some people do thrive off of learning in public areas. Figure out what
is most conducive to your learning so that you can get started.
Next,
start drinking some tea. I could link you to mounds of scientific studies that
confirm green tea as a natural catalyst for improving memory. Mechanically
speaking, our ability to recall information comes down to the strength between
neurons in our mind, which are connected by synapses. The more you exercise the
synapse (repetition), the stronger it is, resulting in the ability to memorize.
As
we get older, toxic chemicals will damage our neurons and synapses, leading to
memory loss and even Alzheimer’s. Green
tea contains compounds, however, that block
this toxicity and keep your brain cells working properly a lot longer.
Step 2: Record What You’re Memorizing
This
is especially useful if you’re trying to memorize information from a lecture.
Use a tape recorder to track all of the acquired facts being spoken and listen
to it. If you’re trying to memorize a speech, record yourself reading the
speech aloud and listen to yourself speaking. Obviously, this is most helpful
for auditory learners, but it’s also handy because it ensures that you’re
getting more context from a lecture that will help you learn the information
faster.
Step 3: Write Everything Down
Before
you start trying to recall everything from memory, write and re-write the
information. This will help you become more familiar with what you’re trying to
memorize. Doing this while listening to your tape recorder can also help you
retain a lot of the data. This is most useful for experienced learners.
Step 4: Section your notes.
Now
that you have everything written down in one set of notes, separate them into
sections. This is ideal for visual learners, especially if you use color coding
to differentiate between subjects. This will help you break everything down and
start compartmentalizing the information being recorded in your brain.
Step 5: Apply repetition to cumulative memorization
For
each line of text, repeat it a few times and try to recall it without looking.
As you memorize each set of text, be cumulative by adding the new information
to what you’ve just learned. This will keep everything within your short-term
memory from fading. Keep doing this until you have memorized that section and
you are able to recall the entire thing. Do not move on to another section until you have memorized that one
completely. This is mostly visual learning, but if
you are speaking aloud, then you are also applying auditory.
Step 6: Write it down from memory
Now
that you can recall entire sections, write everything down from memory. This
will reinforce everything you just have just learned by applying it
experientially.
Step 7: Teach it to someone (or yourself)
The
most effective method for me when I was in school was to teach the information
to someone else. You can do this in a variety of ways. You can lecture the
knowledge to someone sitting right in front of you (or the mirror, if you can’t
convince anyone to sit through it) and explain everything extemporaneously. If
what you’ve learned needs to be recited verbatim, then do this in front of
someone as well in order to get a feel for what it will be like to recite the
text to the intended audience.
My
favorite method for this is creating tests for other people. Take the
information and predict what questions will come out of them. Use multiple
choice, matching and so on to present the data in test format, and see how
someone else does. All of this is experiential learning, since you are actually
practicing and manipulating the concepts you’ve learned.
Step 8: Listen to the recordings continuously
While doing unrelated tasks like laundry or
driving, go over the information again by listening to your tape recordings.
This is certainly auditory learning, but it will still supplement everything
you’ve shoved into your short-term memory.
Step 9: Take a break
Finally, let your mind breathe. Go for a
short time without thinking about what you just learned and come back to it
later on. You’ll find out what you really know, of course, and this will help
you focus on the sections you might be weakest at.
Jon
Negroni
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-memorize-things-quicker-than-other-people.html?ref=mail&mtype=daily_newsletter_v2&mid=20171117&uid=687414&hash=707e797f7e757e6d794c856d747b7b3a6f7b79&utm_source=daily_newsletter_v2&utm_medium=email&action=click&user_type=member&sub_time=765
No comments:
Post a Comment