When I've got something to memorize, and I don't think I have time to drill it into my head the old-fashioned way, a nice trick that I use is the acronym sentence mnemonic device. I found this device to work best when I have a list to memorize, like the planets in our solar system example given in the book.

For my Greek and Roman Architecture course, I had to memorize the architectural periods of the ancient Greeks: Mycenaean, Dark Ages, Geometric, Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic.

After I write out the letters, I start to think of words that start with the same letters that I can build a sentence out of. Maybe it's a little nerdy, but I actually enjoy doing this. I can come up with some pretty funny sentences and I've made myself laugh out loud on more than one occasion!

For this list, I settled on the sentence, "Many dead animals garnish Oliver's atrocious Christmas ham." Of all the different combinations I came up with, I liked this one the best because it actually makes sense. For this method to work best, the sentence you come up with ought to be cohesive and connected throughout. When you start to throw random words in that don't quite work, the sentence becomes difficult to memorize. Plus, mine made me laugh the hardest when I wrote it out, so I decided it was the best to use.

Another acronym sentence I came up with middle school and STILL use to this day is for the categories of binomial nomenclature. I use the sentence, "Kinky people crap on famous German singers" which stands for Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. It's a bit crude, but I was young at the time, and it still makes me chuckle, so I know it's a good one.

So if I'm ever taking an exam, and I begin to laugh under my breath, then you'll know I'm just answering the questions correctly!

Link -N- Learn

Last week in class we discussed memory aids and the methods that best suit you. Really I've always been using memory aids to help me remember things for upcoming test or quizzes. I found the best course to use memory aids in was a writing or English course. I say this because when most of the time you need to remember definitions and other things for those courses so I usually find something small that I refer back to that particular word with. Most of the time its outrageously dumb things that I won't forget which is a good thing because you want to find things that stand out to you while your in your own head!!!!

  DA Link System........

The link system is what i decided to use, it works like this! you write down the words you need to know for your  class and then figure out another word or image that sounds like it or looks like it. You need to visualize the connection of the word to your imagination and your all set. You might need to keep thinking about the connection more than just once though because so it can be stuck in your head. Like Lil' Wayne said "Repetition is the father of learning".

Dislike 
I didn't like the fact that some words are kind of to difficult to make up something to associate with and if i did find a something to associate it with the process of actually trying to remember it would be way to long. over all its kind of just doing to much for one word. also sort of time consuming to.


Like.....
I thought it was fun to come up with these crazy things and ideas to remember my work. My connections to the words were never forgotten because the link was so long.

Quick Tricks to Memorization

Studying a long list of terms can be very difficult for some people. Luckily for me, I do not have this problem, but there is never a reason not to learn another good trick or two. Since I have my Psych test on Tuesday, I needed to try to develop ways to remember all of the terms, since there are so many. Although I am pretty stubborn in my ways, I decided to give these new tactics a chance to help me more efficiently study. Since I am more of an auditory/reading and writing learner, acronyms and rhymes are strategies that seem logical for me to have chosen.

With an acronym, one tries to create something easy to remember out of a long list of connected terms. For my Psych exam, I took groups of terms and bunched them into acronyms that both made sense for the material and something that would help me remember the terms. Unfortunately, I found this to be not as helpful as I would have hoped. Although an acronym helps me remember the term, it does not provide the depth that a graphic organizer does. The same was true for the rhymes as well. I do not find myself to be the most creative of people, but rather very concrete, so making something absurd to help me remember a concrete idea did not translate well. I feel like I was limited in my choices this week for ideas to try out for memorization, especially because I am very rooted in my own form of memorization. Although I did try, I could have also put in a little more effort into the acronyms, but I am just a stubborn person. Although my experience was not the greatest, my opinion should not shun the effectiveness of these strategies, especially for people with difficulty memorizing.

Mnemonic Devices that can help a college students life !

