When it comes to memory, some people have photographic recall, while others struggle to remember what they had for breakfast yesterday morning. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve your memory and drastically increase the amount of information you can hold onto at any given time, which can make all the difference when it comes to academic or business success. In order to boost your memory for an upcoming exam, pay close attention to these five ways to boost your memory!
1) Study in Batch
Not only will you retain more information when you’re studying in batch, but you’ll also be able to better identify your weak spots. If you take frequent breaks while studying, it can be harder to pinpoint where your trouble spots are. And who knows? You might even find that studying in batches helps relieve some of that stress you have about exams and leads to a more productive study session overall. It doesn’t matter if you’re cramming or spacing out your study sessions over several days or weeks, there’s evidence that indicates long-term memory retention is increased when new information is studied repeatedly at short intervals rather than infrequently over longer periods of time.
2) Create Clusters
When you’re trying to remember a list of new information, create clusters of related items. Clusters help you recall information more quickly, and can provide easy prompts. For example, if you’re studying for a biology exam, break up your notes into categories such as Animals: Mammals, Birds; Plants: Flowers; and so on. If you have a creative idea that comes to mind but can’t place it exactly, make note of it on a cluster piece of paper—it might just come back when you need it!
3) Sleep Well
It might seem obvious, but getting enough sleep is crucial if you want your brain to function at its best. Sleep loss reduces your mental performance and ability to pay attention—the exact opposite of what you want in a test environment. If you’re currently sleep-deprived, your best bet is to power through it as much as possible while still giving yourself time to rest up in preparation for your big day. Just keep in mind that most adults need 7–9 hours of sleep per night and while cramming can help make up for lost time, it won’t make up for poor quality of sleep. If possible, try using nights leading up to your exam as pre-sleep nights and stick with regular sleeping habits after taking it.
4) Exercise
Exercise helps keep your brain in shape, too. According to a study from Duke University, students who got regular aerobic exercise—about two and a half hours of brisk walking per week—scored higher on memory tests than students who didn’t exercise. You don’t have to hit the gym (though that is a great place to start if you haven’t ever worked out before) — any kind of aerobic activity can improve your concentration. As mentioned earlier, get outside, move around and do some yard work or dance like nobody’s watching. The fresh air and physical activity will help you focus better when it comes time for that all-important exam!
5) Use Mnemonics
When trying to memorize something, you can use mnemonics to give your brain a hand. A mnemonic is essentially a simple rhyme or sentence that helps people remember things. When you create a memory anchor using a rhyme or sentence, all you have to do is recall that memory trigger and it will bring up whatever it’s paired with. The more nonsensical, unusual, and strange your mnemonic is, though, the more memorable it will be (though beware of associations). Here are some examples
