Mastering Memorization Techniques
“I’m Bad at Memorization” and Other Lies You Tell Yourself
Did you know that your ability to memorize and recall information is not only a skill, but also an improvable one? Most people are born with approximately the same ability to memorize information. If you’re fluent in a language, any language, you’ve memorized at least tens of thousands of words that you can instantly recall and use. So why is it so hard to remember what the cube of five is? Or to remember that before you start reading a sentence correction sentence, you should take a glance first at the answer choices?
How Memorization Works
Memories come from an electrical impulse within the brain. Each time you recall the same memory, you strengthen the pathway that impulse uses. In a way, these impulses are similar to muscles. The more you use them, the stronger they get. This is why so many of the memorization techniques focus on repetition.
However, memory is more complex than that. When you first learn something, it takes a significant amount of concentration and effort. As you continue to practice it, it becomes more natural and less deliberate. “Practice makes perfect” comes from the idea that you should do something again and again until it’s second nature.
The problem is that many learners attempt to memorize by reading the same thing over and over. Yes, it is true that repetition is key. But re-reading and repetition are not equivalent. It’s possible that re-reading will work for you. But the odds are not in your favor.
How to Memorize Information
If repetition is the key to memorization, but repetition is not enough to help you memorize, what should you do? Redefine repetition. Reading over and over is not particularly useful, but recalling information is. The best way to strengthen memory pathways is to continue to bring the thing you are trying to remember to the front of your mind, not through reading it again, but through forcing yourself to remember it.
That means you should read something on paper only as much as you need to. Then, without looking at the paper, ask yourself to repeat the information in your mind again and again until you can remember it without trying. Ideally, you should wait until you have almost forgotten that information, then ask yourself to remember it. Each time, you should be able to recall it a little faster and more clearly, so you can wait a little longer before testing yourself again.
This is why flashcards are used as a memorization aid. Instead of re-reading notes, flashcards give a prompt that forces the learner to recall, rather than reread, particular information. They are particularly effective when used with something like the Leitner System, which encourages frequent review of information that is hardest to recall, while reviewing information that is somewhat easier to recall less often. Again, the goal is to almost forget, then to force yourself to remember.
How to Apply Memorization on the GMAT
If the GMAT were a vocabulary test, then rote memorization might be enough to get you through. However, it’s not enough to simply learn facts; you must also apply them to new situations designed to challenge you. The application of particular memories is a skill. Saying you “just need more practice” is both a little bit true and not as helpful as it could be.
Practice is only helpful if you’re practicing good habits. If you make a mistake, recognize the mistake, then go on to continue making that mistake, all that changes is your level of frustration. Instead, prioritize the indications that a certain strategy or fact should come to the forefront of your mind. One way to think of these indications is in an “if…then” framework. You can remember good habits more easily by learning that “If you see X, then you will do Y.”
Here are a few examples of good habits using triggers you’re likely to see on test day:
- If I see an SC split between “comma which” and “comma -ing,” then I will find out what the modifier is describing.
- If I see a word problem with simple answer choices, then I will consider working backwards instead of creating algebraic expressions.
- If I don’t understand what an RC sentence or paragraph is saying, then I will focus on structural keywords to figure out the purpose.
- If I see the addition of two terms with exponents, then I will look for common factors to remove in order to simplify.
Just like memorizing facts, these processes and procedures need to be memorized so you can apply them seemingly instinctively. Flashcard these applications, learn them, then practice them with real questions. Knowledge by itself is insufficient without knowing when to apply it. Your ability to memorize is improvable and can be used effectively to help you get through the GMAT in the most efficient way possible.
UP NEXT: “I’m Bad at Grammar” And Other Lies You Tell Yourself
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Emily Madan is a Manhattan Prep instructor located in Philadelphia, Pa. She has a master’s degree in chemistry and tries to approach the GMAT and LSAT from a scientific perspective. These tests are puzzles with patterns that students can be taught to find. She has been teaching test prep for over ten years, scoring a 770 on the GMAT and 177 on the LSAT. Check out Emily’s upcoming LSAT courses here.