Stressful College Student

Living the life of a college student can be really stressful because you have so many responsibilities to take care of such as homework, extracurricular activities, laundry and let’s not forget cleaning up your room! Other than that, having so much on your mind can make you forget about your important courses such as the daily lessons to remember. The day before the exam, you are just stuck wondering “what’s that word again?” or “I forgot that important word so now what?”. Using Mnemonic devices can be so helpful because you make connections from the words to help you remember the information. By using this strategy, it will help you improve your comprehension with the word you have difficulty to remember and relate it with something you already know. If you make the connections to ordinary or non-creative then the information will not come to you. But if you make the connections in a exaggerated, unusual way than the information will be much easier to retrieve and recall! I used two strategies in my Spanish 201 class called Acronyms and the Link system; perhaps you will use it in your other courses as well.

Acronyms

Acronyms are words that you will use the first letter of each and create a new word that will visually help you see what each one means. So you will jot down the information that you learned and then form an acronym for each term by chunking it down. Take each letter from each word and arrange it a word that creates a word.

Using Acronyms in SPA 201

I used this strategy in my Spanish class because this course consists of remembering a different language so that means I have to remember the grammar, the words and certain rules in Spanish. I didn’t have a problem with remembering words because I grew up in a household with Spanish speaking people. But what I have a difficult time is remembering the rules on how to use a certain Spanish word in a sentence. I ask my teacher why is it like that ? and she just responds “it’s just something that you have to memorize, a rule that I can’t really explain it to you on why we have to use it.” Honestly, I’m not good with remembering things but using this strategy, it really did. For example, I had difficulty understanding on when I have to use imperfect tense. So I put down the information and wrote an Acronym called BATH. This helped me distinguish when I can use it as opposed to present tense which I already know how to use. I created it like this:

B (background)
A (age)
T (time)
H (habitual or repeated events)

So now I can understand when to use it in a simple form by remember this term BATH.

My Dislikes

My dislikes is just one like what if I can’t create a new word, then what do I do? What if the first word of each term that I have to learn are the same, then what ?!

Link System

The Link System is a strategy that helps you connect the term you have to remember with something that it looks like or sounds alike. It’s a simple strategy to use! You just pick a term that you are having trouble with and then you create a image or word that can be visualized or sounds similar to the word. * If you exaggerate the connection then you will recall it faster and easier by making a little picture to connect to it.

Using for SPA 201

One example I have used is learning the vocabulary words for Spanish. For example: Criar – which means “to raise”. I made the connection with TREE and the AR to BAR. I pictured that there was a bar in the tree that and to since you have will have to be raised you want to get in to a bar when your old enough. It will help me connect it with CRIAR. I know it sounds silly but it is supposed to help me recall the information.

Dislikes:

It’s hard for me to create a word that I’m supposed to exaggerate because I’m not really creative. It takes up my time for simple words so I would recommend this strategy for someone who has difficulty with a really difficult word to remember.

Two Ways to Memorize, Memorize, Memorize, MEMORIZE

This is an old, but good subject. Memory is very important in our daily lives. But right now, memory is important in our academic lives in college. Many students, including myself, memorize things for a test by simply reading our notes. I sometimes ask myself why if we can memorize songs and movie lines in a few minutes, why we have a hard time memorizing anything that we have to study for class? Luckily, I learned two new strategies that can help me memorize words and terms for my next exams.

Rhymes



It's very simple to do this step. For me, it was hard to find words that I could think of and make a rhyme out of it. I took out from my CFS 205 class various words that are similar, but have a very different meaning. There are two types of Heterogamy that I had to learn for the exam. I decided to make a rhyme and a song out of it (see the picture). It was very easy to make up a song and make rhymes like a poem and saying it many times in order to learn it very well.





LINK

"Find something that sounds like, looks like" These are words that I never forget when I was first introduced to LINK. The idea is simple: finding words that were very hard for me to learn and make a picture that is abstract. As you can see, I found words in my CFS 205 class that were very hard and found things that were really random, funny, and interesting and put them to use as I began to learn the process of looking and learning those words that were very hard for me.

