Memory

Memory if only we could remember everything, life would

be so much simpler!
How often have you put
something down and
forgotten where it is?

There are techniques

you can use to help you
improve your memory:
Mind Maps
This technique helps you visualise and structure your
subject when taking notes: for example if you were not
familiar with Microsoft Office software you could use the
mind mapping technique to help remember things more
easily.

Draw a circle in the centre of a page and write in the

subject title. Draw lines outwards from the circle and write
on subheadings of the subject. From the subheadings use
branching to write on further detail of the subject. E.g:

This is a very basic example of mind mapping. Why not give

it a try on a subject you know well and then improve your
technique and try it on a subject you know very little of.

Mnemonics (pronounced with a silent m)

This is a technique that jogs our memory into remembering
things and in some ways helps us to remember awkward and
complicated things:
Little memory joggers (mnemonics) have
been around for a very long time. E.g. have
you ever heard someone say Never Eat
Shredded Wheat? This helps some people
remember North, East, South and West
the points on a compass in clockwise order.
The trick is to use the same letter for the word you are
trying to remember.
R est
I ce
C ompress
E levate
This is used in some first aid training: RICE is the order in
which to apply first aid to anyone with a sprain or strain
injury.

Another way is to use little melodies to jog your memory

into remembering things. These melodies are learnt very
quickly. E.g.
Thirty days has September,
April, June and November,
All the rest have thirty one
Excepting February clear
With twenty eight
Or twenty nine in each leap year

However, with a simple mnemonic such as the one below,

recalling this can be very simple indeed:
My Very Easy Method: Just Set Up Nine Planets.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.

This kind of mnemonic breaks down somewhat when a letter

is repeated. In the example above Mars and Mercury share
an initial M and without being aware that Mercury was
closer to the Sun than Mars the mnemonic alone would not
help to distinguish.
By using these techniques you may find that you are in fact
remembering lots of information but in a short and quirky
way. Ask some of your friends see if they know of any
mnemonics!