Subject: Five Simple Techniques to Improve Your Memory - December02, 2002
THE 'HOW TO BECOME A GENIUS' NEWSLETTER
With this newsletter you will learn how to increase your productivity
and read 1000 words per minute, improve your memory and get top grades
on every test or exam, manage information faster than others and develop
the potential of your brain.
December 2, 2002 - Issue 1
Editor's
Note
Welcome to the first issue of 'HOW TO BECOME A GENIUS'!
Today's one includes 5 ways to improve your memory.
Five Simple Techniques to Improve Your Memory by Ajan Raghunathan
"All improvement in memory consists of one's habitual method of recording
facts"
- Dr. William James, Father of American Psychology
Introduction
Most of us might have complained about our memory one time or
other. But some of you have been frequently complaining about your poor memory.
When we generally talk about poor memory we are really talking about poor
recollection. Recollection is possible only if the content is retained in
memory. This is possible only if we have recorded it into memory.
Even if we record something correctly in our memory, we may not
be able to recall it. This is due to many reasons, the main reasons being
problems in retention and stress.
Now let us discuss five simple techniques to improve memory:
Four of these techniques are used to improve assimilation and thus to have
longer retention. The last one is a simple strategy for recollection.
Chunking
Perhaps Chunking is the oldest method used in memorization. In
this method, the items to be memorized are divided into small and easily
memorizable chunks or groups. This method works best when the order of the items
is not important.
This method is found to be particularly well suited for
memorizing multi-digit numbers (eg., ID nos., telephone nos., etc.) and for
committing complicated spellings to memory.
Example:
The number 472627607 may be memorized easily if it is grouped as 472,
627,607 or as 47, 26, 27, 607. These chunks may then be learned by rote.
Learning and retention are much facilitated if you further explore the nos. by
finding some relationship among these different chunks. The more explorations or
relations you do, the better.
Words like mathematics may be divided into mat +he +mat +ics, Together may
be divided into to + get + her; Important may be divided into im + port + ant.
This technique will make us learn much faster.
The list Apple, cucumber, paper, ink, cabbage, banana, grapes, beans,
stapler, orange can be better learned by rearranging and applying chunking as
:- Apple, banana, grapes, orange, cucumber, cabbage, beans, paper, ink,
stapler -- 4 fruits, 3 vegitables and 3 stationary items.
If possible, organize the material as meaningfully as you can
and think out relationships among each group. This not only improves
learnability and retention but also aids in faster and effortless
recollection.
Psychologists doing research on Human Memory have found that
the capacity of Short Term Memory (STM) for humans is 7
?± 2 that is from the range 5 to 9 items. So
you should take care to keep the chunks you create within this limit.
Rhyming
This is also one of the popular and oldest methods in
memorization. This technique makes use of the fact that we have a natural
tendency to remember rhymes and rhythms. The following is a very popular example
of application of this technique which almost all school students are familiar
with.
"Thirty days haveth September
April, June and November
All the rest have thirty-one
February has twenty-eight alone
Except in leap year, then the time
When Febs days are twenty-nine."
If possible create rhymes like this and it will not only aid in improving
your memory but in improving your creativity as well.
Mediation/Bridging
In this method, a bridge is built in between the items given to
be memorized. This technique is best suited for learning material involving word
pairs or material that can be reduced to word pairs. An example often cited by
memory experts is the learning of the capital of Poland. The capital of Poland
is Warsaw. World War II started with Germany's attack on Poland. Thus it may be
arranged as Poland SAW War first.
Here, the word pair to be connected together is Poland and
Warsaw. The additional information of the World War II is used as a bridge or
mediator in bringing these two words together.
Again, like other techniques, the mediation technique calls for
the learner's active participation in the learning process. This is because one
is to bring in the mediator or the bridge from relevant items one has
learned.
Bed-time Recital
In this technique, you do your recital or rote learning just
before going to bed. The mind in the process of sleeping would then arrange the
information in a systematic and effective way when you are sleeping.
Psychologists have also found that if you sleep after thinking about your
problems there is a better chance that you arrive at a solution the next
day.
Steps for Memory Improvement
Be in a relaxed mood
Write down the things that you are supposed to remember in a piece of
paper.
Read it aloud (if possible) once or twice and recite it two to three
times.
Now go to sleep without worrying or thinking about anything.
You will surely retain the item longer and find it more easy to recall it
when in need.
Trying by Not Trying
All of us apply this method knowingly or unknowingly. Sometimes
when you try to recall you may not be able to recall it at that time even if you
are sure that you know it very well. You experience a blocking that prevents you
from recalling it. Normally you tend to try again and again but in vain. To
handle this situation you just keep away from trying to recollect it and do
something else; to your pleasant surprise that information automatically pops up
into your mind after some time. This is because even if you stopped trying, the
mind is searching for that information and brings it to awareness when it is
found. Sometimes the information was blocked when you wanted, and mind brings it
forward when the blocking is removed. This is where stress plays its role in
hindering recall.
If you are very anxious by nature or very stressful in nature,
you may encounter this type of blockage very often. In such case, it is highly
recommended that you practise some kind of relaxation technique and thus keep
your anxiety and stress away. This is very important because this behavior can
bring many undesirable psychological and physiological conditions. You may even
consult a Clinical Psychologist in extreme cases.