My Thoughts

As a visual and auditory learner looking at the things that I made and the memorization of the words by listening to myself, was not that hard for me. The strategies help me to learn and memorize things really fast. My big disadvantage in all of this is that the strategies are very time consuming and it could take you a long time to find things that you can rhyme and make abstract words out of it. I really don't think that I am going to be using these strategies very often due to the time it takes to come up with it.

I hope that you can try these strategies and see if you can find something better with them and more useful that what I am doing to memorize things. If you have any suggestion for me, please tell me. Who knows? I might try it in the future...

Teach me how to M-e-m-o-r-i-z-e

Do you have a difficult time remembering information for class? I know I do. It can be very stressful for college students to remember information for courses which can make studying for exams more hectic than it has to be. Many students memorize information by saying information over and over until they can understand it which is a very ineffective strategy. On Thursday I have my second exam in CHE 116 that covers three chapters of challenging information. To prepare for this exam I tried two different memory strategies.

I used Acronyms and Rhymes to help memorize information for my chemistry exam. Before I used these strategies I would struggle with remembering information which would leave me anxious and unprepared on exams days. Like other students I would continue using the same strategies every week which was repeating information continuously until I knew it even though I knew this was not a useful way to learn. I am glad that I stepped outside of my box this week and tried new methods for memorizing information.

The first strategy I used was Acronyms. This method was very easy for me to use. An acronym is created by using the first letter of a series of terms. I made a table for this strategy by writing information I need to learn on the left side and on the write side I wrote the Acronym I created. Then after I had done this I listed all of the terms that I needed to remember then I underlined the first letter of these words and lastly I arranged the letters in an order that created a word as you can see below in my picture.

ACRONYM for CHE 116

I had never before considered using Acronyms to learn information especially in a class like chemistry. I liked this strategy alot. It really worked well for me. I noticed that after I used this method I was beginning to remember information more quickly than I had previously. I plan on continuing to use this strategy for my next CHE 116 exam and my CHE 116 final since it was helpful when studying for this exam. I also liked this strategy because I am a linear learner so I need to see things presented in an organized way. Acronyms organized the information that I needed to know in a way that made it easy for me to understand compared to just repeating the information over to myself. Furthermore the information was written out so it made it easier for me to visualize a word as opposed to terms which worked well for me because I am also a visual learner.

The second memory strategy I used was a Rhyme. I used this method by using the same format that I did for Acronym by making a table that had information I need to learn on one side and my rhyme on the other side. After you have put the information that you need to learn in the box you then create your own rhyme so that you can better recall the information.

CHE 116 RHYME

I did not like the Rhyme method for several different reasons. The first reason is I had a very difficult time making a rhyme which wasted alot of my time. I do not think the amount of time that I spent making this rhyme was worth it. I had a hard time remember the rhyme I created too which kind of defeats the purpose of the strategy. I will probably not use this strategy again because I did not find it effective because it did not help me learn the information that I need to know for chemistry. I think this strategy would be better suited for language based classes that are more vocabulary based compared to course like chemistry that are not term based. I also feel like this strategy would work better for audio learners because they learn by hearing information whereas I am a visual learner so I need to see information.

Although I did not like using a rhyme as a memory device I would still recommend this as a strategy for other students because every student learns differently. I am glad that I tried both the Acronym and Rhyme to recall information because these two strategies taught me alot about myself as a learner and helped me to further learn what works for me. In addition this strategies helped me to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things that were less time consuming than the strategies that I had been previously using. Just be open to trying new strategies and the world is your oyster. Good luck remember information for exams. :)

I Can Pay Attention for X Minutes...

For especially dry courses, or even courses that I'm interested in, but are information heavy, it can sometimes be very difficult to get through a whole bunch of reading that I've put off till the last minute, as is typical for me. But with the X Minute Reading technique, I find that I can not only get through a reading quickly, but I can also retain all of the information I just read! This means I can read efficiently, and I'll only need to read once.

