Rapid Learning explores evidence-informed study methods, memory techniques, reading, comprehension, practice, and strategies for learning more effectively.
Any memory that you want to stick around requires reinforcement. Spaced repetition helps build memory and is the reinforcement that your brain needs. The inner workings of memory are incredibly complex, and there is still much to be discovered about how it works. Some things, though, are known. New information can get jumbled up, resulting…
Introduction Have you ever been told to memorize poetry, plays, and literature quotes from a book you studied in class? I remember being told to do it, but I couldn’t recall the reading selections. It was torturous. The strange thing about being told to memorize poetry, plays, and literature in class was that the teacher…
Introduction A memory journey is similar to a memory palace. The difference is that while memory palaces are tied to buildings, journeys can take place anywhere. Like memory palaces, the key is selecting familiar locations and routes. We layer new information on top of our chosen spots to recall information as we mentally take the…
Introduction When I first started public speaking, I did what most new speakers do: memorize a speech verbatim. Sometimes that worked well. It was great if I could remember each word while not sounding robotic. But slipping up was awful. It took a moment to get back on track and back into the groove of…
Introduction Like everything else in school, I wish I knew there was an easy way to memorize vocabulary words. I can see my teacher giving us a list of words to remember and me looking at the list like it was written in Greek. The funny thing is that you can use the link method…
Introduction This trick for remembering historical dates sure would have been handy when I was in high school. I loved hearing about wars and gladiators but struggled with dates and anything specific. In this section, we are concerned only with years. Other sections will cover how to remember days and months. Basic information about the…
Introduction You might ask yourself, is there still a need to remember a telephone number? Our phones can store an entire phonebook of numbers, so what’s the point? Generally, I would agree. Storing most numbers in a phone and letting technology do the work for you is easier. However, I was in a car accident…
Overview I believe the memory palace technique is the most powerful weapon in the memory arsenal. This method is also known as the method of loci or the mind palace. The techniques we have looked at are great, especially if you only need to memorize smaller lists of information. Furthermore, we can still use the…
Overview The peg word system is the first mnemonic technique I learned. It is wonderfully simple and versatile. The peg word system makes memorizing lists, definitions, and additional information easy. To begin, we choose a noun that rhymes with the number in our sequence. Try to imagine the following example as we move along. The…
Introduction Did you know that the average person will usually forget 90% of what they learn within thirty days unless they utilize memorization techniques? If we passively engage in learning the way that most people do, we tend to forget more than we remember. It explains why I did so poorly in school. I thought…