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Memory Versus LearningMemory is used in our everyday life as well as learning, these are two distinct processes yet veryrelated. Take a look to observe what differentiates them!

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As we all very well know from our day-to-day life, the things we perceive as belonging to our past,either read from books, thoughts or moments lived by us, do not disappear after the event hasalready happened. We usually are capable of reproducing in our minds the faces of people we havemet, of places we've been to, thoughts, things spoken, heard or read, and so on. A thing that we haveseen before, a song that we have heard before, appear as something familiar, i.e. we recognize them.In all of these cases, it is about the psychological process called "memory". Memory could be defined

as a form of reflecting reality. But what is typical of memory is the fact that it reflects aspects of ourprevious experience.

All of these examples illustrate that we could define memory as the psychological process consisting of registering, storing and reproducing what has been part of our experience. Memory does not manifestitself only in certain moments of our life. It does manifest itself permanently, continuously, throughoutour entire psychic life. The things we perceive have a certain meaning for us and we can make use of them because our experience, revitalized by memory. Our thoughts have certain continuity becauseevery second of our life we remember what we have thought a second, a minute, an hour ago.Memory gives continuity to our spiritual life. Thanks to memory, the individual's experience canexpand and enrich all the time. Memory is based especially on forming and actualizing the temporarynervous connections. The laws of acquiring and losing the conditioned reflex generally explain thephenomena of memorizing and forgetting.

Modern researches have pointed out the existence of some elementary physiological processes whichcan also contribute to the elucidation of memory issues. Thus, it has been discovered that certain

cortical cells have the role of nervous energy condensers, which continue to discharge some time afterthe stimulus has stopped its action. The existence of some so-called reverberating circuits has beenestablished, in which the nervous influx can circulate through a closed chain, facilitating thus therespective trajectory.

Due to its structure, the human brain can generally be capable of retaining information phenomena.Also, we could mention certain bio-electrical phenomena produced by a stimulus which can continue orreappear after the disappearance of the initial stimulus. The terms memory and learning are quitedifficult to differentiate, because they have many common aspects. We could, however, try and defineand delimit them both. As it has been previously mentioned, memory is the psychic process consisting

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of retaining, preserving and reproducing certain facts from our experience. Let us now try to show thedifferences between learning and memory.

Memory Vs Learning 

First of all, whereas memory is especially a means of reflecting things, learning is primarily defined asan activity by which we fix our knowledge into our memory. Also, learning is a more complex activity

than the simple act of  memorizing facts, images, impressions, and so on. Learning implies an effort of understanding, systematization and management of stored information, and also exercises of puttingthem into practice.

Learning covers a larger area of phenomena than the simple memorization. Thus, for instance, astudent solving math problems can improve his skills in solving problems, can learn how to use hisknowledge of math in an independent and original manner. This improving is a form of learning.Another example in this sense: an expert in the field of colors learns to distinguish very fine colornuances. He thus develops his chromatic sensitivity to which one can very well apply the term"learning".

Learning is an activity and can be applied to any form of activity, including movement. Thus, we saythat a child learns to walk or to speak; a person learns to swim, and so on. Learning always impliesthe use of our past memory, but it also does imply both in the fixation and in the use of the things

retained a larger spectrum of psychic phenomena and a more intimate integration in the individual'sbehavior.

We also usually say about somebody who's learning a foreign language that he/she has memorized aseries of new words, but we could not say that he/she has memorized how to speak, to expresshim/her in the new language.By Claudia Miclaus Last Updated: 10/13/2011

How to Memorize QuicklyThe following article lists some of the most effective and easy to implement tips on how to memorizequickly. Read on...

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In today's fast paced life, most of us are overloaded with professional and personal commitments.Being in the midst of handling a number of things simultaneously, we discover that we are becoming

forgetful by the day. Sometimes we are unable to find our keys, at other times we forget to send animportant e-mail to a client in our office. When such instances become a regular thing, it is time totake memory improvement seriously. So, for all those people, whether adults, students or seniors,who are wondering,"how to memorize quickly?", below are some effective memorization tips.

