15 Memory Techniques For Studying & Remembering Key Concepts

Are you one of those who sometimes find it overwhelming to remember so many crucial academic concepts? Do you often forget the key points while framing an answer in the examination hall? Then this guide is for you. In this guide, we have created a curated list of 15 practical tips to remember while understanding any concept. As technical advancements keep speeding up in this fast-paced era, technology significantly impacts education.

With ‌different digital tools, study methods have become more convenient while helping students with a vast array of resources. Ever since the onset of the pandemic, digital means of education have been in the limelight while breaking the strings of traditional methods. Currently, 91% of the institutes rely on video conferencing tools for the smooth conduct of classes and examinations. 

The introduction of various complex methods with tough competition has set a considerable level in the education industry, whether it’s the regular school curriculum or online upskilling courses. These key memory techniques for studying will help you have a better hold on the topic you are on.

What are the Challenges in Study Methods Post-COVID?

Before we move on to the final list of memorization tips for studying, it is crucial to evaluate what are some of the key challenges in 2024 that you might face while taking your lesson. The change in the education industry after the pandemic outbreak has been phenomenal. It bears a significant difference between the study techniques of the pre-covid and the post-covid era. 

• Before the pandemic, there was hardly anything but the prevalence of traditional means of education. It had worked wonders for millions of ambitious students. 

• It was based on offline interactions, where people could actively participate in sessions, exchange thoughts and views with the teacher in face-to-face interaction, and participate in peer communication. 

• The old-school learning techniques not only took care of student engagement but yielded massive productivity. 

The scenario with online education after the pandemic has been different. It has hurt over 70% of the youth, enhancing the productivity risks. Taking part in classes through the virtual mode often appears to be monotonous to many students. 

You might not have the urge to engage in the class or be an active member in the group discussions. This eventually harms productivity. 

Also, the accessibility to pre-recorded video lectures and automated assignments might degrade your interest in moving steadily with the concerned topic. 

However, the digital education system opens the doors to an array of opportunities, and those who utilize it well can achieve greater heights in the future. How we use our digital assets is on us, and making wise moves instead of being dull about the process can help us unlock superior feats. 

As things have started returning to normal and offline classes kick-started in various institutions, the standard has only increased. 

Let’s find out some amazing memory techniques for studying that can help you memorize complex concepts better and assist you in standing out from the crowd.

How to Improve Your Memory for Studying?

No matter how many advanced memory techniques you apply to memorize the concepts, some traditional methods will continue to win the list, which is nothing but practice and time management.

 If you are waiting for the night before your exam to start with the topics and expect the techniques to help you, that’s not the right approach.

Getting a grasp of all the concepts just a day before the test will backfire and create a massive blunder. Another important parameter is the understanding of the concept. If you are trying to memorize a topic just for the sake of it with no clarity about it, things will only get harder.

You must always

• Take regular study sessions 
• Make sure you have a good understanding of the topics you are studying 
• Revise the initial chapters well before moving to the next one 

Besides these must-dos, the following memory techniques for studying can help you improve your memory and significantly affect your study sessions.

Top 15 Tips for Remembering Key Concepts

Tip 1 – Focus on Organizing Your Space

Various studies from psychology and cognitive science suggest that multitasking during study times negatively affects student learning and overall performance. 

• Organize your study space well and ensure the area is free of clutter. 
• Ensure all your study items are in one place and not scattered. 

An organized space helps you focus on your lesson and keeps away multitasking possibilities. 

Tip 2 – Learn while doing it

One of the most effective memory techniques for studying is learning it while you do it. While you learn a topic, acting it out ensures full-proof engagement with the ‌learning resources and triggers you to work one’s socks off to remember the concept. The method is interesting, as it helps deliver the knowledge stored in your memory. 

Tip 3 – Revise your study materials

Revisit your study materials every alternate day and run the topics on your mind. Jot down the learnings in a notebook with your books closed. After you are done, check your accuracy from the resources and get an overall idea of where you stand. 

Revising your study materials is the perfect way to deepen your understanding of the topic and strengthen your knowledge. 

Tip 4 – Teach the concepts to someone else

One of the significant tips to memorize faster is by teaching the same concepts to someone else. You can teach the concept to anyone, either your fellow mates or a wall and explain the same in the simplest terms. With the detailed analysis you make, the topic gets easier inside your brain.

Tip 5 – Take Direct Notes

Here is another one of the most powerful memory techniques for studying, which is study notes. Taking running notes helps understand the topics better, and the information sits deep in memory. 

