If you have long lists of items to memorize, it really does help to come up with a mnemonic. You can easily think of a memorable sentence using words that share the first letter of the words you’re trying to remember. If you’re trying to recall this list of bacteria
Yersinia
Francisella
Mycobacterium
Brucella
Salmonella
Listeria
Legionella
it’s a lot easier to come up with the sentence, “Yes Frank may brush Sally’s legs,” first. It really jogs your memory, doesn’t it! You can create mnemonics for any subject matter, of course, and there are plenty that are already out there. Med students could hardly survive without them, since there are many, many, many nerves, muscles, bones, and diseases for them to recall.
Another trick I’ve used is to make these items personally meaningful somehow. When we hear something that matters to us, we don’t forget it do we? And in fact we often remember small things from fiction, if they were of interest to us. So when I had a long list of bacteria to learn, along with whether or not each one needed oxygen and whether or not each one is motile (can move around on its own), I had to resort to asking my roommate to help me to make up stories about the ones I just couldn’t remember!
For example, for the Franciscella organism, which strictly needs oxygen and is non-motile, my roommate made up a story about dear Francisella, who was wheelchair-bound and had to have an oxygen tank. Just before I ran out the door the morning of the exam, my roommate shouted after me, “Remember, Francisella – can’t move! Needs air!” I’ve never forgotten it, but I’ve forgotten all the ones I’d memorized just barely well enough to spit out on the test.
Use any tricks that will help something become interesting, and your brain will have a better chance of storing it – and retrieving it when you need it!
Photo credit: cogdogblog