How to memorise well

Here are ways in which you can make the most effective use of your memory in the learning process.

Any learning process involves application of memory. Skills in memorisation help you recall at will the information you had once mastered and perform well in tests and examinations. There is a school of thought that relying on memory is not a healthy way of learning, and that you should apply logic on each occasion for deriving information. This may be a good platitude; students in schools and colleges aiming at good scores in examinations have to remember a lot, irrespective of the test style.

Take for example a formula in mathematics or physics. Of course, there are ways to derive them. But it will be a sheer waste of time if you go in for ab initio derivation on every occasion you have to apply them.

We easily remember matter that has some meaning. Let us illustrate it with an example. See the words arranged in different columns.

The first column is the toughest to remember, as is contains nothing but nonsensical syllables. The second column is relatively easier, since it has words with some meaning. The third one is still easier, as the words belong to a family. The fourth one is a meaningful sentence; we can commit it to memory in one reading. The last one is the easiest, as it is a meaningful sentence with a rhyme. It may be remembered that the ease comes not only in just remembering but also in meaningful learning as well.

If the words carry some sense, we learn the idea easily. As part of learning, if an effort is made to translate tough matter we wish to remember into something that can be taken in with ease and delight, we make memorisation and learning more effective.

Memory is often classified as short- and long-term. When you recite a passage, the idea may be in your memory only for a couple of seconds. This cannot last long. If you want to commit the idea to long-term memory, you have to think about it for a few minutes. This is, of course, part of any learning process. Trying to recall an idea frequently will entrench it in your memory.

While learning a piece for the first time, you may benefit by reciting it a few more times after you have learnt it. This is called over-learning, which `engraves the mental trace deeper and deeper, thus establishing a base for long-term retention.'