Specific Memory Strategies

In essence, everyone lives their lives in the same basic fashion: a constant cycle of encoding and storing new memories, along with the retrieval of old ones. Granted, there are those exceptions to the norm, but in the grand scheme of things they are really the outliers. Now since our brains don’t function like a video camera perfectly capturing every moment of our lives, we have to work earnestly in order to remember every minute detail which is deemed important or necessary. This is where psychological strategies come into play, especially when concerning school affairs. With the goal of improving overall information retention from studying, I can apply specific memory strategies in order to achieve higher grades in college.

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This is where elaborative rehearsal comes in, because that is when you form connections or associations between the information you are trying to learn and what you already know. While not my favorite, I like using elaborative rehearsal to create examples for the material that are in some way relevant to me, therefore more probable to be recalled later on. Specifically, the use of examples conceived by you or drawn from your real life is easier to remember because it is already stored in your long term memory. Additionally, I also am a fan of associating elements together because it groups them all up and makes it easier to organize and make a layout when trying to figure all the information out. Then, once they are grouped, coming up with more relevant examples becomes easier because they are in smaller categories. Once the association is solidified, the information should be encoded smoothly, as well as be helpful in aiding the retrieval process if thought …show more content…
They have never once failed me, and every single one that I have taught myself over the years has stuck with me from elementary school up until now. They make information more approachable, fun, and a cinch to encode, as well as stand out as different from just regular facts when trying to retrieve the information later on. Whether it be acronyms, rhymes, or creating a song, I find these worm their way into the brain and stick the best, like how you learn the numbers to companies on tv because they are set to little songs. In my experience, they help with encoding because they present the desired information in a different way from the usual, possibly shorter or with something more catchy like a tune. It is because of this that the brain pays more attention and that, when thought of, it is like a light switch turning on causing you recall that information. My psychology teacher from a few years ago had mini stories to go along with the terms we were learning in order to help us remember what each was responsible for, and even now I can still recall all of them. If possible, I would like to create mnemonics for most information that I learn since it really is the most helpful way for me to nail down the