Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Memorizing a Textbook

In college, John Place developed a memory technique that helped him memorize 70 full pages (23,000 words) of his psychology textbook! Here’s how:

Below is the simpler version of my system, developed to help my pupils pass history, psychology, and other information-heavy tests.

1. First, use a pencil or word processor (I prefer the latter because it’s faster) to type, in complete sentences, any fact you think might appear on the test. Use short sentences because they’re easier to remember.
2. Take your printed notes into a quiet room, shut the door, and eliminate all distractions.
3. Look at the first sentence in your notes and read it out loud. Then, close your eyes and say the sentence without looking at it.
4. Repeat the step above, this time with the first 2 sentences.
5. Next, try it with 3 sentences. Then 4. Repeat until you have memorized every sentence in your notes.

Read the full instruction at John’s blog: Link via Neatorama

No comments: