How to memorize fast? 13 effective tips

Several key ideas for memorizing and learning in the most efficient way possible.

Throughout the day we are confronted with a large amount of informationWe are constantly bombarded with information that we must process in order to adapt to our environment.

Much of this information is not very relevant except at the moment it appears, but sometimes it can be useful to keep it in our memory. For example, at the academic level we are asked to capture, maintain and retain in memory the data we receive.

But in order to memorize something it is generally not enough to be exposed once to such information: just hearing a few words or reading a few lines will not retain them unless they have deeply marked us. It is also desirable that the memorization process does not take forever, but that it is efficient and allows space so that our attention can be directed to new elements.

How to memorize fast? Throughout this article we are going to propose a series of different strategies that can help us to accelerate and facilitate the retention of information.

How to memorize fast: strategies and procedures

There are many elements that influence our ability to encode and retain information. Y some of these elements can be manipulated in order to favor the learning process.. Below we will see a series of possible methods or procedures to help us memorize.

1. Review the information

Something basic to learn and memorize something is to make this information enter our mind several times. With a single presentation it is very difficult to keep something in the memory, unless it has a deep emotional impact.unless it has a deep emotional impact. Repetition and repetition serve to reinforce the imprint that this information leaves in our memory, in some cases until it becomes automatic.

This is especially useful for information that is unconnected to each other or that we cannot link to others. or that we cannot link to other everyday knowledge, such as a list of words or the multiplication tables, but it is also applicable to other types of information.

2. Make outlines and summaries

Simply reading a text and waiting for it to be stored in your memory can be a slow and inefficient process. It is advisable at the time of accelerating it to make summaries of the treated content and even schemes in which to synthesize and organize the information. This allows us to work on a mental level with the information, processing and manipulating it in such a way that we make it understandable to ourselves..

3. Read and repeat aloud

Several studies show that in comparison with mere silent reading, verbalizing what we are reading is more effective and efficient when it comes to memorizing, because we not only work at the level of visual representation but also at the auditory and motor level..

4. Explain it to someone else

It may be advisable to make a short presentation or explanation to another person of the content we have to memorize. In a similar way to the previous point, the fact of mentally working with the information to put it in our own words and express it helps us to make sense of what we have learned, something that undoubtedly favors a faster and more efficient memorization.

5. Use multiple ways

When we think of studying or memorizing something we probably think of someone staring at the same information presented in the same way. Although repetition of information is necessary, it can be useful to present the material in multiple ways. However, with some consistency and caution, since repetition is different, this can be detrimental to the focus on the content itself. on the content itself.

In addition, using different ways will allow people who have more facility for a particular type of memorization to increase their probabilities and the speed at which they learn (there are people, for example, who retain visual information more than verbal information or vice versa, or for whom pictograms or drawings work better than letters).

6. Use metaphors, acronyms and acronyms.

A good strategy that facilitates the memorization of a content is not to simply represent it as it is but to try to generate metaphors with the concepts or to join the initials or parts of the words to learn to form a new one that is shorter and easier to memorize..

7. Create your own story

Another method that facilitates the quick memorization of some type of information is to look for a relationship between the different concepts to be retained and to elaborate a small story or even a single sentence that contains both. In this way, the memory of one will elicit the memory of the other.

8. Relate the new with the old

Another strategy for learning, and one that in fact is often done naturally during the learning that we do most easily, is to link information that is new and old.is to link the new information to be memorized with previous knowledge or experiences. This helps to make sense of the information and attribute meaning to it.

9. Look for a favorable place

Context is important in facilitating or hindering the learning process. In order to favor memorization, it is advisable to look for an environment with an adequate light intensity and if possible a natural one.The temperature should be comfortable and we should be able to maintain a comfortable but not excessively lax posture. It is also important that there are no other distracting elements present (cell phones, screens or consoles out of reach) and that there is enough space.

10. Context-dependent memory

Several studies show that the conditions in which we acquire knowledge also influence its recall: when we receive information in a certain place or under specific circumstances, it is easier to remember it when these conditions are recreated again. For example, if we learn something underwater, it would be much easier to remember it again in a new immersion than on the surface. That is why it is it is always useful to study in a space similar to that of the situation in which we are going to apply this knowledge..

11. Link the information to something you are passionate about.

Although it is not always possible, it can be very useful to relate what we want to learn with something that generates interest and satisfaction. In this way the knowledge to be memorized can be easier to retain by linking it with the positive emotions related to our hobby. For example, people who like theater may find it useful to perform a small theatrical performance that integrates what they have to memorize.

12. Take regular breaks

Many people spend long hours looking at and reviewing the material to be learned, and may even spend sleepless nights to keep trying to memorize. Although it's not a bad thing to bury your elbows, it has been proven that studying for hours at a time is not as efficient as taking short breaks of a few minutes where we can disconnect from our of a few minutes in which we can disconnect and relax and then get back to studying.

Obviously, it should not be overdone: perhaps a break every hour lasting about five minutes could be good, although it will depend on the pace of work and that it does not break a specific moment of concentration.

13. Basic requirement: eat and sleep properly

In order to learn and maintain a good mental performance and efficiency it is necessary to maintain sufficient quantity and quality of sleep to regenerate and replenish our energy.. The same can be said with respect to nutrition: eating well will help us to have energy and favor mental functioning.

Bibliographical references:

• Sara, S. J. (2000). Retrieval and reconsolidation: toward a neurobiology of remembering. Learning & Memory, 7(2), 73-84.