Improved memory paves the way for academic glory, and don’t we all want a taste of that? Here are 8 amazing study tricks that are excellent in enhancing your memory!
Imagine this: you are at an exam hall, about to write an answer that you read just a few nights before. You remember revising it over and over and going through all the readings. Yet, when the time comes, you barely remember anything.
Being unable to answer the paper the way you would have wanted to, anxiety grips you, you seem to lose even the last few traces of memory that you had associated with the topic.
We all have been through mind-numbing situations where we panic and go entirely blank when faced with a task that requires us to pore deep into our memories. Sometimes we score poorly in exams due to a failing memory and for other times, we resort to taking homework help for our studies. However, with just a few simple changes in your study routines, you can strive towards remembering a lot better.
This post explains 8 (and a bonus) easy-to-implement changes or alterations to the way you study, so that you can boost your memory like never before!
8 sure-fire memory boosting study techniques
- Read out loud when you are studying (it works wonders!)
Not a stunt to be pulled in the library, try this one out when you are studying alone. Yeah, the idea may seem bizarre at the moment, but trust me, it actually works! We are far more likely to remember things that we speak out loud than the ones we read. So, use that to your advantage when designing study hacks to improve your memory. If it seems awkward at first, divide the text into small chunks. Keep a notebook handy to jot down the key points as you go for better retention of the lessons and chapters. That way, remembering all that you read becomes a whole lot easier.
- Implement smart study routines for better results
If you have got exams approaching, never keep things for too late. Design a study routine that you will be keen to stick to. Do not set unachievable goals like twelve hours of studying per day. Focus more on quality rather than quantity. Divide your lessons into bits that you can manage throughout the day and set clear goals that you intend to achieve. Take help of online and offline resources to quicken the research process and do not forget to take frequent healthy snacking or brisk stroll breaks. Studies show that a short break every 45 to 60 minutes of studying helps the brain to retain information better by speeding up the cognitive process.
- Mix and match studying with flash cards
It may sound old school, but there hardly is a learning tool more effective than flash cards. From formulae to important dates, you can remember it all using flash cards. With the advent of modern technology, flash cards have had their fair share of evolution as well. Nowadays, you can customise your own and carry them around on your Smartphone as well. Whether you prefer the offline or online mode, using flash cards will help you in learning faster and retaining a whole lot better. If you are having troubles remembering a particularly tricky topic, take help of flash cards to make things simple.
- Bring music to your study routine
While we all know about the famed Mozart Effect that says listening to classical music helps in increasing intelligence, what many may not know is that it enhances our memory too. Another one of those study stunts that should not be tried in the library, establishing a musical routine to your studies may have more benefits than you know.
The next time that you are having trouble memorising something, try playing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata or Telemann and Vivaldi’s Concertos for Recorder softly on your speakers. You will see the results for yourself. Ambient sounds like natural music (waterfalls or the jungle sounds) and ambient trance or house also work fine when you are trying to improve your memory.
- Master the art of creating mind-maps
Mind maps are fun and are proven to gift you improved memory as well. Since memory is best preserved and retained in association, mind maps serve the purpose of association agents in the brain. For example, if you are struggling to remember that a law has five stages of development, try associating the five stages with the five senses or fingers in your hands. Use your creative mind and imagination to the fullest to create mind maps that help you remember better. The trick is to uncover the association thread between two or more things and then use the connection to remember all two or three.
- Do away with distractions when studying
Imagine starting on a new set of flash cards when a loud notification tone on your phone abruptly interrupts your thoughts. And we all know how enticing that can get. Although we keep promising ourselves that it will be a few minutes of scrolling through our News Feed, we are totally guilty of ending up for at least 45 minutes on social media. But that simply won’t do if you are looking for ways to improve your memory and score better in exams. Keep your surfing habits in check when you are studying. You can also use apps to block distracting apps like Instagram and Facebook for the time that you study. Keeping away distractions will help in improving your concentration and make way for enhanced memory as well.
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
And here you thought mindfulness practices only calmed one down! Known to reduce fatigue and anxiety and improve working memory, visual processing and executive functioning of the brain, mindfulness makes the way for fortified memory as well. Setting aside some time every day for a short session of mindfulness practice will go a long way in improving your memory.
The same goes for meditation. It helps in strengthening the cerebral cortex of our brains and reinforcing the retention capacity of our minds. Meditating for about fifteen minutes a day thus boosts concentration and memory. Try taking a mindfulness and meditation break between your study routine to make sure that you have a sharper and more focused memory.
- Never pull an all-nighter before exams
The idea of burning the midnight candle is pretty alluring indeed, especially if you need to go over those formulae one last time. However, do not go that way if you do not want to end up bleary-eyed and dazed to the examination venue the next day. Our brains function in fascinating ways. Studies reveal that the brain regions relocate memories to safer and more secure storage spaces inside the brain while we are asleep. Thus, sleeping helps in fortifying memory. If you want to retain all that you read throughout the reading week leading up to the exams, the best idea is to get those forty winks at night, without fail.
- Bonus tip: go digital with memory-building apps
We live in the digital age, so why not use it to your advantage? Memory improving games usually have puzzles or challenges that test the power of retention of your brain. Download a few and set aside fifteen minutes a day for some fun memory boosting games online. If you do not keep your grey cells active, you will be more prone to memory loss diseases later in life. Also, a bit of improved memory has the power to take your scores to the next level. Be it picture challenges or memory puzzles, get a few memory enhancing apps and practice away!
Summing up
Stress and anxiety may cause us to lose a bit of our retention power as you move towards a more competitive world. But with small steps towards fortifying our memories, we can go a long way in ensuring that we retain most of what we learn. Try using the study tricks discussed in this post, and you will be well on your way to improving your memory remarkably. A few tweaks here and there in your study routine, and you will be all set in boosting your memory like never before. Here’s to a not-so-forgetful future. Good luck!
Author bio:
Marceline Joseph is an online math solver, programmer and an academic writer associated with Tophomeworkhelper.com. Besides being associated with the education and teaching industry, Marceline is a passionate stamp collector and chess player.
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/open-book-library-education-read-1428428/