Concentration and Memory: Part II

In my last blog, I had stopped after laying out the tactics involved in better memory retention. In this blog, the explanation on those tacts would be attempted to be clarified. Comments are welcome!

Organizational Skills

A human brain can remember a given piece of information if it is fit into a definite scheme. To 'organize' a grasped piece of information implies that the newly learnt fact is being put and fitted into an already existing group of closely related and interconnected network of facts. This helps recollecting the information more easily later on when time demands its recollection.

Using Your Body

This involves physical inclusion while learning. Using more and more actions as well as 'visualization' always helps remembering that fact for long time. Perhaps, using actions helps in recollecting that fact in a better manner because in case the learnt fact is forgotten then those acts which were performed directly links to the facts and helps in their recollection.

Using Your Brain

This involves entire cognitive aspects. It simply means to convert the 'short term memory' into 'Long term memory' because the latter is more powerful than the former and it helps in recollecting facts even in stressful conditions.

The long term memory can be built up by repetitively learning the facts with concentration and interests separated by proper time duration. Over learning about the topic also helps recollecting at least the basics of that topic later on. Usage of multiple tactics of learning also helps in recollection later on; at least one of those methods might help in recollection.

Time for Recall

As quite evident and being self-explanatory, it indicates that always include the 'recalling' habit in the study regime. It also involves recalling the same fact repeatedly after proper time durations. This method does always help.

Acronyms

As being quite self-explanatory, it is suggestive of using a given piece of information in a definite abrreviation.

e.g.- Remembering the sequence of decreasing oxidation potential of elements in the following way:

Popular-------------------Potassium
Scientist-----------------Sodium
Can------------------------Calcium
Make a-------------------Magnesium
Zoo------------------------Zinc
In---------------------------Iron
The------------------------Tin
Low-----------------------Lead
Humid-------------------Hydrogen
Country-----------------Copper
More---------------------Manganese
Satisfactorily---------Silver

Rhymes

Using a rhyming scheme to remember a given piece of related information also helps a lot!

(to be cont.)