Mnemonics (pronounced “ne MON iks”) are various methods or tricks to aid the memory. Mnemonics tend to fall into four basic categories:
Mnemonics works because it makes information meaningful through the use of rhymes, patterns, and associations. It imposes meaning where meaning might be hard to recognize. Mnemonics provides a way of organizing material, a sort of mental filing system. It’s probably not needed if what you are studying is very logical and organized, but it can be quite useful for other types of material.
Although mnemonics a time-tested way of remembering, the method has some limitations. The first is time. Thinking up rhymes, associations, or visual images can take longer than simply learning the words themselves through repetition. Also, it is often difficult to convert abstract concepts into concrete words or images, and you run the risk of being able to remember an image without recalling the underlying concept. Finally, memory specialists debate whether learning through mnemonics actually helps with long-term knowledge retention and whether this technique helps or interferes with deeper understanding.
The 1997 film Good Will Hunting, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, tells the story of a 20-year-old South Boston laborer, Will Hunting, an unrecognized genius. After Will assaults a police officer, he is “punished” by being forced to see a therapist (played by Robin Williams) and to study advanced mathematics. In one scene Will’s girlfriend, Skylar (played by Minnie Driver), in trying to understand his brilliance, asks him whether he has a photographic memory.
For Reflection: Although being a genius like Will isn’t realistic, what kinds of strategies can you use to improve how well you can master and retain information?