Best way to memorize stuff

[anuj912]

I'm taking some electives which are completely focused on memorization of material for the exams. I'm not the best at memorizing stuff, so does anyone have some tips for memorizing effectively?

[RussiaRulez]

I'm taking some electives which are completely focused on memorization of material for the exams. I'm not the best at memorizing stuff, so does anyone have some tips for memorizing effectively?

write out everything you need, or type it, and read over and over again those pages...don't leave book reading until the end etc.

[dragon_drift]

Understand it?

Memorizing won't get you far, but understanding the material will help long term.

Try to tie the material to something, so that way you'll understand its importance in the big scheme of things.

[hi-everyone]

well for me writing things over and over helps me to memorize them. Also sometimes relating materials to funny things makes you memorize them for a long time.

[jopojo]

For me, it's making acronyms, sentences, or rhymes, especially if you're studying a list of things that need to be in order, or if you're memorizing how something happens.

ex. memorizing notes on a musical scale:

notes on lines (from top to bottom): E G B D F turns into "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge"

notes in spaces (top to bottom): F A C E, pretty self-explanatory

or studying the order of sharps in a key signature: F C G D A E B turns into "Father Charles goes down and ends battle"

hope this helps!

[shannn]

Practice and repitition always does the trick for me. Plus finding idiosynchratic patterns and making acronyms. Those are my faves.

But if you cna understand the material, even better

[Hard_Taco]

Creating memorization aids such as flash cards. Also have more sleep.

[Danieln88]

I'm trying this out:
http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocs/study/learning.html
I don't know how to measure if its good or not, but I did do well on a test I did recently. Best test I've done in uni so far. But i wasn't really concentrating before

[Computer500]

I'm taking some electives which are completely focused on memorization of material for the exams. I'm not the best at memorizing stuff, so does anyone have some tips for memorizing effectively?

Electives?

Depends on the course material and test format. If the format is multiple choice, I suggest you to type out your notes or write them back out on a piece of paper. Go through each page and find important FACTS. Leave out explainations and long theory. For example, find definitions/bold letters, things that list 3-4 points or headings, numbers, and so on. It really depends on the course.

If it's one of those courses like history and battles. You are better off writing a short paragraph and find major facts about it. Memorization courses are mostly based on knowing FACTS. I've encoutered only a few courses where you need to know the FACTS and APPLY it to scenarios.

Read it over many times and you'll be ready for the exam.

[bestknightmare]

Cheat! j/k

lol I am a bad influence

Contrary to understanding the material, I prefer to speed read the material over and over and over again instead of reading once or twice slowly.

I tend to get photographic memory of what I read if I read them over and over.

But thats just my studying method. I find this works even better when its elective since I wouldnt need to retain the memory after I am done with it lol

[xt21]

This method works perfectly for me and I recommend giving it a try. Acronyms work great and you will always be able to easily remember them.

For me, it's making acronyms, sentences, or rhymes, especially if you're studying a list of things that need to be in order, or if you're memorizing how something happens.

ex. memorizing notes on a musical scale:

notes on lines (from top to bottom): E G B D F turns into "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge"

notes in spaces (top to bottom): F A C E, pretty self-explanatory

or studying the order of sharps in a key signature: F C G D A E B turns into "Father Charles goes down and ends battle"

hope this helps!

[HockeyFan]

Understand it?

Memorizing won't get you far, but understanding the material will help long term.

Try to tie the material to something, so that way you'll understand its importance in the big scheme of things.

Most people don't have time to understand given the amount of material and time constraints. Just unrealistic.

A lot of people know the material, but don't understand it. This only applies to sciences in general and other subjects like economics and business.

[Jon Lai]

Most people don't have time to understand given the amount of material and time constraints. Just unrealistic.

A lot of people know the material, but don't understand it. This only applies to sciences in general and other subjects like economics and business.

False. If I can do it with 30+ hr weeks in an Engineering schedule, anyone can do it with their 20hr week schedules. It's just how you manage your time.

Once you know your material by understanding it, you'll know the material even if it is manipulated.

[steevee]

Someone please teach me how I can memorize the entire process of cellular respiration through understanding alone.

[dichaeld]

what I do is once I recieve the test or exam, I write down all the hard stuff (that I will probably forget halfway through the exam) on the front/back of the test paper :P Then I don't have to worry about it and I can fill it in later :) Tip I learned from my prof :)

[sureshkumar]

My tip would be to keep writing it on a piece of paper.

[Jucius Maximus]

Creating memorization aids such as flash cards. Also have more sleep.

Yeah I find that the aids help. I got so good at it when I took biology that I was memorizing those diagrams in 2 hours a piece.

The main strategy was to keep 2 copies of every chunk of memorized information. One sheet would have the blanks still blank, and the other would have the blanks filled in. So I would go over the first sheet in my mind, only reviewing from the second sheet when I forgot something from the first sheet.
Then get some good sleep and review it again within 24 hours of the first memorization. That will cement it into your longterm memory.

It's been 10 years and I still know most of my chemistry nomenclature.

[crackheadpakman]

I'm taking some electives which are completely focused on memorization of material for the exams. I'm not the best at memorizing stuff, so does anyone have some tips for memorizing effectively?

Hmm, I dont think its a matter of you are not good at memorizing. Maybe if you stopped playing Footmen Frenzy or talking to your boyfriends on msn in class, and actually listening to the professor getting good mark shouldnt be hard?

[SHEEEEP]

I like to get somebody to quiz me, like a classmate or a friend who has taken the course before. Sometimes, the questions that my friends ask me show up on the exam too!

[crimsonblood]

Hmm, I dont think its a matter of you are not good at memorizing. Maybe if you stopped playing Footmen Frenzy or talking to your boyfriends on msn in class, and actually listening to the professor getting good mark shouldnt be hard?

lol at the comment :lol:
if that is true, then that might be the cause of why you are not memorizing properly :S
in seriousness, i would recommend that you turn off ALL distractions (music, computer, etc) around you when memorizing. There is no such thing as "I am not good at memorizing" if you try hard enough you will understand
There's a big difference between 1 hour of half assed studying and 1 hour of 100% focused study :D