Memory: Improving Your Memory

A memory game How good is your memory? What things are easiest for you to remember? When you do you have the most difficulty remembering? What strategies do you use to remember, especially when studying?

Learning about memory There are two levels of memory: short- term memory and long-term memory. Short-term memory is what you can keep in your attention at the moment. Most people only remember five to nine different things in their short-term memory. You can easily recall 7 letters, 9 with a little more difficulty. Most people cannot recall 10 letters or more.

Cont. Long-term memory is what you know and can bring to mind whenever you choose to do so. What is in your long-term memory stays for a long time. If you review it now and then, you can remember it as long as you like. In the first exercise, you probably could remember the 13 letters in group #5 because this group contains three sequences of letters that are already a part of your long-term memory. To remember this group, you really needed only to remember the first letter in each sequence and the length of the sequence.

Ways To Remember There are four different ways to remember: 1.Grouping 2.Visualizing 3.Repeating 4.Choosing to remember

Grouping When information is grouped, it is easier to remember. Grouping means to organize information so that details are brought together under the main idea or category that connects them. Grouping information is one way of helping it to “move” it from short-term to long-term memory. When you want to remember ideas and information, try to organize them into groups that make sense to you. Put details with main ideas that they support. Use examples with categories they support.

Visualizing Visualizing means to see an image or picture in your mind’s eye. It is a mental picture of something you want to recall. For many people, a mental people is easier to remember than words. Se as clear an image as you can, and examine it for a few seconds. Then let it disappear. Try visualizing a mental picture for each main idea you want to remember. Other people visualize their mapping notes. Some people do not visualize clearly- it can improve with practice

Visualizing- The Link Method The link method is useful when you need to learn lists of information. The link method is a mnemonic device. Mnemonics is the art of training your memory to work more effectively. Link the first word in the list to the second and so on until you reach the end of the list. Link either with the first word that comes to mind when you see the word, or create the most ridiculous image of them.

Repeating Another good way to remember is to repeat information that you want to learn. Be sure to ay it in your own words. Even though you have learned it, go over it one more time. When you repeat information in this way, it will help you move it from your short-term memory into your long-term memory and will keep the information available to you. A good way to do this is to repeat information aloud to yourself. When you say it out loud, not only do you speak the information but you also hear it.

Choosing to Remember You can always remember more effectively when you choose to remember. The more that you want to learn and know, the more you’ll be able to remember what you have learned. To choose to remember, you need to pay attention to and be interested in what you are learning.

Mnemonics There are several types of mnemonic methods: –The link method –Rhyming –Acronyms –Acrostics

Acronyms An acronym is a word that is made by taking the first letter from each word that you wan tot remember and making a new word form all of those letters Example: ROYGBIV –The colors of visible light in the spectrum in the order in which they appear: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. –Example: ASAP as soon as possible

Acrostics An acrostic is a sentence that is made by taking the first letter from each word or symbol that you want to remember and then inserting another word beginning with the same letter. Ex. Musical staff- –Every good boy deserves fudge = E, G, B, D, F

Put these strategies to use Think of your own strategies to recall information that will appear on the exam- move facts from your short-term memory permanently into your long-term memory