When you are studying for an exam or an important presentation, have you found that you cannot seem to remember important details or really anything at all? This happens to the best of us, and the older we get, the worse our memories get.
Memory issues don’t just affect the elderly. It’s something that many students have problems with.
Memorizing massive amounts of information is not easy, but it is doable. Today, we will go provide a few tips on how to improve memory recall.
How to Improve Memory Recall
Repetition
When you are trying to memorize a set of facts, one of the best things is to repeat these facts to yourself. It has been shown that the simple act of repetition is often needed to help recall those facts.
The more you repeat the info to yourself, the easier it will be to remember it.
Read the same text ten times over, write down the main facts in your notes a few times, or read the info aloud to yourself a few times. All of these forms of repetition will aid in memory recall.
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Elaborative Rehearsal
When you are studying for a test and trying to remember information, your brain must consolidate those short-term memories (what you are studying) into long-term memories. This will help you recall that information when exam day comes.
One of the most effective ways of consolidating short-term memories into long-term memories is to engage in what is known as an elaborative rehearsal. This is a technique that involves studying the central fact or critical term.
Then, you elaborate on that key term, adding as much info and relevant points as you can.
Recalling information is much easier when you know a lot about a certain thing, instead of just the primary definition. The more you know about a specific topic, the easier it becomes to remember the most essential points.
Focus
Yet another method is focus, attention, and concentration. Studies show that it is much easier for people to retain information when studying in a free place from outside distractions.
This also has to do with consolidating short-term memories into long-term ones, which is easiest when you can focus 100% of your attention on the material at hand.
If you want the best chances at remembering the info, study in a quiet room by yourself without any distractions such as TV or music. The more attention you can pay to whatever you are memorizing, the easier it will be to recall that info when it is needed.
Organization
Organization and structure play a key role. It is much easier to remember facts when you study them in a structured way.
Instead of studying all of your material at once in no specific order, try studying things that are related to each other.
Similar concepts and terms should be grouped together for the best memory recall.
For example, suppose you are studying history. In that case, it will be easier if you study WWII and Nazism at the same time, rather than jump from WWII to the Cold War, then to Nazism and communism, and back again.
This is just a rough example, but the main point is that the individual components become easier to remember if you group related terms and subjects together. Brains work really well with a structured routine.
No Cramming
One of the worst things you can do is try and cram all of that information on the last couple of days before the exam. Brains do not work well when you try to cram too much all at once.
A lot of this has to do with the consolidation of short-term memories into long-term memories.
If you study too much information at once, your brain won’t consolidate any of the info into long-term memory.
However, suppose you split up your study sessions and focus on just a few main topics, and repeat that info back to yourself. In that case, it is much more likely to become engrained in your long-term memory.
If you try to cram for 10 hours the day before the exam, you will not likely remember much of it.
On a related note, it helps if you start studying early weeks before the exam. The more time you give your brain to process that information, the more likely you will recall it.
Mnemonic Devices
Mnemonic devices have been shown to aid in memory recall. Mnemonic devices are little songs, rhymes, or stories that contain important facts, or small word games that help us remember important details.
You can use already existing devices or make up your own. These catchy little rhymes and sayings are easy to remember on their own. Once you remember the mnemonic device, recalling the actual facts becomes easier.
Write and Read Out Loud
Human beings are all different. Some learn best by reading, some by writing, some by hearing the info, and some by seeing it.
Therefore, determine which method of learning is best for you. You might be okay with simply reading a text a couple of times.
However, people have a much easier time remembering information that they have read aloud to themselves in general. This process forces you to both read and hear the text processing it twice.
For added effectiveness, try copying the text on paper by hand and then reading it aloud. This is a specific form of repetition. Each time you read, write, read aloud and hear the info, you are repeating it to yourself, which will help you recall the information later.
Switch Things Up
Related to the previous point, memory recall easier when you don’t always study in the same way. This is much like muscle memory at the gym.
Suppose you keep exercising using the same routine. In that case, eventually, your muscles get used to it, and they don’t respond the same way.
Development doesn’t happen as quickly when the same routine is used. The same is true for our brains. If you expect to recall information accurately and rapidly, changing up the way you study could help.
If you are still having trouble remembering, you may want to try out a brain supplement such as SynapseXT.
Conclusion
There are many different ways to help improve memory recall, especially when recalling specific facts. Pay attention, keep your focus, choose a quiet study place.
Repeat the information back to yourself many times in different ways, such as reading, writing, hearing, and seeing the info you wish to recall.