HOW IT WORKS:

Case Study: ARC500 Ancient Greek and Roman Architecture

I was assigned to read a chapter in our textbook about the language of Greek Architecture. The first thing I did was assess the reading I had to do, and break it up into separate pieces.

I then read each subheading individually.

After each section, I write a quick synopsis of what I just read. I'll also review previous ones before I continue on to the next section. This assures that all the information I read stays in my mind as I read the next part of that information.

The strong points of this technique for me were:

1. Breaks the reading material up into easy-to-manage pieces that I can digest without being overwhelmed.
2. Makes the reading seem more manageable by giving me a timeline or an idea of how long I'll have to spend for each section.
3. Helps me to absorb information much better than I would if I read it all at once. I can also retain the information instead of simply forgetting it afterwards.
4. The quick summaries act like handy little study aids that I can use later!

Flash Card Reading your way into an A+

Flash Card Reading..

Reading a bunch of words that you never heard of before may seem complicated and not understandable especially if you come across words that you can even pronounce. So as you are reading a text and you see that you can't even understand it, you just keep reading; thinking that you will understand it as you go along the text. WRONG ! You have to find out what it truly means so you won't get confused in the text and concept and terms will be so much easier to understand. That is why Flash Card reading is a efficient way to recall and understand information especially when the course pattern is based on DEFINITIONS.

Who is it for ?

Flash card reading is adapted mostly for TEXT DEPENDENT Courses and it's a study aid that is used to help recall information. Not only is it designed for visual learners but as well as kinesthetic and aural learners.
*Flash card reading is best used for courses such as fashion designing, languages, public administration and architecture.

How to do it ?

There are three steps involved for the flash card reading strategies and is crucial to follow; Survey, Read, Review.

1. Survey
You basically just skim the chapter so you can find where the information is located. You may have an idea on what you will be reading about or you can see what the text will be based on by reading the introduction or sub-headings. * When you read how the information is organized and understand what the information of the text purpose is, than you will read more efficiently.

2.Read
As you reading, locate the topic that you don't understand. If you are taking a test, then summarize the reading or chunk down the main points. If you are writing a paper, then write the the page number and quote from where you used the information. Looking back will help you use it in your paper and may even create an idea for your paper as well. Making flashcards will help you learn the material as you go on reading the information in the textbook.
3.Review
After you are done reading, at the back of the flash cards; create 5 questions or more that will help answer the front of the flashcard (summary, or definition). At the end of the week, just review the cards trying to recall the information. *If you don't know the answer then that's the topic you need help in the most. If you are writing a paper, then organize your cards that will help you write the paper by setting it up in topics. This is is helpful because it can help you prepare to write a paper by brainstorming or even test preparation if it's understanding definitions.

Why did I use the Flash Cards in My Spanish Class ?

I used the Flash Cards in my Spanish 201 because the text book I'm using consists more of definitions then summary. There is so much definitions to memorize in a chapter that my teacher quizzes the class every Thursday. Making flash cards is like a test preparation for the topic that we are learning. I divide the vocabulary words into separate topics like last week before spring break, we were learning about family. I divided the sub headings into categories such as the roles in a family, personality, etc. Afterward, i just wrote the definitions under those sub- headings and quizzed myself as i was talking the bus back home or lounging on my bed watching T.V. Since i am aural learner, it helped me say the definitions out loud and recall the material faster. If i got stuck on a certain word or didn't know the definition then i will just make sure i would work on that topic specifically.

Likes

I liked using the flash cards for my Spanish class because it helped me become more confident learning the definitions and it helped me become more organized with my definitions. Instead of me taking the textbook everywhere i went, i just carry my flashcards while i go out for lunch or just run a quick errand. It's not time consuming as well.

Dislikes
None.


Why did i use my Flash cards in my Sociology Class?