Tips on How to Memorize Quickly and Effectively 

Exercise the Brain Whether you are a student or a working professional, it is very important that you exercise your brainto maintain its health, like any other part of the body. So, regularly indulge in memory improvementexercises such as jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, etc.

Mention to Others One of the best way to memorize quickly is to talk the thing that you want to retain in your brain with

somebody. When you talk about something with others, the brain automatically starts relating it withmany other subjects. This helps in keeping the information in the brain for a longer time.

Break Down and Correlate All those students who are wondering, "how to memorize quickly for a test?", one of the mostuseful memory improvement tip is to break whatever information you want to remember into smallcategories. It is easier for the brain to remember information in small groups. Once you have brokendown the information, try to correlate it with something which is already a part of your long termmemory. Breaking down and correlating the information is one of the most effective tips to memorizequickly.

Prepare Mental Images Mentally visualizing the thing is another technique to improve memory. For example, if you arereading about a disease and want to memorize its symptoms like irritability, headache, stress, etc,

you can actually prepare a mental image of a person who is experiencing all such things. By doingthis, you will be able to retain the information you just read for a longer time.

Enhance Focus and Concentration Improve your focus and concentration as it helps in memorizing better. Everyday, for ten minutes, tryto recall what you learned in your class or some work which you did in office yesterday. Try toremember each and every detail regarding it. When you recall past events everyday, you need to

really concentrate and focus, and this will help improve your memory.

Write the Information For students who want to know how to memorize quickly for an exam, using flash cards is a handyoption. For example, if you are trying to memorize definitions, you can write the definition on one sideof the card and the term on the other side. If it is some essay you are trying to memorize, you canwrite one paragraph of it on one side of the flash card and a clue about it on the other side. You can

carry these flash cards wherever you want and read them to memorize your lessons. Even if you havea few minutes to spare, you can go through any of the cards and then put it at the back of the stackof cards, only to read the one which is now at the top. This is one of the most fun and interestingways for students to memorize quickly.

Use in Conversation 

If you have a conversation about the thing that you want to remember with your friends or family, it ismuch more likely that you will remember the conversation. It is but obvious that when we think aboutsomething silently, it may get lost after a while, but when we talk about it to someone, it remainsetched in our memory for a much longer time.

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 Take a Healthy Diet Diet has an important role to play in maintaining the health of the brain, which in turn helps inimproving our memory. So, in your diet, include foods that improve memory such as fish and salmonwhich is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fortified whole grain cereals which are a rich source of vitamin B,milk and eggs, and iron rich foods such as broccoli, grapes, papayas, cranberries, strawberry, beets,spinach, dark leafy vegetables, lentils, tuna, tomatoes, plums, grapes, orange juice, avocados, soy

beans and sweet potatoes.

Here's hoping that the above mentioned tips on how to memorize quickly will help your cause. Onelast tip before I sign off - Make a list of all the things that you have to do during the day, first thing in

the morning. You can do the same, with regards to your office work too. Writing down your tasks andthen striking them off as and when they are completed, is a good way to ensure that yourforgetfulness does not affect your work.By Aastha Dogra Last Updated: 10/6/2011

Memory Improvement TipsMemory improvement tips are an essential tool when you are learning about ways to improve your

memory. Just like our body, our memory needs to be nourished with healthy diet, brain exercises and

healthy habits. The content of this article will give you some tips to improve memory. Read on...

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Memory is nothing but the recalling of any data or information that has been assimilated by the brain.

Memory is divided into two types; short term memory and long term memory. Short term memory

helps the brain to remember the information for few seconds to few minutes, for example, searching a

phone number in the phone directory. This type of information is not stored for a long time, and

lapses from the brain. Long term memory, on the other hand is that memory where we make

conscious efforts to retain the information for a long time. Read on to find out memory improvement

tips for short term and long term memory.

Memory Improving Techniques 

Brain exercises are one of the simplest ways of improving memory power. As such, there is no exact

definition of brain exercises. The key to brain exercises is to stimulate the gray cells of our mind. For

instance, solving complex sudoku puzzles or trying out various problem solvingexercises can be a

good practice for improving the analytical skills of brain. Similarly, something as simple as brushing

your teeth with the non-dominant hand can trigger some unused areas of the brain. The memory is

 just like our body, if you regularly exercise it, you will develop a good physique, else you will have an

unfit body, thus, our brain needs exercise, and that too regularly. There are various brain games that

help the mind to increase its power. The stroop test, analogy test and concentrating on numbers are

some of the brain games for adults. Read more on memory games for children. 

Tips for Memory Improvement 

To sharpen you memory power, try learning new recipes and developing new habits so that you can

trigger the inactive parts of the brain. Besides brain exercises, some more memory improvement tips

are as follows:

  Focus and concentrate when you are learning something. It takes around 8 seconds for thebrain to assimilate information into the proper memory center. So, if you focus, theinformation will be actively received by the brain cells.

  Try to understand your learning style. You may be better at learning with visuals and images,

or maybe your auditory nerves work faster. Depending on that, incorporate visual or auditoryinformation to learn something, as that will help you to remember the information for a longtime.

  Learn to organize information and maintain some logbook or diary where you can writeimportant things like phone numbers, dates etc. Revisit them occasionally and it will be fixedin your brain for a longer time.

  Try to relate the information you wish to remember to something that you already know. Use

the all the senses like smell, color textures and taste to remember something.

  If the topic or information you are learning is difficult, try thinking about it for a long time; tryto understand it instead of cramming it up.

Memory Improvement Tips for Adults 

All brain exercises and efforts will go waste if you don't live a lifestyle that is healthy for the body and

hence for the brain. Hence, here are a few more memory improvement tips:

  Regular exercises help to keep away diseases that are harmful for the memory. Besides,regular exercising enhances the feeling of well-being and improves blood circulation to thebrain. Also, a good and healthy diet, supplemented by adequatebrain food will also help inimproving memory.

  Don't be stressed, as stress hampers the ability of the mind to concentrate. A stress free mindwill collect and store more information that a stressed mind, so avoid being over-stressed.

  Develop good sleeping habits, as sleep is necessary for keeping the mind and body fit as oneof the lack of sleep side effects includes lack of concentration.

  Avoid smoking and drinking excessively, as these bad habits hamper the cardiovascularsystem that supplies oxygen to the brain, thus, making it harmful for memory.

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Learning acronyms and mnemonics for long words can help to remember complex information for a

longer time. The above mentioned memory improvement tips should be religiously followed, as only

then can one reap rich benefits of the brain power.

By Kundan Pandey 

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How to MemorizeMemorizing those long and complicated essays and formulas can really be a difficult task if you don't

know how to memorize properly! Read this article to go through some interesting tips and tricks to

memorize quickly and effectively.

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"I worked hard at memorizing lists of facts and figures, and carried with me a book of facts." ~

Charles Van Doren

Well, Charles Van Doren was lucky enough to be able to carry a book of facts with him, but not

everybody is! Especially when it comes to memorizing long speeches, essays or complicated formulas

for an exam, there is no way you can keep a book! The one and only way you have, is to MEMORIZE

these things!!! Though it can be a little challenging and difficult, but how to improve memory is

definitely not impossible! We are humans, and learning and memory improvement is what has evolved

us from being apes to the present human form. Therefore, learning and memorizing is something that

comes naturally to us. We started as kids by learning and remembering to say 'mom' and 'dad', we

went to school, learned and memorized the alphabets from A to Z and numbers from 1 to 10, and

more. As we grow in life, so does our capacity to memorize and learn new things that come in our

minds. Whenever you find it difficult to memorize something, always remember, how to memorize is

something you have been doing all your life, so you WILL be able to do it successfully in future too!

How to Memorize Anything 

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Did you know that different people have different learning abilities? And it is based on these abilities

that you can adapt techniques to improve your memory! Some are visual learners, some are auditory

learners and some are tactile learners. An auditory learner is the one who finds it easier to memorize

anything by merely listening to it for sometimes. On the other hand, there are some people who are

visual learners which find it easier to memorize things by visualizing them. And then we have the

tactile learners who find it easy to memorize things by acting or pretending to be it and understand

each and every single detail of it. Based on this fact, there are different memorization techniques thatcan help you know how to memorize quickly and effectively! Therefore the first step to memorize is to

identify which type of learner you are and then adapt the following techniques to improve memory to

help you memorize almost anything as quickly and easily as possible.

Effective Ways of Memorizing Anything 

Before I start on with the different methods and techniques of how to memorize quickly and

effectively, it is very important for you to focus on what you are about to memorize! Make the

surroundings supportive by removing things or people that distract you, like your mobile phone,

laptop, watch or any other thing that can distract your attention from memorizing. Consider this to be

a war just between you and your memorizing material! It is often better to isolate yourself in a room

with no distractions and enough light. However there are different techniques to improve memorymentioned below, which will tell you exactly what you need to do. Have a look...

Break it into Parts 

Breaking the memorizing material into smaller parts always helps in memorizing and co-relating at the

same time. This is among the most useful memory improvement tips that can help you with

memorizing long speeches or essays...or anything for that matter! You can memorize the smaller

parts easily as compared to the whole thing at once, so it's better to break it into parts and start

memorizing one by one, part by part, and then co-relating the whole thing together.

Repeat and Recollect 

This of all the memorizing techniques, works best for people who are auditory learners. This

memorization trick requires constantly repeating the sentences or formulas again and again. Makingyourself listen to it again and again will register the sequence in your memory. Therefore, try to

repeat the sentence at least 5 times, concentrate and then try to recollect it without looking at the

book. There is limit to the number of times you repeat yourself. Keep repeating and recollecting till it

registers in your mind.

Make Acronyms 

This memorizing trick works best for memorizing the sequence or points of some factual information.

All you need to do is to form acronyms by taking the first letter of the sequence or group of words. An

example for the same would be BODMAS, which is an acronym or an abbreviation of 'Bracket of 

Division Multiplication Addition and Subtraction'. Or LASER, which is an acronym for 'Light

Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation'. I have used this technique to memorize points for

my economics notes and it has really worked.

Form Sentences or Acrostics 

This technique is very similar to the previous one. The only difference is, instead of forming words,

you are forming sentences. This technique helped me in memorizing the order of planets when I was a

kid. I always used to get confused in the order and then one day I was just asked to memorize this

sentence, 'My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us the Nine Planets'. How hard was that? Not at all,

but then by memorizing this sentence I remember the sequence of the nine planets till this date,

which was 'My for Mercury, Very for Venus, Educated for Earth, Mother for Mars, Just for Jupiter,

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Showed for Saturn, Us for Uranus, Nine for Neptune and Planets for Pluto'. Pluto is not a planet

anymore, that's a different story!

Try Grouping Sometimes 

The method of grouping helps in case of memorizing long sequence of numbers. An example for the

same would be, suppose you want to memorize the number string 21462011. Instead of trying to

memorize the whole number altogether, create chunks of these numbers which would be 21, 46,2011. This way you would remember the numbers 21, which you always want your age to be, 46,

which you would never want to be and 2011, which is the year we are looking forward to.

Visualizing and Organizing 

This method is the mixture of visualizing, organizing and associating. Also known as the LOCI method,

it was used by many orators in the ancient times to learn and memorize long and lengthy speeches.

The application of this memory improvement exercise, requires a well-known common path that you

will have to take every time you memorize. Start walking on that path, which may be a tour in your

house, your garden or the nearby road. The most important thing is to be able to associate the words

or material with the visual memory of the path that you walked and the objects you came across while

you were memorizing. For example, take your first visual object to be the picture at the hall, second

would be the door of your bedroom... and so on. Associating these landmarks to what you werelearning while you crossed them will help you register the things in your memory. When it comes to

how to memorize lines, this technique proves to be very helpful!

Sing it Along! 

This technique into transforming the sentences into songs and rhymes works best if you have difficulty

concentrating! If you are into music, which most of us are, this way to improve memory and learn will

make all your learning difficulty disappear! Now you must be wondering how can you sing and

memorize? Remember how we learned the alphabets, by singing the rhyme of 

A,B,C,D,E,F,G...H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P...! This technique works best for young students who struggle to

memorize those complicated formulas of algebra! Converting these formulas into songs and singing

rhymes helps in memorizing them more quickly!

I hope these memorizing tips proved to be of some help in answering your question of  how to improve

memory and concentration! As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, it is human to err, and it is

human to learn and to memorize. The basic foundation of our communication was by learning and

memorizing a series of 26 alphabets, when we weren't even 4 years old. It's commitment, practicing

and application of the techniques of how to memorize, that helps us learn and memorize things which

are bigger and complicated. So apply these techniques and you will surely become a successful learner

who knows how to memorize things effectively and successfully. All the best!

By Shalu Bhatti 

Last Updated: 10/12/2011

Activities to Improve Working MemoryAn active working memory forms the basis of reasoning and intelligence. That is why it is important todevelop and hone the same. In this following article we will take you through certain activities that willhelp you achieve exactly that.

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Let's suppose you make a mental note of the varied things that you have to buy at the grocery store,but you do not have the time to make a proper list on paper. After the shopping is done and you'rehome, you realize that you have forgotten to pick up 2-3 items. You curse your memory and promiseyourself that you'll get around to it the next time you're out. The section of memory that you cursed?Yeah, that was your working memory. What exactly is working memory?

Working memory is that pocket of your memory that is responsible for holding information till it isprocessed and retained. This information is important for carrying forth functions like reasoning,learning and comprehending. The term working memory is often used interchangeably with short termmemory, but many scientists now say that the two are completely different. This pocket of memory isoften tested because there are several distractions in the form of external stimuli as well as the influx

of newer information that are being processed at the same time. It is believed that a strong workingmemory could form the basis of general intelligence and reasoning.

Given the importance of working memory for a person, there is a need to improve and hone the samein a person. In that direction, certain activities to improve working memory will be discussed in thefollowing sections. These will give you a detailed explanation of how to improve working memorythrough varied games and activities. Here they are as follows.

Activities and Games to Improve Working Memory 

Looking upon something as a task that needs to be done, often proves to be a discouraging factor.Treating something as a game and adding the element of fun to it instead is a rather effective way of bringing about results. That's why introducing working memory activities into your daily routine arehighly recommended. The following are some interesting ways to improve working memory

through memory improvement games and activities.

Map a Film One of the best strategies to improve working memory is to develop the power of recalling. Recallinglessons or things related to work are boring, so we won't go there. What you can do instead is pick upa subject that you love. For example, your favorite film. Choose a film that you've watched over andover again till you know it inside out. Then simply close your eyes and start recalling the film from itsfirst scene till the end. Go back to the film and check the details that you missed. Do this exercise

over a couple of days picking a different film every time. You'll find that your capacity to recallinformation will have improved greatly.

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 Mental Imagery of the Closet Another way to improve working memory is to zero in on any wardrobe or cupboard in your home andthen draw a mental imagery of the same. Start out with the top shelf and work your way through thewhole wardrobe. You could also make notes and lists of the same. This will challenge you to recall andretain in a much better manner.

