Exams are nearing day by day & tension is rising eventually causing bad memory & loss of concentration. Here goes quick Tips for memorizing the material as quickly as possible. (Please note if you are appearing in Nov13 exams & if this method causing extra time please do not try to change your existing method.)
1 – Make yourself free from all Obstacles
Swami Vivekananda has said you need to be stress free so that you can memorize a new concepts. You first need to eliminate the obstacles that might hinder your learning and memorizing. This is one of the most important things that you must keep in mind while studying for a fast approaching exam. It’s going to require you to shut down your social activities like going on Facebook and meeting friends until your exams have finished. This will help you in focusing on your studies and will enhance your memorization skills as well. Thus, if you want to do well in your exams and want to learn how to memorize quickly then this is a sacrifice you will have to make.
ü Drink lots of water this will keep you active.
ü Don’t drink coffee or tea much unless you are studying during night time.
ü First study the matter which is interested to you, this will boost your confidence level
2 – Pain & Reward
To learn stuff which is difficult according to you, you can use this technique. First of all set a deadline for completing your reading. Don’t study for more than 30 – 45 mins. On completion of your task reward yourself by doing things you like for 5 minutes to 10 minute max. After break revise things which you have learn in 5-10 mins. This quick revision will help you to retain things for another 3-4 days.
3 – Ladder method (step by step study concept)
ü Seat in a quiet room, shut the door, and eliminate all distractions.
ü Look at the first sentence in your notes and read it out loud. Then, close your eyes and say the sentence without looking at it.
ü Repeat the step above, this time with the first 2 sentences.
ü Next, try it with 3 sentences.
ü Repeat until you have memorized every sentence in your notes.
4 – Visualisation
Visualization is among the most effective techniques that can help you to learn how to memorize quickly. Making images of the things you are studying can help your mind in remembering them and then recalling them when you need them during the exam. People having a photographic memory and a strong imagination can use this technique to their advantage and therefore can learn easily about how to memorize things quickly.
5 –Mnemonics
A mnemonic is a simple word or phrase that helps you in memorizing a long list of facts or informational bits. Creating a mnemonic is a simple exercise. Here are the steps to create mnemonics:
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Write the first alphabetic letters of the facts you want to remember on a piece of paper.
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The starting letters should be lined up vertically and each new letter must come under the previous one.
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Try coming up with a simple sentence or phrase from the letters that are lined up vertically on the paper. It should be something that you will find easy to remember.
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The sentence must incorporate the letters in a linear manner just as they had been lined up.
Make notes in colour and decorate the page. It helps to visually recall the whole page and then you remember the notes themselves.
5 – Most important REVISION
According to the fading theory, the trace or mark a memory etches into your brain is like a path you make in the woods when you continually walk along the same route. If you don't take that same path, it eventually becomes overgrown until it disappears. In the same way, facts that you learn are forgotten when you don't review them.
A famous study on forgetting textbook materials compared the percentage of material remembered after different intervals of time. The results were as follows:
After 1 day |
54% was remembered. |
After 7 days |
35% was remembered. |
After 14 days |
21% was remembered. |
After 21 days |
18% was remembered. |
After 28 days |
19% was remembered. |
After 63 days |
17% was remembered. |
Remembering what you have heard in lectures is even more difficult to recall because you are not able to slow down, pause, reflect, or to reread unless you take excellent notes! In a study on recall after listening to a seminar, students forgot more than 90% of the points from the lecture after 14 days!
The conclusions to be made from these studies?
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Without review, most information will be lost from memory.
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The best time to review materials is within a day or two after the material has been read or presented in lecture.
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