Remember Anything

If you have to memorize a list of long, complicated names that make no sense, you’re not alone. A lot of people have to do this. This is where mnemonics can help.

What are mnemonics? Basically, mnemonics are devices that help you remember otherwise disjointed facts that might not hang together in your noggin for easy memorization. One popular mnemonic that helps you remember a month’s number of days, for example, is, “30 days hath September, April June and November.  All the rest have 31, excepting February alone; which hath but 28 in fine, till leap year gives it 29.”

So that’s what a mnemonic is. And you can make one up whenever you want to. In fact, a great use for mnemonics is to memorize what seem to be disjointed lists of things that otherwise don’t appear to go together.

Basically, you use mnemonics in a way that’s meaningful to you. Something that absolutely makes sense to someone else may not to make sense to you because it’s not based upon your personal experiences or particular learning quirks.

Mnemonics are a tool that gets you through that phase in learning when what you’re learning doesn’t quite hang together and make sense just yet in and of itself. You can use them when you need to remember groups of words or numbers that are never going to make sense together, such as your Social Security number, until you simply have them memorized by rote.

Another thing about mnemonics is that it can actually make rote-learning fun. Okay, so maybe you don’t go around memorizing lists of things just because it’s “fun,” but sometimes you have to; it’s a good idea to make it more enjoyable, because you are going to have better luck remembering what you have to. So go on, break out that imagination of yours and the next boring list of facts or numbers you have to memorize, get cracking on those mnemonics.

Other Items You May Be Interested In:

The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at PlayUnleash the hidden power of your mind through Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas's simple, fail-safe memory system, and you can become more effective, more... Read More >

Your Memory : How It Works and How to Improve ItDo you want to stop forgetting appointments, birthdays, and other important dates? Work more efficiently at your job? Study less and get better grades... Read More >

Memorize the Faith! (and Most Anything Else): Using the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters"They laughed when I said I could name all 27 books of the New Testament ...but after I named them all in order, plus the 46 books of the Old Testamen... Read More >

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge: The Book of Mnemonic DevicesWhen is a "tulip"* not a flower? When it's one of hundreds of mnemonic devices in this comprehensive sourcebook. From remembering the notes on a scal... Read More >

Thirty Days Has September: Cool Ways To Remember StuffPackaged like the New York Times bestselling "Best at Everything" series, this informative guide is full of tips and tricks for remembering everything... Read More >