I used the flash cards in my Sociology Class because this course consists of a lot of definitions. Although this class is NOT a text dependent course, it mostly involves the lecture notes. My professor puts a lot of definitions up on her lecture slides. Not only does it consists of definitions that the class has to learn but it also consists of people and theories. I had to use the flash cards because it help me recall people that were involved in whichever term they were mostly associated with.

Likes

I like using the flash cards because it helped me become more organized with my professor is trying to explain in her lecture notes. Using the flash cards made me review a lot and it made me understand the purpose of why my professor would use the specific terms. It all connected as she would use people and now that i understand the terms and the theories, it makes it so much more easier for me to not look back on the flash cards because i practically know the answer. There is no need for me to look back from the amount of times i looked back on the flash card for the answer. Again, it's a study aid that's light weight and i don't have to be carrying my notebook to every location i go.


Dislikes
None

Conclusion..

I think that this strategies benefits me in both of my classes and i would recommend it for people that are taking courses whose pattern shown that the class consists of definitions like biology, or chemistry etc. I plan on using this for the rest of the semester especially for my Spanish class which is helping me out the most.

My Challenges with TART

In High School, the textbook was an important tool for me in learning and reading new terms and knowing what is the next chapter in the class and what I am supposed to read for the next day. Right now in college, it’s a whole different ballgame. Everything that you need to know is given and the syllabus. The textbook is sometimes the French Fries, the side dish of the course. The lecture and what the professor gives and talks about in class and acts as the main course. And consider studying for exams as an appetizer and dessert, since you need to spend many hours preparing for the class and the exams before and after the lectures.

What is TART?

TART is a strategy that helps you and me prepare for the next class and lecture. For example, I can look at the syllabus and ask myself “What is the professor talking about in class tomorrow?” By looking at the textbook and identifying the main terms in bold, I could have an idea of what terms are being discussed in class. After listening to the lecture and taking notes, I could review what terms that I looked and wrote and see what was discussed in lecture, and what didn’t make it to the class.

My Challenge with TART

TART is great for me to prepare for my classes and use the textbook as a major source of information for the class. But there is only one problem: Most of my courses are mostly lecture based, and the textbook is used as a supplement in which I only use when the professor notifies that we must use the textbook for a specific assignment or when the lecture has to do with something coming out of the textbook. But even though the major source of information is the lecture, there are good ways to implement tart in a lecture-based course.

TART in GEO 171

Until recently, the professor used to post her PowerPoint lectures online. In the case

that the lecture is posted online, I always take the lecture, print it out and make small notes on the paper in what specific areas and topics will the professor give more focus on. During the lecture, I took notes on a separate sheet of paper that would complement my notes during the lecture. After the class, I sat down and reviewed my notes and compare them to what I did at the beginning of the class. Then I can see how I prepared myself and see the topics that the professor discussed more.

TART in CFS 205

For this class

, the professor takes some of the most important information from the textbook and puts it on a PowerPoint lecture. Before the lecture, I look at which chapter she is going to discuss on the syllabus, and also where we left off in the last class, just in case there is a continuation of the chapter. I take out some of the most important terms and write them on a sheet (as seen in the picture) and see which terms that I took will be discussed in the class. After taking notes in the class, I look back at my TART sheet to see which terms from the book were discussed and what was missed. That way, I really know that the things that were discussed in lecture can help me to study for the

exam.

My Advantages

TART can really help me to study and look at the terms. As a visual learner, I can look at the book, identify the terms and prepare myself for the class. After class, I can review the terms, use my 20 minutes of test preparation and study for my exams.

My Disadvantages

Like I mentioned before, the biggest challenge for me is that every class that I am taking this semester has been always using the lecture and the professor as a major source of information and the textbook is acting as a supplement to the class. The good news is that I can check with every class and see all the alternatives that I have in order to prepare myself for the exam before, during, and after the lecture.

I encourage everyone to try the strategy and see how different you can make it and how it can help me and you get the strategy to have a full advantage of the course’s exam and reading preparation.