How to Improve Memory and Ace an Exam
An improved memory is very important if you want to ace an exam, which can really help you be at the top of your class. Remember that there are different kinds of exam and each needs a proper memory technique so that you can answer the questions or supply the proper answers to a certain exam. Essay exams can be answered in your own words, and sometimes in your own views.
However, essay answers that are based on concrete facts that are evidently from the lessons that you have acquired in your class will be very outstanding in the eye of a teacher. Suppose you need to express your view about the Battle of Waterloo, you can answer this by sharing your opinion and support them with the accurate data that happened in that certain war that would be derived from the track of your own opinion.
In an objective type of exam, however, you need to supply accurate answers, with their correct spelling, usage or order of sequence. Suppose you need to give the colors of the rainbow in order, and you have answered: Red, Yellow Orange, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet, a certain mishap in the correct order will earn you no points. Thus, to solve this problem, you need to devise a certain technique or a mnemonic so that you can laugh after an exam. Some techniques that you can use are the mnemonics, acronyms, roman room system, journey system and the peg words.
A very popular method in concept mapping data for editing is to create a specific or a color coded story or memory map of the information you need to recall. This will greatly help you to observe the whole map of the information and can show you the relation between the pieces of data. A good information map can be very helpful and beneficial mnemonic or memory device.
However, the major flaw in using a concept map is that you can forget the entire label on a certain part of the map. A more effective method is to get the concept map, and break down the information into a numbered list of specific points. You can use this peg-like technique to recall the items on a certain list. Also, you can use the journey technique for longer lists. This technique is a version the roman room technique in organizing ideas and recalling objects.
By relating the objects on a list with a peg system or a color, you can see that you have recalled all the objects grouped by a mnemonic. Supporting details can be related into pictures or sub-mnemonics. This technique can be used using a definite peg system, or at certain marks if you use the roman room system. Also, you can relatively associate the data with the facts recalled.
Recalling all the data needed to ace an exam becomes very simple as reciting a certain mnemonic in your brain. As you do this, you can take note of the recalled data that are necessary to a certain question. Once you have jotted these down, you can use any mnemonics you have crafted, or take note of any related data and associations that can happen to you.
Some techniques that you can use to avoid confusion to improve your memory are the following:
1. Short-term lists
If you need to memorize a series of data for a short-term recall, such as a to do list, then you don’t have to make such effort. By the time you are familiarized with your list, you will not mind if you cannot remembered the first task in the morning.
2. Medium-term lists
If you need to be familiarized with a series of data for a medium-term recall, such as shopping lists for the whole month, or an upcoming game schedule, you can try a different method of using pegs. You don’t have to memorize hundreds of new peg words; mostly you just need at least ten sets or even lower. You can use the usual set of 1-10 on the first set that you want to be familiarized with, then you can expand it to 11-20 when the need arise.
3. Long-term lists
If you really need to memorize permanent information, you need to make an effort in planning. For example, you can memorize countries and their official currencies using the same peg words. However, if this was done several months ago, you brain can actually forgot what you need. Also, since there are over 200 countries, but only 100 pegs available, you will need to re-use pegs again. You can also use the technique of association when can you remember the name of the country and the currency.
4. Long-term lists version 2.0
This technique is quite different but it can help you when you need to memorize fast lists such as the multiplication table. This technique can help you recall the multiplication table permanently and fast. It would take forever if we would devote our time searching for answers for simple multiplication equations such as 8 x 9 = 72.
So in this technique, forget about the peg words and just memorize the whole multiplication table by saying the equation like 8 x 9 = 72 for a dozen of times until it will be permanently associated with your brain. This is hard since it will take longer to memorize all the number equations. But don’t grieve yet, there are only few things that you should memorize using this “over and over again” technique.
