Previous to we start with the point, let’s think of why we forget what we read. The most important reason we forget is the negative programming in our mind. We think we will forget so we do.
But the truth is, we all possess the same capacity. The difference comes from lack of practice. Your 'memory bank' has no limits. Your brain can absorb a thousand pieces of new information every second. No matter how much in sequence you give it, it never runs out of space to store it.
Now, let’s have a look at how you can improve your memory:
1) Pay concentration
Concentrate on what you are reading or hearing. If will be easier to concentrate if you deal with one thing at a time. Also remember, lack of concentration comes from lack of interest.
2) Know What is essential and What is Not
Identify the things you need to remember and concentrate on them only. For example, concentrate more on new or difficult information.
3) Try to Relate New Information with Old
The more you analyze the subject from different angles, the more you will remember it. Try to compare or relate the new information with what you know already. For example, suppose you have learnt that the name of the father of Medical Science is Hypocrites. You may notice that the name sounds similar to the word hypocrete which means double faced. But Hypocrites has nothing to do with hypocrisy. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Till today, when doctors complete medical school, they take an oath called the Hypocritic Oath, in which they pledge to serve their patients to the best of their ability, maintain strict confidentiality and live with honesty and integrity.
4) Learn As a Whole
Rather than trying to remember partial or disjointed in sequence, find out how the different parts relate to each other and learn the study material as a whole.
5) Revise:
Revise the study material within one or two days of studying it the first time. Studies have found that an average person will forget around 75% of the information he has learnt within a day or so if he does not use it. Skim through your class notes on a regular basis. Research has also found that revising something at regular intervals is much more effective than cramming at the last moment.
6) Use Pictures
Try to represent complex subjects through a chart or diagram. You will find it easier to remember.
7) Use Clues
You can use different kinds of clues on mnemonics to remember something. These can be:
• Diagram Images : For example, think of a rose to remember the name Rosie.
• Sentences in which each word represents the initial of what you want to remember: For example, Bangla speakers often use the sentence Babar hoylo abar jor, sarilo oushodhe (father got sick again but he recovered with the help of medicine) to remember the names of Mughal Emperors :Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shahjahan, Aurongjeb.
• Rhymes: For example, people often use the rhyme 'Thirty days has September, April, June and November' to remember which months have 30 days and which 31.
• Acronyms: For example, the acronym VIBGYOR is used to remember the colors of the rainbow: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.
8) Turn Your Study Material into Something Funny
Professor Stephen Schidt of Tennesse State University made his students read sentences like this one: 'There are three ways a man can wear his hair: parted, unparted and departed.' He also made them read straight versions of the same sentences: 'Men can wear their hair with or without a part, unless they are bald.' The students remembered the funny sentences, and words from those sentences better than they recalled the unfunny words.
9) Find Out How You Remember Best
Some people remember best when they see something, other people remember best when they hear it, some people remember best when they act something out. Find out how you remember best and study that way.
10) Care for Yourself
Healthy habits such as walking, good sleeping routine, and drinking plenty of water helps improve memory.
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