Recall a Radio Show Tune into a radio show that essentially features a countdown of songs. Listen to the program with theintention of recalling the details. When the program is over, try to make a list of the descending orderof the songs along with the accompanying details like the artist and featured actors and actresses in

the song. This will add to the difficulty of the exercise and help in improving memory. 

Miscellaneous Games There are a number of other activities to improve working memory that can be brought into thepicture. Here are some of the same:

  Upturn a pack of cards and then go about finding the pairs by upturning only a pair at onetime.

  Solving varied kinds of puzzles is a great way to work the brain and improve working memory.

  Picking out random objects and then observing the same for 10 seconds or so before making alist of the same.

  Learning a new language or learning the lyrics of a song is a great way to bring about animprovement in working memory.

These games and activities are quite effective when it comes to improving your working memory. Youneed just bring these activities to improve working memory into play and you'll see a markedimprovement in your ability to recall, recollect and comprehend. And is that not what you want?

By Rujuta Borkar 

Memorization TipsThe memorization tips provided below incorporate simple techniques to improve memory.

Memorization tips for students presented in the article would be especially useful.

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 Ads by Google

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The human brain can be described as a complicated 'machine' which stores large amount of information. The brain, if trained properly and provided with right techniques to memorize things hasthe capacity to memorize things and can definitely increase its capacity a lot. The following article isan attempt to compile as many memorization tips as possible.

Memorization Tips and Techniques 

The activity/process of memorization in our brain, takes place in two ways. Short term and long termmemory are the forms through which one keeps information in the brain. It is for our betterunderstanding, that the processes are classified into short term and long. Actually, the activity of memorizing is far more complicated. Even these two forms (short and long term) of memorizing, donot function separately. The brain sends and receives innumerable signals at a time to process theinformation that is taken in. Bringing out the information is an equally interesting process. Trainingthe memory is possible by stimulating the brain in different ways. Let us understand in detail aboutsuch ways/techniques through the memorization tips presented below. Read more on how to improveshort term memory. 

  The technique of associating a particular word to the concept being learned, helps in

memorizing it easily. One can use any common object or similar things for associating themwith words to be memorized.

  To remember a particular thing, one can use the technique of singing. The process of singinghelps in binding given words in a rhythm. The word then fits permanently into our memory.Jingles or even nursery rhymes would serve the purpose. Singing is one of the earliestmemorization tips and techniques being used.

  Visualizing certain things associated with the given word helps in memorizing them effectively.Certain pictures related to the given word are generally used.

  The process of teaching is also a nice way to effectively memorize a particular thing. If one

has to teach a particular thing to others, memorizing it becomes easy. This is because all the

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different means such as visualizing, association, singing, etc. are tried out in the process of memorizing and teaching it.

  If one is trying to understand and memorize a complex term or concept, the methodology of breaking that concept in small parts proves to be useful. The larger/complicated conceptshould be broken down into familiar and easy to understand elements.

  Repetition is one of the oldest and most common methods of memorizing a particular thing.The activity of repetitive reading should also be accompanied by saying the given words aloud.Read more on memory improvement tips. 

Memorization Tips for Students 

Here are some tips for memorization that students can use.

  When students are reading a particular passage, they should first understand the conceptbehind the words. Afterward, they should look for similar patterns found in the content.Somehow, linking these patterns together helps in memorizing the content.

  To create a movie in the mind by stringing together the facts/concepts to be learned, is aneffective means of memorizing them. Those who are inclined to visual learning can benefitfrom this memorization technique. To make it easy, only the key facts related to the differentfacts should be stringed together.

  Kinesthetic learning style is also a way of memorizing things effectively. Retaining informationby experiencing it in a physical way is the core of kinesthetic learning. The best example of such kind of memorizing is by practically doing the things in question.

Read more on:

  Memory Enhancement Techniques 

  Memory Improvement Exercises 

  How to Improve Memory Power 

The memorization tips enlisted in the article above, should provide with enough means for memoryimprovement. There are many innovative and interesting things to try out for improving memory. Forthe time being, let's try out these simple techniques.

