Have you ever worried that the moment you step foot into the exam hall that your mind will go completely blank? You aren’t alone. Fortunately, this fear is unlikely to come true. You would be surprised to know how much information comes to students’ minds once pen and paper are in hand. There are also a slew of memory tricks you can make use of that will help you remember details in a structured way. Below you can find some of the best ways to commit facts to memory so you can both boost your confidence and settle your pre-exam fears!
Mnemonics
Mnemonics involve translating bits of information into a different form that you are more likely to remember. A simple way to use mnemonics is to take the first letters of a chunk of information you need to memorize and use those letters to create a memorable phrase. This phrase will make it easier for you to recall than the original information.
For example, when learning the points on the compass, students are taught a mnemonic like “Never Eat Soggy Worms (in place of North East South West). The first letters of each cardinal direction are used to make a silly phrase.
Another example of a way to remember the colors of the rainbow: Roy G. Biv, which stands for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.
Rhyme
Put information into a rhyme to make it easier to remember. This is a more effective way to memorize bigger chunks of information than mnemonics.
For example, consider the rhyme that people use to remember how many days are in each month:
30 days hath September, April, June and November.
All the rest have 31
Except for February, my dear son.
It has 28 and that is fine
But in Leap Year, it has 29.
Set Facts and Figures to Music
Another way to memorize details is by putting your notes to music. Put a tune to your notes! Choose a catchy tune or an old childhood favorite and make a song to go along!