Introduction

Having a good memory can make a significant difference in various aspects of life, whether it’s in academics, university studies, or the workplace. Being able to memorize information quickly can often get us out of tricky situations. Imagine being able to prepare for a university exam in just a few days, memorize a work report in a matter of minutes, or remember the names of everyone you meet — a skill that can greatly impact your interpersonal relationships.

How to Improve Memory

If you’ve already mastered speed reading, it’s time to enhance your memory. Effective memory techniques can help you achieve this. Here are three powerful memory techniques to remember more information in less time and for the long term.

Memory 2.0

Our brains are wired to absorb millions of pieces of information daily, almost instantaneously and permanently. So why do we struggle to remember simple things? Improving your memory means accessing existing memories more efficiently and quickly. Here’s where the concept of “tags” comes into play.

Think about Web 2.0. What’s one of the most effective techniques for categorizing and organizing the millions of files uploaded by users on the internet? Tags (and, more recently, hashtags).

There’s a memory technique that utilizes “mental tags.” Here’s how it works:

1. Create a mental tag to identify the source of the information you want to remember. For example, “Professor Green’s lecture.”
2. Create a label to identify the subject of the information. If it’s an economics lecture about the causes of an economic crisis, use the tag “economic crisis” (how imaginative!).
3. Create a funny image that links the source tag to the subject tag. In our example, picture Professor (Vasco) Rossi singing a memorable song about stock market trends and the economic crisis from a stage. This humorous image stimulates emotional memory, particularly useful for rapid recall.
4. Finally, create an image to identify the key concepts you want to remember. In our story, you could use the band members, associating each with a keyword: guitarist Luca Inflation, drummer Gianni Liquidity, and so on. You get the idea.

Now, try forgetting Professor Green’s lecture on the economic crisis!

Memory Immediate

Sometimes, time is of the essence. Whether you need to prepare for a university exam in a few days, remember important information without writing it down, or memorize a girl’s phone number with a dead mobile phone, knowing how to memorize quickly can make a real difference.

In such situations, you can employ the “immediate memory” technique. Here are the five steps to apply it:

1. Believe: Convince yourself that you’ll remember the material (it’s like hitting the red REC button).
2. Want: Desire to remember the material (this strengthens your mnemonic capacity).
3. Visualize: Look at or mentally repeat the material once, clearly.
4. Command: Tell your brain to remember the material (the stronger the emotion associated with the memory, the easier it is to recall).
5. Review: Look at the material one more time.

What are the five steps to apply the immediate memory technique? Try it now with this article.

Permanent Memory

Your grandfather remembers a poem he learned in elementary school while you just found out your high school deskmate’s name yesterday on Facebook. Remembering information for years isn’t that difficult; all it takes is a simple mental review technique. It’s excellent for studying for high school and university exams or any other life test you’ll encounter.

Here’s how it works:

1. Every 20 minutes of study, make a list of key points you want to remember and review them for 5 minutes.
2. At the end of the day (before going to sleep), review the list of key points for 5 minutes.
3. After three days, review the list of key points for the last time for 5 minutes.

These memory techniques have been an integral part of my university study method. I’m confident that you’ll achieve remarkable results if you apply them diligently.

Conclusion

While many claim that memory techniques and memorization courses are the ultimate solutions for academic success, the reality is different. Mere memorization is one of the least effective study strategies. A successful study method should integrate rapid learning techniques (how you acquire information), mnemonic techniques (how you “store” information), and study organization strategies (how you prepare for exams). Most memory gurus miss the mark on the first and last points.