In the peak period of intensive exams, many students keep asking themselves the same question: How can I learn and memorize everything?
Instead of asking how to cram in the last minutes before exams, you should learn how to use your memory more effectively while studying. Try these tips to help you train your mind and improve your memory.

1. Arrange your studying table

An organized desk layout with full of necessary textbooks, adequate lighting, and fewer distractions are the best ways to help you focus on studying and absorbing lessons faster.

2. Visualization

Have you ever heard of the LOCI method? This is a method with a combination of space (e.g: houses, parks …), time, and images to remember details in a certain order.

For example, imagine that we want to remember an application’s password which is 732015. First, you should create a separate journey in mind. “I usually go out of the house to go to school at 7 o’clock, the distance from my house to the gate of the alley is 3 houses, the gate of the alley has the number sign of “20”, right there is a shop selling dumplings for the price of 15 thousand VND. Merging together those images I have 732015 is the number I want to remember.”

3. Using Acronyms and Mnemonics

Create patterns and words with information you need to remember by associating events with short phrases, rhyming words, or anything else you’re familiar with. Another effective memory tool is the use of abbreviations. These tips are especially helpful to help remember lists and information related to the orders.

4. Summarize and note down the information

It is often difficult for you to remember important information because it is often unclear or difficult to understand. In order to remember the information you have just received, you may have to summarize that information in your mind right away and make notes.

5. Re-organize information

Re-organizing information into the right categories is one of the most effective ways to improve your memory. For example, if you are trying to memorize vocabulary for a foreign language, try to categorize words that have similar meanings or belong to similar categories. This will allow you to associate words with several categories of words with the same context and similar meanings. Information that has been organized is much easier to remember than random information.

6. Proactive and active learning

If you have passive study habits, it will be very difficult for you to remember what you read or hear during a lecture. By exchanging information with classmates and study groups, you will improve your ability to remember difficult or confusing concepts.

7. Regular revision

You are all trying to cram all lessons for the test/exam in once, this is not a long-term effective study or memory strategy. Regular review of notes and other study material several weeks or days before testing/examinations is the key to maintaining memory. 

8. Remember the lesson through the story

By gathering data, information, and documents into a vivid story, you will be able to remember and recall information on any topic. Why is storytelling an effective memory strategy? Because each event in the story reminds you of the next event, your ability to remember information will also be the ability to create, remember and tell a story.