Memory – The Elusive Asset

Success in school years largely depends on one elusive asset that we all possess – Memory. School learning involves memorizing a variety of information. One can use specific memory techniques to make ones memory better on a daily basis. Here are some points to help us enhance our memory:

Make Learning Conscious– Learn consciously by knowing and deliberately putting effort. Make a point of thinking to yourself that you want to remember something. Reinforcing information by verbalizing as you take it in is very helpful for retaining it. It gives clarity to your mind and hardly takes any extra time.

Do not overload your circuits -Restrict the data that goes into your memory on a daily basis. In these digital times, loads of information is entering into your memory on a daily basis. Be selective about what goes inside otherwise the crowding of information will make you overwhelmed and the crucial information which you want to memorize will struggle with the non-crucial one to find a place in your memory. 

Learn Focus: Improve your ability to take in new information and retain it by concentrating and adding structure, putting the new information within frameworks you already know or already use. Develop the habit of actively paying attention. Just by concentrating on what you want to remember, your memory will improve dramatically.

Adopt useful memory strategies: Association is a very effective strategy which involves associating the new information with existing knowledge that is meaningful to you. Memory strategies which move information from working memory to long-term memory are elaboration, mental imagery, mnemonics and organization. Putting the information into chunks of five to seven items is also an effective technique to memorize.

Make a mental picture: Make a mental picture of the thing you are trying to remember. Bringing the image of your notebook in front of your eyes or the teacher teaching that particular chapter will instantly stimulate your memory. 

Mentally and physically stimulating activities: They promote this constant “rewiring” of the brain, strengthening its pathways and stimulating the production of substances required for the growth and maintenance of nerve cells. This is crucial for good memory. Physical exercise and breathing exercises are believed to bring about physiological changes in the brain allowing you to absorb more information thus enhancing your memory.

Memory is indeed an elusive asset that we all have but do not use it to its fullest potential. How we live our life on a daily basis makes a difference in how well our memory ability is maintained. If we harness the power of our memory, we too can join the ranks of great achievers one day.