Study Smarter: Methods of Improving Your Memory

The introduction reads as follows; As a college student, you must be able to remember many details when taking an exam. Lucky for you, research has identified several memory strategies and study techniques that can help you retain information.

The infographic uses the analogy of a roadway with stops along the road, beginning with the label start studying and ending with an illustration showing a page labeled test with an A overlaying the page.

There are five sections with examples as follows;

1. Recall details—Mnemonics translate information into a more easily remembered form. A callout leads to three illustration and steps as follows;
   • Acronyms and first-letter technique—It’s easier to remember a short phrase than a string of information. The illustration shows a rainbow with the letters R O Y G B I V corresponding to each color stripe. Chunking— It’s easier to remember a few chunks than a long string. The illustration shows a string of text reading, 8935550172, and a second string with separators reading, 893-555-0172.
   • Method of loci—It’s easier to remember information when you deliberately link it to locations along a familiar route. The illustration shows a map with graphical pins pointing at different locations on a map.
2. Organize information—Hierarchical structures organize information into a meaningful system. The process of organizing aids encoding and, once encoded, the information is easier to recall. The callout shows two sequences of graphics. In the upper graphic, a string of small images shows furniture, fruit, and flowers randomly ordered. A hierarchy below the upper illustration shows the small images sorted according to type. Another callout shows an icon of a man holding a box containing different shapes.
3. Make connections—Elaborative rehearsal is deep processing that boosts transfer to long-term memory by connecting new information to older memories. An icon of a man with a ball-and-stick model is arranged close by. A callout points to a young man with a ball-and-stick model in his hands standing in front of a writing board with a chemical equation.
4. Give yourself time—Distributed practice creates better memory than study crammed into a single session. An illustration shows five calendar pages, with the pages numbered 13, 15, 18, 21 showing study below the group. A calendar page numbered 23 shows the text, test pointing to the page.
5. Get some rest— Sleep, or even wakeful resting after study, allows newly learned material to be encoded better. The callout image shows a young woman with her hand on her chin and her eyes closed.