Ways to help easier memorization

[Polocrosse2017]

I am a senior in hs this year. Next year I'm starting my pre-vet program. I'm been accepted to an early acceptance program also, so I've done well in high school. I've noticed that I sometimes struggle with quickly memorizing terms. I know that I will need to do this more efficiently in college and vet school. Is there a course or online course that would help? I took a class to help me read quicker and more efficiently last summer and it made a tremendous difference. Just wondering if there was something like that out there for memorization.

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[_ Aquarius _]

Most of the really good online programs you have to pay for, but there are some free brain/memory training apps I've heard are pretty good, like "Elevate", "Lumosity" and "Peak". Good Luck!

 

[deleted838145]

I second Aquarius. Also, just teaching yourself how to utilize mnemonic systems can make a tremendous difference. I have a friend who learned to make a "mind palace" if you can believe it (some sherlock **** right there). As for myself, I have a terrible memory for academia but I'm excellent at remembering television shows. I would make stories and characters out of concepts in order to keep studying entertaining. (for instance when memorizing the use of enzymes in lactase production/inhibition I made the enzymes as characters lol).

 

[ndafife]

for instance when memorizing the use of enzymes in lactase production/inhibition I made the enzymes as characters lol

You live a dangerous life. Please tell me more.

 

[berenstein]

I second Aquarius. Also, just teaching yourself how to utilize mnemonic systems can make a tremendous difference. I have a friend who learned to make a "mind palace" if you can believe it (some sherlock **** right there). As for myself, I have a terrible memory for academia but I'm excellent at remembering television shows. I would make stories and characters out of concepts in order to keep studying entertaining. (for instance when memorizing the use of enzymes in lactase production/inhibition I made the enzymes as characters lol).

Sketchy-style "episodic storytelling" mnemonics! I like it.

 

[Skydive Fox]

ditto the advice already given here, but also keep in mind that "memorization" isn't always the best way to go about studying in college. If you have a solid conceptual grasp on the foundation of a given pathway or theory, there's seldom any need to "memorize" it.

From my experience as a tutor and TA, the memorizers tend to be the <3.8 students and the conceptualizers tend to be the ~4.0 students, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Polocrosse2017]

ditto the advice already given here, but also keep in mind that "memorization" isn't always the best way to go about studying in college. If you have a solid conceptual grasp on the foundation of a given pathway or theory, there's seldom any need to "memorize" it.

From my experience as a tutor and TA, the memorizers tend to be the <3.8 students and the conceptualizers tend to be the ~4.0 students, so take it for what it's worth.

I'm definitely more a conceptualizer. I just know there are times that I do have to memorize terms, etc and those are the things I'm hoping to do better with. (Spanish was a great example, I have an A but just haven't been able to memorize all the words I need to be really good at it.) I need to work more on mnemonics. I have dyslexia so sometimes that is difficult for me but since that is usually just with the first letters of the words I should be able to get better at that. I'll look at the things you have mentioned. I also don't mind paying for something IF it is really good.

Thank you.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Mine happens two ways:
(1) Handwriting things, then repeating them out loud without looking at what you've written. Repeat like an hour later.
(2) Making up mnemonics. The trick with this is to do it consistently, whenever you can. I'll get to a test and realize I don't have a mnemonic, so it must be the answer that would be harder to make a mnemonic for, because I make mnemonics for even really easy things! It works really well, actually.