Have you ever had this experience: During an exam, you just reviewed it the day before, but you can’t remember what you read. This article teaches you how to enhance your memory. Depending on your learning style, you can choose a memorization method that suits you. The tips in this article are great for memorizing math formulas, text content, and more.

Auditory Learners

Memory through hearing. If you are better at remembering things that are spoken or heard, you are probably an auditory learner. See the following to determine if you are an auditory learner:

• You clearly remember the content of a conversation or lecture.
• Your vocabulary is very rich, you like words, your language expression ability is very strong, and you learn foreign languages very quickly.
• You are very good at speaking, talkative, and able to express your inner thoughts clearly.
• You are also quite accomplished in music. You can hear the pitch, rhythm, and each sound in the harmony.

Take a deep breath. Start by skimming the entire article or course you want to read. If the content is too long, it can be divided into chapters.

• Relate content from the article to your own experiences. This is called “associative memory.” The connection doesn’t have to be logical, just interesting, memorable, and memory-stimulating.
• When memorizing English words, if a word is relatively long, such as Composition, you read the word repeatedly, remember the pronunciation, and extract the consonants first, that is, C M P R H S N. If your pronunciation is correct, you can insert the vowels accurately.
• Convert the text you want to remember into pictures. For example, if you want to remember the definition of scientific research (for example: a scientist studies the natural world and proposes a principle based on the evidence he has collected), then you can draw a scientist on a piece of paper explaining it to another person. The order of the drawings should be consistent with the order of the text. Write some modifiers next to it.

The key to memory is repetition. Keep listening and reading to help you remember the order of things:

• Read the first sentence first.
• Then, without reading the book, repeat it in your own words.
• Then read the first and second sentences again.
• Then repeat it loudly without reading.
• Then read the first, second, and third sentences. Then speak the content out without reading the book until you can remember it completely. Repeat until you can fully remember the article.

Rest awhile. It is very important to keep a clear mind. When you feel you have remembered something, take a 20 to 30-minute break. During your break, do something relaxing and enjoyable (i.e., something that doesn’t require mental study), such as making a phone call with a friend or going for a walk in the park. Give your brain a break, let your brain slowly digest what you just remembered, and turn the memory into long-term memory. Continuously feeding new concepts and content into the brain will interfere with the formation of long-term memory in the brain.

After you take a break, test yourself again to see if you remember everything. If you still remember it, it means you really remembered it. If something becomes blurry, repeat it again with emphasis.

Listen to yourself. Read out and record what you need to remember, and then play your recording while you sleep. This method is not suitable for content that you have just learned and that you are not yet familiar with. But comparison helps enhance your memory of what you’ve already learned.

• You can buy a headband that holds your headphones in place so you can listen to the recording while you sleep. This method is widely used by people who like to use soft music to help them fall asleep.

Listen to others. If possible, record what the teacher says in class. Listening to it two or three times can effectively help you remember the content of the course.

Back and forth. When endorsing, you can walk around the room with the book. By moving around, you can effectively use your left brain as well as your right brain, thereby enhancing your memory skills.

Visual Learner

Stare for a long time. If you have an easier time remembering things you see with your eyes, you’re probably a visual learner. Characteristics of visual learners include:

• They are better at memorizing information in charts and pictures than verbally taught content.
• When studying, they will automatically imagine, as if they can see the content of the study.
• They can paint very vivid pictures internally.
• Their spatial skills are very strong: size, shape, texture, angle, perspective, etc., they are very easy to master.
• They can read people’s minds through body language.
• They are very sensitive to the environment and appreciate aesthetics, art, and other perspective media.

Sit quietly in a safe environment. Go to a place with no distractions and no eye-catching objects, so that your vision can be fully focused on what you want to remember. There are no TVs, large open windows, etc. to distract you visually.

Color the information according to the type of information you need to remember. For example, if you are memorizing a historical event, color the main historical figures a color. George Washington is painted blue, Ben Franklin is painted orange, everything about the Revolution is painted red, King George is painted green, and so on.

