Your brain is capable of storing much more information than you think. Science has found a key to unlocking these hidden possibilities – memorization techniques. We have selected three methods to help you better master the materials of the IT Fundamentals course!
The Cicero method and the memory palace
Behind the two names is the same method of memorization through association and visualization. Now we’ll explain how these methods differ.
To memorize many new terms and definitions, use the Cicero method: recall a path you have taken many times, a familiar path from university or to work. Then, for each reference – transport stop, shop, flower bed – tie one new fact and come up with an association – vivid and alive.
Next, to retrieve all the necessary facts, you should mentally walk your way, successively recalling all the points where you placed a piece of information. For example:
Fact: One megabyte contains 1024 kilobytes.
Association: I decided to buy apples at the market and asked the shopkeeper how many apples were in one box; as it turned out, there were 1024. I thought I would buy a kilo, but I had to take the whole MEGAgram.
If you have always wondered how mathematicians memorize 1000 or more symbols of the number 𝛑, you know now. The secret lies in the Cicero method.
The memory palace works in the same way, as the Cicero method, only on a smaller scale. In this method, instead of a road, you envision a familiar room and anchor reference points to objects in it. You always walk in the same direction around the room, for example, clockwise.
Mnemonics: Music and Acronyms
Remember those annoying yogurt commercials on TV? There was also such a catchy jingle...
Marketers have long known the power of mnemonics: associations with music, colors, and smells quickly awaken hidden memories. You can use this tool to your advantage.
Struggling to remember all the laws of Boolean algebra? Create an acronym! For example, Cuddly Alpaca Impolitely Imitates Angry Duck (Commutative, Associative, Identity, Idempotent, Annulment, Distributive). Aside from the laws of algebra, you can use the acronym method for any list where the order is essential: the colors of the rainbow or the positions of the planets in the solar system.
Create a playlist for learning. Choose 2-3 songs for each topic. Listen to the songs on repeat while studying to form a strong association with the studied material. Music and rhythm are much simpler for the brain to remember than dry facts and figures, so it will be enough to listen to a playlist and mentally go through all the topics before the exam.
Five interval repetitions
This method is one of the easiest ways of memorizing. It does not require either cards or notebooks and pens. All you need is a time manager or just an alarm clock.
So, you have learned a new topic. Rest and repeat it in an hour. And then again after 8 hours. And again in 24 hours. Then in 3 days, in 5 days – and finally, after the last, fifth, repetition, the material should be reliably stored in long-term memory. It is one of the most popular and effective methods you can hear about in all kinds of webinars about "secret service techniques." And it works perfectly – we tested it ourselves.
