Memory Association

All information in our brain is remembered with the technique of memory association i.e., we associate all data to other pieces of data. For example, if you were given a word “apple”, something like this comes to your mind:

Apple: red, round, sweet, fruit

In fact, it is doubtful that you might see an “apple” and think of an “orange” unless you think of something amusing wherein an elephant looks like an apple. If I had to ask you as to what is the fourth letter of the alphabet, you will not know that D=4, but you would say A, B, C, D, and then you would confirm D. The answer was obtained by using association because you know that the first letter of the alphabet is A and then processed the alphabets in order until you got the right letter.

It will be very difficult to remember required information, if there is no possible association. For example, if you need to remember that the next bus leaves at 4 PM, there is nothing that associates the bus with the number 4. Hence, this information can be easily forgotten.

If, by association, is how the memory works, then we can apply an effective association between the two bits of data. Remember the earlier example of the bus that you need to catch at 4 PM, picture the bus in your mind and notice that it has 4 wheels - 4 wheels, 4 PM. After this association is made and it has been instilled in your memory, there is more chance to remember the time.

Sometimes, memory association can come very easily. For example, to remember a Mr. Brown that stays in a house with a brown roof near the end of the street, you would get the idea of Mr. Brown under the brown roof. But, what if you need to recall your classroom number for a Sociology class, and it just turns out that it is the same as your locker number. Another easy association!

But what happens when pieces of data are not associated in any way? We should learn to be more creative in relating two pieces of data. It is however not very difficult. You can remember things by learning rhymes or acronyms, such as:

• I before E except after C. When it sounds like A as in neighbor and weigh

• ROY G BIV for recalling the colors of the rainbow in proper order

• N-E-W-S (compass directions)

Rhymes and acronyms work because using them creates an easy to remember method of associating two things. The thumb rule is to be creative and ingenious. There is no need of writing poems or limericks every time you need to memorize something. Just think of an image that allows you to associate with the piece of information.
It could be something funny or memorable. Take for example, you need to remember that the basketball court is in Raisin Street. Just imagine a basketball player baking raisin cookies! Be creative and a sharper memory will follow.