Problem remembering names?

LegacyUser

Slightly embarrassing issue, I've started back in full time education and I'm enjoying all aspects of my program and hopefully I'll be there for another year at least. I just have a little problem which has not gone unnoticed lately. I'm terrible with names, despite knowing these people a good month or so now and having spent quite an amount of time in their company I still haven't a clue what most of their names are. We have all been introduced formally and when someone introduces themselves personally (probably for the fifth time) it's as though I leave the planet for the important bit and glaze over.
The irony is this tends to only happen with my female colleagues and as my class is almost entirely female it's become a bit of a sticking point. If nothing else most of them find it a bit funny (when put on the spot I sit agape trying to remember even a semblance of their name) but at the same time I think it would help if I could actually recall who they are, for interaction purposes. (a good portion of us would smoke together and spend lunch breaks chatting with each other)

I don't think I'm lazy and I'd hate to think it's because I don't consider them significant enough but I've been lying awake at night trying to figure out what is wrong with my brain. I'm wondering does anyone else suffer this issue or is this normal? I normally wouldn't worry about this kind of thing but just thought it might be time to confront the issue.
There are two men in the class, both of whose names I knew before the end of the first day without even having been formally introduced.

Santa Cruz

I was told that a method of remembering names was to squeeze your right hand tight when you hear their names first. Then the next time you see them squeeze your left hand tight and the name will come to your mind.
I know it sounds silly but I have tried it and it worked.

dellas1979

Hi OP,

Remembering names is a cognitive skill (amongst others). And it doesnt come natural to some people.

Ill remember a face from 20 years ago, Ill remember what I had for breakfast on a monday 7 weeks ago, but I wont remember the name of someone I met yesterday (my "brain" doesnt deem it as necessary information).

It is something you can improve on though. For example, Im visual/auditory person, so if I meet someone new (and want to remember their name), I will look at them, and say their name aloud, so I can hear it, as in "Hi, Im John". Me: "Nice to meet you John". The next few meetings then (even if very brief), Ill be "Hi John" (not just "hi"). Trains zee brain.

Pat Mustard

If you write down the names, you'll remember them. Somebody who knows more about these things will possibly tell you why, but it works.

LegacyUser

phew, thanks for that. I'm much the same, I can remember stupid, useless and random facts and things from years ago but trying to remember names is like performing brain surgery.
I'll definitely take the hint on board, I'm determined to remember who they are this week!

roweeeeena

I'm the exact same. I remember faces and know exactly who they are, but am awful with names and always worry that I seem rude if I have forgotten. Like you said, it's like my brain wanders and glosses over when they say their name specifically, very weird! I'm working on being a lot more concious of it, and like someone else said, repeating their name back. Just wanted you to know it's not just you!

Stavro Mueller

Before he retired, my dad had a job where he had to meet lots of people. His trick was to hold a conversation with them and that was his way of connecting things up.

DonnaDarko09

The second you are introduced, think or associate them with someone famous. This usually helps me! Eg "hi, I'm julia"...*think of Julia Roberts,etc*

Aglomerado

DonnaDarko09 wrote: »

The second you are introduced, think or associate them with someone famous. This usually helps me! Eg "hi, I'm julia"...*think of Julia Roberts,etc*

This works for me as well, as I will forget a name minutes after someone tells me. What I do is I imagine the person I've just met standing alongside the famous person/ other person I know with the same name.

Santa Cruz

When I was on the delivery circuit I used always tie the name to a persons interest or home county so I knew them as Paddy Chelsea or Tommy Banner. It always was a into to a conversation too when you met because you could start chatting about their interest before getting down to business

ams

I slyly type names into the note app on my phone when I'm introduced to people at parties etc - it really helps as I can glance at the note and remind myself of the name.

December2012

You could also become Facebook / linkedin contacts with people you'll see regularly.

Then check it often so you'll see pictures next to names.

LegacyUser

So I made the effort to put faces to names today and I think I've got about 70% of them! (I just repeated the name out loud after hearing it so that seems to work)
The social media thing has been on my mind too, I know it's how things are done these days but I deactivated mine a good while ago and I'm almost defiant about using them again, it's becoming almost impossible though, it's tentacles are in everything I do. I dread the thought of using facebook to interact, I'm just not that good at it. (it depresses me)

thegreatgonzo

December2012 wrote: »

You could also become Facebook / linkedin contacts with people you'll see regularly.

Then check it often so you'll see pictures next to names.

That's what I did when I started back in college. There were so many blonde girls I couldn't tell them apart for months. For me it's faces, I'm embarrassingly bad at remembering faces. Features just seem to meld together unless I've met them several times.