Memorising lengthy and complex subjects.

If you have tips for memorising things, post them here! They might work for us too.


I have a couple. There's a lot to learn for Biology so I use these.

For long complex processes, I create a chronologically correct story using the information i need to remember. It's easy to remember things if each stage of the story is dependant on the previous stage. Then when I recall the story, I remember the info.

For example, for me the process of Respiration is a space opera helmed by the alien named "Acetyl CoEnzyme A".

That one probably only works for me.

This one's pretty well known:
For smaller yet complex information, I create a little sentence - in which the first letter of each word acts as a reminder. These are quite common.
Examples:
The colours of the rainbow. "Ring out your great bells in victory" - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
Mitosis:"Passed my algebra test" - Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.

randomfella

sohcahtoa

D-Generate

<Jonny> wrote:

For example, for me the process of Respiration is a space opera helmed by the alien named "Acetyl CoEnzyme A".

Dude you are so gay!

<Jonny> wrote:

This one's pretty well known:
For smaller yet complex information, I create a little sentence - in which the first letter of each word acts as a reminder. These are quite common.
Examples:
The colours of the rainbow. "Ring out your great bells in victory" - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
Mitosis:"Passed my algebra test" - Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase.

Arrrr they be called mnemonics
"My very educated mother just showed us nine planets" being one for the order of planets in the solar system.
If I was to be Frank (and not D-Generate) I would say that learning mnemonics doesn't really work for me. I find that to remember the mnemonic itself you would basically remembering the answer in order to put together the mnemonic in your mind.
As in I would go hmmm what are the order of the planets "Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, aha! the mnemonic My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets works!"

D-Generate wrote:

Hair Gel : Brylcream Easy Wash or if I'm feeling fancy this Bed Head Coconut Wax stuff, smells soooooo good.

Dude you are so gay!

Scarinae

But there's only so many mnemonics you can learn off - it'd hardly get you to remember much more, would it?

If you create your own mnemonics, they stick better.

Scarinae

Do you make up many? Do you find that they actually work?

Yeah, i used one to remember the nitrogen cycle. It's too long and rude to repeat here. Haha.

They also help for maths formulas. That's just the way my mind works though, maybe. I can't deal with loads of numbers and names. Stories and imagery are easier to remember for me.

Funkstard

randomfella wrote:

sohcahtoa

I had so much problems remembering those angles for the JC until my sister said 'sohcahtoa' to me in a real chinese voice one night. It completely stuck and I had absolutely no problem remembering the angles now.

What I find works really well are 'mind maps', where you have what you need to learn and make a story out of it. The more ridiculous and unreal the better.

Also, it works to have a location you know well and attatch what you need to know to objects in your room. Make a logical story out of the objects in your room and relate them to what you need to know (E.g. your room; you wake up, turn on the light, read a book, check your phone, open the curtains etc)

Maybe I'm not explaining it well, but if anyone knows what I'm talking about make use of it, because it works unbelievably well. The more far-out the story the better, because you remember it better that way.

Funkstard wrote:

I had so much problems remembering those angles for the JC until my sister said 'sohcahtoa' to me in a real chinese voice one night. It completely stuck and I had absolutely no problem remembering the angles now.

I used "Silly old harry, caught a herring, trawling off america."

Funkstard wrote:

Also, it works to have a location you know well and attatch what you need to know to objects in your room. Make a logical story out of the objects in your room and relate them to what you need to know (E.g. your room; you wake up, turn on the light, read a book, check your phone, open the curtains etc)

Maybe I'm not explaining it well, but if anyone knows what I'm talking about make use of it, because it works unbelievably well. The more far-out the story the better, because you remember it better that way.

Yeah I think I know what you're referring to. That's a technique recommended by the world memory champion.

sarahg_angel69

will you pm me the nitrogen cycle one??? i hate it!!!! thanks

Creamy Goodness

sarahg_angel69 wrote:

will you pm me the nitrogen cycle one??? i hate it!!!! thanks

me too if you can

Like Fishie said, there's only so many you can learn. I suggest you make your own - it's not difficult, and it should be more easily remembered if you took time to create it.

Just write down the words you want to be able to remember and the order they are in, then apply a phrase. The more obscene and memorable the better, really.


and another technique I use when cramming the night before the exam, is to go through all the main points and rewrite them in my own words on A4 pages.

Effectively creating my own study booklet. Having done this, the info has been processed more deeply than just reading it. Plus you can look over your work in the morning before the exam, and it will still be fresh in your mind. You won't be wondering if you have forgotten something that you covered last night.

I also find it handy to ILLUSTRATE ideas. The time and thought taken to think of a suitable image (which encaptulates the idea) should be enough to help it stick in your mind. Also, when you're in the exam, you will be able to remember the pictures you drew, and draw (pardon the pun) your knowledge from them. That's what i find anyway.

Obviously you don't want to waste time drawing pictures when you could be cramming more info in, so you can just do quick doodles.

deek

Hmmmm all mine seem to centre on alcohol......bit worryin
Pass Me A Tequila.....Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase

Vodka Is A Safe Drink....Vapourisation Ionisation Acceleration Separation
Detection

Rredwell

Hmmm. I don't need mnemonics to rememeber the planets or rainbow colours (seeing as they don't come up in the Leaving Cert, they are not much use). I just remember them from childhood.

My version of the trigonometric angles mnemonic is "Could A Hungry Stupid Ostrich Have Taken Over America?"

As for biology, I remember Mitosis stages using IPMAT. (Interphase counts too!) And SPLASH stands for the functions of the liver... don't remember what it stands for thoughm except H for Heats blood.

randomfella

smart and swot in business, but they don't really count do they?