Taking direct notes will not only help you clear your confusion but also assist you in memorizing it faster, too. Studies suggest that students who use guided notes perform better on the tests.

Tip 6 – Read the topics on Paper

Studies show students prefer studying using papers to long-term gaze on computer or phone screens. Unlike desktop reading, reading on white paper will also help you with spatial memory, as it helps you remember a specific bit of information by where it was in the book copy. 

One of the key memory techniques for studying is reading through papers, and it helps you be more focused on your lesson. If you have online PDF notes, consider taking a printout and reading from the hard copy. It will lessen the possibility of multitasking while studying and help you concentrate on the resource. 

Tip 7 – Quiz Yourself

Here comes another memory technique for studying — self-test. Evaluating yourself and analyzing where you stand is important. You must be well aware of your growth and check if you are memorizing the concepts well. Hence, self-tests are important. 

Asking and answering questions without looking at the material is a key technique to register the information inside. Avoid asking questions immediately after you mug up a topic. Rather, give it a day or two and see if you can answer it in one go. 

Tip 8 – Never Miss Out on Writing

Writing involves a direct connection between the hand and brain and hence helps encrypt the information better in memory. Instead of only reading your lessons, consider writing them immediately to recognize the information better. While writing it out, reading the concepts aloud helps with concept visualization. 

Tip 9 – Picture the Location

One of the best study techniques for memorization is picturing the location from where you learned the topic. Connecting information to learning locations is one of the most comprehensive ways to enhance your memory about a particular topic. Picture where you were in the class while attending the lecture and run the facts in your mind.  

Tip 10 – Use Images

There’s no second opinion that the human brain recognizes images faster. Researches state that 90% of the information that the human brain processes are visual and visual processing is 60,000 times faster than words. 

That’s why converting words or equations into images is among the finest memory techniques for studying. 

Suppose you’re studying the Kalbaisakhi but mixing up the wind name behind its occurrence. In summer, there’s a cool breeze from the south, and you imagine your room’s window on the southern side. The southern and western sides are adjacent, and Kalbaishaki indicates heavy rain. Hence, southwest monsoon winds are responsible for this. 

Tip 11 – Use Acronyms and Mnemonics

Another memorization technique you can go for is using Acronyms and Mnemonics. Acronyms signify an abbreviation formed from a series of words. 

Do you often struggle to remember mathematical operations? Here’s the acronym to rely upon: 

PEMDAS 

P- Parenthesis

E- Exponents 

M- Multiplication 

D- Division 

A- Addition 

S- Subtraction 

A mnemonic, on the other hand, is a short phrase to memorize any rule. Like, 

My Very Excited Mother Just Served Us Noodles

M-Mercury 

V- Venus 

E- Earth 

M- Mars 

J- Jupiter 

S- Saturn 

U- Uranus 

N- Neptune 

Tip 12 – Go to Sleep After Studying Something Complex Concepts

Getting adequate sleep positively impacts your memory. You tend to memorize things faster if you study them right before your bedtime. If you are on something especially complex, consider going through it just a few hours before bedtime. 

Tip 13 – Exercise or Long Walks Before Memorizing

The best memory techniques for studying only work wonders when you take good care of your health. Regular exercise or long walks could be a great boost to maximize your study timing and memory. Exercising initiates protein production (BDNF), encouraging optimum learning and creative thinking. Hence, active body movements before your lesson times prove to be an excellent way to memorize the topics.   

Tip 14 – Draw Diagrams and Tables

Drawing tables and charts is another effective way to store the information inside your brain. Using mind maps is a significant way to memorize faster for your exams. For Example, if you are reading about the carbon cycle, consider drawing a simple sketch to explain the concept. Or, if you are trying to memorize the capitals of different countries, distribute them on a table and learn. 

Tip 15 – Follow a Chunking Process

Last but not least is the chunking method. It is one of the most effective memory techniques for studying that helps to learn fast and enables better memorization. It signifies ‌breaking down the information into topics and subtopics. Say you have to remember the features of different kinds of soil. 

• Red Soil 
• Lateritic Soil 
• Sandy Soils 
• Peat Soils 
• Loam Soils 

You further break them down as per their colors and cultivating products. The process eases up your learning time!

The Bottom Line

The memorization techniques can serve you the best results only if you plan to follow and execute them well. No matter how hard it might seem to stick to a particular concept or a chapter, you’ll need to be persistent in grabbing it. You can also use books with illustrated chapter summaries which will help you in improving cognitive skills like attention and visual processing. When you have such amazing tips in a pile, what’s there to worry about? Grab the technique of your choice and start practicing it today! Results will follow.

FAQs