Exams are approaching, and you are immersed in books day and night.
Sometimes it seems as if the mind cannot handle anything more. Memorizing the entire semester’s study in one go seems downright impossible, right?
Don’t worry, you are not alone. This is every student’s story. But the good news is that there are some easy and fun ways to remember things better – that too for a long time.
Whether you are in school, college or preparing for a competitive exam, these memory hacks can make your studies easier. Let’s understand them in detail.
1. Memory Palace Technique – Build a palace of memories
This method is very old, which was also adopted by the Greeks and Romans. It is also called the Method of Loci.
How does it work?
You have to imagine a place that is familiar to you – like your home. Now think of this place as a path. For example:
- Open the door
- Put the keys on the table
- Go to the kitchen
- Open the fridge
- Go to the living room
Now “place” the things you want to remember at different places on this path – that is, associate them with those places in your mind by turning them into some fun, strange and colorful image.
For example: If you want to remember broccoli, imagine that a broccoli itself is opening the door and inviting you in. Such fun imaginations help a lot in remembering things.
2. Spaced Repetition – Repeat at short intervals
This method of learning and remembering is considered to be the most effective. In this, you remember things again and again, but with a gap of time.
How to do it?
- Make flashcards – questions on one side, answers on the other
- Turn them over every day and ask yourself questions
- Remove what you have memorized, repeat what you don’t
This makes your brain try to memorize it on its own instead of just taking information, which makes the memory strong.
3. Acronyms and Rhyming Mnemonics – Remember with words and rhymes
- Make a new word or sentence with the first letters of some words.
For example: HOMES = Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior (names of Great Lakes)
Or make rhymes – just like small children remember the song ‘A B C D’.
You can also easily remember the periodic table or the names of the planets in this way.
4. Read before sleeping – Sleep Learning Technique
If you revise your studies once before sleeping at night, then the brain understands and remembers it more deeply.
Why does this method work?
When you sleep, your brain works to “set” the information of the day. This process is called Memory Consolidation.
So: The night before the exam, read the notes once and then sleep well.
5. Chunking – Break down large information into small parts
If you have to remember a lot of information, then divide it into small parts (chunks).
For example:
If there is a 12-digit number, then remember it like this –
1234 – 5678 – 9012
4 digits in each group. Similarly, you can group historical events according to time or subject.
6. Teach to Learn Technique
When you explain something to someone, you yourself are able to understand it better. This is called the Protégé Effect.
What to do?
- Read as if you have to teach someone else
- Explain to a friend, sibling or yourself
- Talk to yourself out loud – as if you are teaching in class
Remember, reading aloud keeps the information in the mind for a long time.
7. Write, don’t type – Writing is Powerful
Nowadays it is easy to type everything on a laptop, but writing by hand is more effective.
Why?
The brain is more active while writing, because you have to think, understand and write. This strengthens both your understanding and memory.
8. Use colors – Color Coding Technique
Colors not only look good, but are also useful in studies. Different colors make it easy to divide information into different categories.
Example:
- Highlight definitions in green
- Examples in blue
- Important dates or words in yellow
This helps the brain remember colors and information by associating them together.
9. Use your senses
We mostly use only sight and hearing for studying, but if you also use smell, taste and touch, then the information becomes more solid.
Example:
- Wear a perfume with a new fragrance while studying and use the same fragrance in the exam as well
- Eat a new flavour of toffee or chewing gum
- Use touch tools like fidget spinner
This helps your brain to remember the information by associating it with that special experience.
10. Improve your lifestyle – Healthy Habits
If your sleep, food and exercise are not right, then no matter how much effort you make, everything can go in vain.
What to do?
- Get enough sleep: 7–8 hours of sleep is very important
- Eat brain food: like walnuts, fish, blueberries, dark chocolate
- Do light exercise: Take a morning walk or do a light workout before studying
These will make your brain feel fresh and you will remember things easily.
11. Use pictures – Images Boost Memory
If you think of any information in the form of images, the brain remembers it quickly and for a long time.
Example:
If you want to remember that “Harry S. Truman” gave the “Fair Deal” plan, then imagine that your pet cat “Harry” is sitting at a round table and the scales of justice are placed in front of him.
Such fun and colorful tomorrows Reading helps the brain to learn.
12. Change the location
Instead of sitting in the library every time, sometimes read in the park or on the terrace. Changing the place helps the brain to associate new things, which helps in remembering the information quickly.
13. Relate to What You Know
Try to relate the new information to the old information.
Example:
If you have read Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, and now have to read “Emma”, then understanding the similarities and differences between the two will help you remember the new information quickly.
14. Read in different ways
Don’t Narrow Your Focus
Adopting only one method can be boring. Sometimes read from a video, sometimes from a book, sometimes discuss with friends. This gives the brain a chance to think from different angles.
15. Understand Before Memorizing
If you just memorize, the brain forgets quickly. But if you understand the story, cause and effect, the information stays for a long time.
Example:
Understand why a historical agreement was signed, who was involved, what was the result. This will help you remember the date easily.
Final Thoughts
Friends, increasing memory is not magic – it is possible by adopting the right method and making some changes. Everyone has a different method, adopt the one that you find easy and effective. When you take studying like a game, like a story, not only will you enjoy it but your memory will also become amazing.