By Shashank Nakate Published: 4/23/2010

Memory RetentionThe act of retaining or anchoring a particular piece of information in the brain so that you can recall it

at will is known as memory retention. Retaining information is important in all aspects of life, whether

you are a student or a professional. Through this article we will take a look at how you can increase

memory retention.

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The human brain is a wonderful thing. It can assimilate and record a lot of information. Unfortunately

we all, at some point or the other, feel that we are not able to recollect important things and that our

memory retaining power is not as good as it used to be. Problems in memory retention occur when we

do not pay attention to the information or are unable to understand the information given. Disinterest

and stress also plays a role in poor memory retention. When the subject matter that you want to

anchor into your brain is something that spikes your interest, it is very easy to retain such data. But

when it is an abstract self contained body of information like a long list or random numbers, it is

difficult to remember and assimilate this information. However, it is very much possible to increase

your memory through some memory retention techniques and exercises. Here we will guide you

through some effective memory retention techniques and exercises that will help you in your day-to-

day life. These techniques are also useful for students who are trying to memorize for an examination.

Memory Retention Techniques 

For retaining memory pertaining to academic knowledge, you need to follow a three pronged

approach. The memory retention techniques detailed below are useful for anchoring information to

your long term memory so that you can recollect them at your convenience.

Understanding the Material 

Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to memorize a simple stanza from a poem but difficult to

memorize a random treatise on say "abstract art". This is because you instantly understand the poem,

but have difficulty it memorizing something abstract. Proper understanding of the material at hand is

absolutely necessary if you want to retain the information in your brain and recollect it too. But how

do you go about understanding something that is unstructured and unorganized? The best way to do it

is by first breaking up the material into more manageable chunks of information. Organize the

information into one cohesive structure and write it down on a piece of paper. Tackle each chunk of 

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information one at a time and comprehend the meaning of the material at hand. Relating the

information to your own life and surrounding is also a great way to understand the material.

Familiarization with the Material 

To retain a particular piece of material or information, you need to look at it a few times at regular

intervals. This is known as familiarization. Let me give you an example. Suppose you are introduced to

a particular person at a party, you greet the person and move on. After a few days, you will not recallthe name of the person that you were introduced to. But suppose you hear this person's name all

through the party in some amusing anecdotes, then you are bound to remember the name and even

associate the name with the face of the person. By repeatedly exposing yourself to the name (in this

case), your brain retains the information. The same is true for say study material or a project report

or even something as mundane as "statistical analysis report". By looking or reading through the

material a few times two to three times a week, your brain retains the information.

Anchoring the Material 

After you have understood the material and familiarized yourself with the material, the next step is to

anchor the information. Creating mental association is the best way to assimilate and retain any

information. Mental association are of two types, one is mnemonics and the other is visualization. Both

of these are powerful techniques that aids mental retention. Let me explain mnemonics by anexample. Do you remember the seven colors of the rainbow. They

are Violet , Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow , Orangeand Red . To remember them in that order, an

acronym VIBGYOR is used. This is known as mnemonics. Visualization is also a tool that aids in

retaining and anchoring information. If you want to memorize a list, then make an acrostic phrase

that has a vividness out of it. Suppose you want to remember a list of things that you need to

purchase from the market. And they are Anchovy , Eggs,Lemons, Watermelon, Jam, Ice

cream, Prosciutto, Tacos, Italian dressing, Refried beans and Salmon. Then a good way to retain this

seemingly random piece of information is to make an acrostic

"An English Lord was jogging in the park in red shorts." All you need to do is remember this

particular phrase and visualize a typical English nobleman jogging in your local park wearing red

shorts. The humor in the visual imaginary will help in anchoring the list to your memory.

These were some memory retention exercises and memorization techniques that will help in retaining

information for longer time. Try to use the memory retention techniques given above and you will

notice that you are better able to assimilate any information.

By Rimlee Bhuyan 

Published: 6/17/2011