Memory Retention
Your memory is the brain's storehouse, a reservoir of accumulated knowledge. Remembering is an important part of learning. However, don't mistake memorising for learning. They are not the same thing. To learn, you need to engage long-term memory and understanding.
WHY IMPROVE MEMORY?
Remembering enables you to learn more about yourself and your world. The more you remember concepts, the more you can solve problems and deal with new situations and ideas.
When you find pleasure in what you learn, you probably want to remember it. You may relive the experience in your mind. You may learn by heart the words of a song because you like it.
If you need to use what you learn, you are certainly going to keep it in your mind. If you want to use an idea in a discussion, you try to remember the idea and its links to your topic so it can be fully understood.
Sometimes you are required to remember things simply because you have to. In your learning, you are expected to remember material according to the subjects studied. You may be required to remember information for different reasons. For example, in an exam you may need to show that you understand and remember a particular topic. In an assignment you may be required to recall enough information to be able to argue a case. If you are writing a report, it may be important to remember which steps you need to take to conduct an experiment.
HOW TO BUILD A STRONG MEMORY
Active involvement of the learner is the most important condition for improving memory. First, you must want to learn; next, you must work hard at remembering.
It is important to have a thorough understanding of what you are studying. When you really understand a subject, not only do you remember it easily but you can apply your knowledge to new situations.
The most important thing is not what you know, but what you can do with what you know. Understanding involves linking new knowledge to old, and organising new knowledge so that it is remembered in a structured way.
You need to give yourself regular breaks from studying so that your mind can form associations between the new and old information. Five minutes every half-hour or so is a good idea.
Note-taking is crucial to help retention of what you read. Photocopying does not help you to remember, but note-taking does. It helps you focus on what you're reading and this engages your deepest concentration. Refer to other learning tips in this series: Note-taking.
Don't cram your knowledge into the last few weeks (or days!) before an exam. Set up routines of learning every day, leaving as much time as possible to digest the information.
Now that you have successfully stored your information, look at ways of recalling it when you need it.
FIRST LETTER CUEING
Because in our society we tend to store information largely in the form of words, the first letter of a word is usually an excellent retrieval cue. Many American school children have learnt names of the Great Lakes by the acronym HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eric, Superior).
PEG WORDS
Suppose you need to remember ten words in order. These words are called target words. You must associate each target word with the appropriate peg word. The peg words are words which rhyme with the number of the target word's position on the list ("one is a bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree"). For example, if the first item on your list is automobile, you might imagine a car with an advertisement for buns on its doors.
For example:
| Number | Target word | Peg word | Image |
| 1 | automobile | bun | a car advertising buns |
| 2 | aeroplane | shoe | being on an aeroplane, barefoot |
| 3 | helicopter | tree | a helicopter crashing into a tree |
| 4 | submarine | door | a submarine with a leaky door |
THE METHOD OF LOCI
This is a helpful memory aid that was often used by the ancient Greeks. Imagine a building (or your own house) with a number of rooms in it. In each room there are items of furniture. Rehearse this image over and over until well-established. Then, associate ideas with the items of furniture in every room. As you recite, mentally walk through the building, going from room to room and inspecting the items of furniture to which ideas are attached.
Of course, there are other techniques you can use for improving memory. You can use your own ingenuity to give organisation to specific ideas you want to remember.
SEARCH THE CATALOGUE
The Online catalogue is available via the LLC website. To find LLC resources on memory retention use these key terms:
- Memory
- Mnemonics
If you need extra help, ask a librarian! You can do this in person, over the phone (9279 2428), or send email to LLC.
