How to Hack Your Memory! (With Mnemonics)
Never heard of Mnemonics? I bet you do!
Mnemonics are tools that help you memorize things better - for example the ABC Song, or the sentence "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally".
Studies have shown that it's easier for us to recall information if it's connected to other information that we already know.
That's why these tricks work - and as stupid as the sentence might sound, your brain creates a connection and helps you memorize it easier.
So how can you benefit from this simple concept in real life?
1) Chunking
This method suggests that you split up the information you receive into small, manageable chunks to memorize them more easily.
For example, when trying to memorize a phone number, split it into chunks of 3 numbers, 3 numbers and 4 numbers instead of trying to remember a 10-digit number.
Or, when trying to remember facts like the names of the US presidents, group them together and remember only "the old ones" or "the ones with the white hair" or similar associations.
2) The Keyword Method
Let's say you are trying to learn a new word in a foreign language.
You can memorize it easily by connecting how the word SOUNDS with a keyword in your 1st language - and then you connect that keyword to a visualization you can easily remember.
Example:
When trying to learn the word "Poisson" which means "Fish" in french.
To remember this, you could think of the english keyword "Poison" because it sounds similar, and imagine a fish drinking poison.
3) Music Mnemonics
Haven't you ever wondered why it's so much easier to remember song lyrics than anything you need to study in school?
That's because it's easier for our brain to remember information if it's connected to a melody.
The most popular example for this is the ABC song, which almost everyone has stuck in their head and remembered the exact same melody since learning it as a toddler!
4) The Method of Loci
In this method, you imagine walking around a familiar building or a certain place (your Loci).
While walking around, you pass by key points or images of what you want to remember.
This way, you can organize and structure your information and visualize it step by step.
You connect certain information to a location.
This method might not be for everyone, but if you're a creative person that learn best visually, you should give it a try.
© Sirwinchester
In my opinion, there are dangers with mnemonics and we must be careful not to apply it too blindly.
Let us take physics, which is an example I know about. I (with some colleagues actually) noticed that at some point, students were remember things easily thanks to mnemonic tricks. However, the understanding was not there.
I use these skills daily and they work, at least for me :)
why don't they teach stuff like this in schools?! every student needs this ^^
true!
I think I heard about that "keyword method", I'll be interested to try and see if it really works if you need to remember MULTIPLE things
that's where it gets tricky. If you try to do these tricks for hundreds of different topics, I think they might lose their effectiveness. That's the reason why you don't constantly use it to study, only for certain tasks you have trouble with
Great article @sirwinchester, resteemed!
thank you, appreciate it!
love how much effort you put into your posts, you even created the infographics yourself right
Yes I did :) Thank you for the compliment
perfect example for stuff that everyone knows / experienced, but doesn't actually think about.
this is a great method to learn / study!
exactly - I think everybody memorized the ABC song with the same melody!
@sirwinchester
Awesome Post As Always!
Steem On!
Glad To Say
I Learned Something Today!
:))
thank you, and glad you enjoyed it!
:))
Didn't know of this - I guess you learn something new everyday! :D
you never stop learning!
that music method has worked wonders for me in the past - I had to learn facts for biology and simply made a song out of it. I still remember the melody until now lol
Same thing happened to me too, it really works well (and sticks forever)