Description: Tips to improve your memory and retention for studying purposes, including larger lifestyle factors and learning techniques.
When looking to improve your memory for studying purposes there are a variety of techniques you can try. It is also important to consider larger lifestyle factors that have a large impact on your memory, retention and general wellbeing.
Tips to use today: Direct memory-boosting practises
Attention & distractions
Limit distractions and don’t do too many things at once. If you focus on the information that you’re trying to retain, you’re more likely to recall it later. It might also help to connect what you’re trying to retain to a favorite song or another familiar concept.
Structure & planning
Researchers have found that information is organized in memory in related clusters. You can take advantage of this by structuring and organizing the materials you’re studying. Try grouping similar concepts and terms together, or make an outline of your notes and textbook readings to help group related concepts.
Mnemonic devices
Mnemonics are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually by helping us associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word. Below are different types of mnemonics that you can try yourself.
Visual image – Associate a visual image with a word or name to help you remember them better. Positive, pleasant images that are vivid, colourful, and three-dimensional will be easier to remember.
Rhymes and alliteration – Rhymes, alliteration (a repeating sound or syllable), and even jokes are a memorable way to remember more mundane facts and figures.
Acrostic (or sentence) – Make up a sentence in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember.
Method of loci – Imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you know well, or in specific locations in a familiar room.
Acronym – An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letters of all the key words or ideas you need to remember and creating a new word out of them.
Chunking – Chunking breaks a long list of numbers or other types of information into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Train your brain & brain games
In a similar way to muscles, the brain needs regular use to stay healthy. Mental workouts are a great tool and challenging the mind can help it grow and expand, which may improve memory. Working on things such as crosswords and sudokus are great brain games.
Read out loud
Research has suggested that reading materials out loud significantly improves your memory of the material. It is also thought that having students actually teach new concepts to others enhances understanding and recall. Explaining the topic you’ve just been studying to a family member or friend may help you retain that information – and even understand it better!
Even adding one or two memory-boosting practices to your daily routine may help keep your brain healthy and protect it from memory loss.
Don’t overlook the basics such as sleep, as nailing this will allow everything else to seem that little bit easier. Below are some key tips that can help improve your memory and retention for studying.
Setting the baseline for you to perform your best
Sleep
Lack of proper sleep has been linked to poor memory and general functioning capabilities. Studies have consistently associated sufficient sleep with better memory performance. Sleep helps consolidate memories. You’re also likely to perform better on memory tests if you’re well-rested than if you’re sleep-deprived.
For most people 7-8 hours is sufficient and where you fall within this zone is unique to you. However, studies have shown that people who regularly get 8 hours of sleep, still performed better when they upped this to 9 or 10 hours. Set your own minimum and watch your performance and memory improve.
Rest & manage your stress
Resting doesn’t just mean sleep. Allowing time for yourself to unwind is essential to continue to work at your best and an overload of information or ‘cramming’ can lead to you remembering less. This will also impact your stress levels.
Exercise
Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain. This can help keep your memory sharp. In addition, exercise can help manage your stress which as we’ve covered above is key to improving your learning and overall wellbeing. Taking a break from studying to exercise can allow you to return with a fresher mind and you may find this boosts your concentration and memory.
Food & hydration
In order to allow your brain to work at its best and remember information, you need to be well hydrated and fed. If you struggle with water get an app that will track your water for the day and remind you when you need more. Your brain also requires energy to function, which will come from your food. Make smart high energy choices to fuel your day and be wary of high sugar options that could cause an energy crash.