Read through each colored section, write each section down, and write it down again until you can successfully recite it completely. Writing the content on a sticky note that matches the color of the content will not only help solidify the connection in your mind, but will also help you take the next step.

Place sticky notes or index cards somewhere you’ll see them often, such as on your locker at school or on your bedroom door. Read it every time you pass by. Arrange notes vertically or horizontally by color or time order.

Write and rewrite notes frequently. When you see your space full of sticky notes, pick one up and rewrite it on a new note or card, replacing the existing one. Place the existing one somewhere else where you can see it. Occasionally it needs to be replaced again.

Find a study partner. Making diagrams, writing explanations, explaining the meaning of concepts to each other, and asking each other questions can be very helpful for memory.

Underline the key sentences. According to what you need to memorize, highlight the key phrases, memorize them first, and then recite the rest. If you are reading a PDF document on your computer, you can use the highlight function on the document. This not only helps with memory but also helps to quickly search for key information.

Back and forth. When endorsing, you can walk around the room with the book. By moving around, you can effectively use your left brain as well as your right brain, thereby enhancing your memory skills.

Tactile/Kinaesthetic Learners

If you like to get information through touch, you are probably a tactile learner. You like to feel. Characteristics of tactile learners include:

• You are best at mastering content that you can practice, by moving, doing things, touching, etc., which can help you feel the authenticity of the knowledge.
• You like to use gestures when you speak.
• You remember what happened, not what you heard.
• You are good at painting, cooking, and building—things that require manual work.
• You are more adventurous and more active, and your attention is easily disturbed.
• You don’t like to sit still, you like to be able to stand up and move around at will.
• You don’t like the classroom, you like extracurricular activities.

Find a space. An open space where you can move freely and study. Don’t shut yourself away in your bedroom. The living room is more suitable for you to study.

Use your creativity! Act out the theme or pretend to be the protagonist, and try to simulate every detail of the protagonist. If you’re reciting the articles of the Constitution, you can take out a piece of paper, or better yet, cut a side out of a paper bag: it’ll be more consistent with the size of the Constitution, and it won’t look like fresh computer paper. And this kind of paper also has a flavor that you can relate to. Hold the paper in your hand, pretending it is the Constitution, and then point your finger at each word and “read” it from the “Constitution.” This way you’re using all of your senses—touch, smell, sight, even hearing—so it’s easier and more enjoyable to remember.

Recite abstract things. When you memorize something abstract, such as the value of pi, write each number or step on a flashcard. Then personalize the flashcards with colorful sticky notes or drawings. After personalizing, shuffle the cards together and try to straighten them out again. Make sure you write it down in the correct order, otherwise you won’t remember the original sequence.

• Or, you can grab a few cards; follow the sequence: spades, 4, spades, 5, 9, 2, 6, 5, etc., looking for and “playing” every number after the decimal point. Put each card down and turn it over. From left to right, turn the cards over again, face up, and say the number. Repeat, then say the number first, and then turn over the card.

Recitation techniques for visual and auditory learners also apply to tactile learners. Compare memory by association or repetition.

Reading Method

If you like to read, then it is best to memorize through oral reading.

Orally read what you want to memorize over and over again.

Then explain it to yourself and write it on a note. Write relevant questions on the back of the note.

• The brain likes to see colors and images, so use colorful pens and draw simple drawings when taking notes.

Test yourself. Use the questions written on the back of the sticky notes to test whether you can answer them.

Test each other. Learn with good friends and then test each other. This is more efficient.

Repeat, repeat, repeat until the knowledge is memorized.

Tips

• Read and write. After reading or memorizing something, it’s a good idea to write it down if you have time. A good memory is worse than a bad writing.
• Many people feel that their learning style is a combination of the above categories. Each one takes up a little bit. If this is the case for you, it’s best to try all of these methods to find the one that works best for you.
• Take regular breaks while studying. Doing exercise during the break from studying can help stimulate the vitality of the brain. Don’t turn on your computer or TV. Such short breaks can turn into endless breaks.
• Write out what you want to recite. This is especially useful for memorizing text and learning foreign languages.