Study Smart:Brain Power!

Memory Magic: Remember What You Learn

Meeting Someone

Need to remember a name? Find something about that person's face, body, way of walking or talking and link it to their name. Here's an example - Mrs. Oxburg has big arms, strong like an ox, and white hair like an iceburg! Try using humor or exaggeration as part of the image. You'll remember something a whole lot longer if it's fun or funny or weird. - Jennifer U, 6th grade, Utah.

To Remember an Important Task

• Put a rubber band around your thumb and think of the task.
  
  
• Put the rubber band around your wrist and think of the task.
  
  
• Put a colored ribbon on your backpack and think of the task.
  
  
• Turn a stuffed animal upside down beside your bedroom door and think of the task.
  
  
• Relax. Nobody remembers anything when they are stressed or nervous.
  
  

When you see these things, you'll remember what you were supposed to do! -- Brianna.m, 5th grade, California

Link it Up!

Got a fact you need to learn? Make a link between that fact and something you know really well. The sillier the better. Here's a sample: to learn the capitol of Raleigh, North Carolina, you might link - -- I'd love to play "Rally" (for Raleigh) 'round the flag in North Carolina. Kari.S, 14, Indiana

Rhymes

Making a rhyme out of information can help too. Here's some I know.
- Ashley C., Washington

• I before E except after C or when sounded as A as in neighbor or weigh
  
  
• Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November.
  
  
• Fourteen hundred and ninety-two is when Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
  
  

Remembering Lists

Try to make up a joke or a story about a list of things you have to bring to class. If you have to bring a white shirt, sheet music folder and beanie baby collection to a band concert, you might make up a story about a ghost wearing a white shirt floating through the air, carrying a "sheet music folder" and swooping down to scare a little kid carrying their beanie baby collection in a basket. - Carolina.s, 7th grade, California

Visualize

Create pictures to remember things. Trying to remember who discovered radium in a science exam? Imagine where you were sitting and what you were wearing the day you talked about radium. Then try to think of what country that scientist came from. What was their favorite food? Man? Woman? What language did they speak? Soon, your mind may cough up the picture of Marie Curie. - Whitney T., 8th grade, Nevada.

Lost and Found

Ever lose the keys to your house? Try to imagine what you were doing before you last saw your keys. Walk around your house using your mind. Imagine that it is morning and you are going through your routine. What do you see? Hear? Pick up? What were you doing when you last had those keys? Don't want to lose those keys again? Put them in the same spot every day. Then, pretend you are taking a mental picture of that spot. It'll be easier to call it to mind next time.-Marlena.p, 10th , California

Category Cabinet

Learn to group things together in a long list of things you must remember. Like think of all the things you need to brush your teeth. Sink, water, toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, sink, mirror, wastebasket. You can also make groups of dates, famous people, you name it! --Marlena p., 10th, California

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

An old trick that works is to repeat what you want to remember over and over again. Repeat it out loud. Whisper it. Shout it. Repeat it in your mind. After about 40 times, you'll probably remember it. - Brigitte. V., 6th grade, Vermont.

Use Your Senses

Sight, sound, taste, smell and touch are powerful memory tools. Here's how you can use your senses to remember things!

• Highlight the most important points on your notes with the same color pen.
  
  
• Draw cartoons or pictures.
  
  
• Make charts or diagrams or graphs of facts.
  
  
• talk into a tape recorder.
  
  
• sing your school notes - just put facts in for the words to your favorite song.
  
  
• try listening to Mozart (Believe it or not, this really works).
  
  
• try bouncing a ball while you recite facts or lists.
  
  

Contributed by Carolina.s, 7th grade, California

Remember What You Read

• Jot down little notes as you read on what you think is important.
  
  
• Review the notes when you get to the end of a chapter.
  
  
• Do something with what you just read. Like sing it; bounce a ball while thinking about it; draw a picture about it.
  
  

-Contributed by Marlene Q, 9th grade

Remember What You Learn

• Read your notes out loud.
  
  
• Talk about the subject with a friend.
  
  
• Write a rhyme or poem or draw a picture about what you are studying.
  
  
• Think about what you want to remember.
  
  
• Visualize what you want to remember.
  
  
• Review: At the end of the school day, look over your notes.
  
  
• If you don't do something with what you learned, you'll forget most of it within a day or two.
  
  
• Write for an hour. Then read for an hour. Then take a break.
  
  
• Mix up your subjects. Don't do a night of all math, and all science.
  
  
• Don't cram. Regular study sessions and review help your brain get used to study.
  
  
• Pretend to be the teacher and write out your own test. Write the answers too and check them later.
  
  

-Contributed by Sheridan M, 10th grade

Work With a Friend

The Buddy system is the way to go on all studying. Well, at least for me. I remember studying for a HUGE exam on Algerbra. It was like in another language for me. So I called my friend Kristen and she came over and she REALLY help. And as it turned out I was able to help her study for an English exam. -- Liz.r

If you are struggling to learn your spelling or English, this is how you remember things. Say your word is : international Look at it. Write it on paper. Check it. Then ask one of your parents/sitters/brothers/uncles, etc. to test you. Repeat until you get it right. -- Karyn T., South Africa