MAXIMISE YOUR MEMORY
OVERVIEW
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Memory
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FUTURE!
University/College/Apprenticeship
College/Sixth Form
Secondary School
Primary School
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The importance of exams…
Good exam results matter more than ever!
The job market is competitive
Higher Education is competitive
A good set of exam results sets you in very good stead for
the future, whatever your next step will be…
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Two things you already know…
You know you need to do well in exams
You know how important preparation and revision is
How can you improve your revision and make sure
that you’re preparing for your exams in the most
effective way?
Let’s look at some techniques
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Everybody learns in different ways. Your revision will be much
more effective if you adapt your technique to suit the type of
learner you are!
TASK: Fill in the learner styles survey
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Detailed notes
Videos
Diagrams
Flip charts
Illustrated text books
Handouts
Mind maps
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Discussions
Videos
Rhymes
Podcasts
Tape recorders
Reading aloud
Teaching others
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Keep active when learning
e.g walk around with a text
book!
Act things out
Big sheets of paper!
Hands-on activities
Highlight, underline etc when reading
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Memory: the key to effective revision
Our memory is made up of a short term memory and a long term memory
Short term memory
• Access information quickly
• Does not store much information
Long term memory
• Store information for longer
• Store larger chunks of information
In an exam you need to recall your long term memory!
To make a short term memory become a long term memory your brain needs to
form a connection by:
Repetition
Associating images
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Forming connections … what does your
brain ‘like’?
Can you name
the adverts…?
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Forming connections … what does your
brain ‘like’?
 Humour
 Things that stand out
 Creativity
 Repetition
 Associating images
 Colour
Incorporating these aspects in your revision will help
make your revision more effective
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Three effective revision techniques:
1. Mind mapping (kinaesthetic, visual)
2. Mnemonics (auditory, visual)
3. Von Restorff effect (kinaesthetic, visual)
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Technique 1: Mind Mapping
• Mind maps are an excellent memory tool which help you
to condense lots of information into a logical order
• Your memory likes logic and imagination because of the
role that each side of the brain plays:
Right side – Creativity and Left side – Logic
When both sides work together you create more activity in
your brain making it easier to remember things!
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Mind Mapping
•As part of your GCSEs you may be required to write an essay on a play, story or
topic you have studied over the year.
•Trying to remember all the key important information can be hard if all you do is
read and write notes.
• Mind maps can be very effective revision tools!
Mind
Mapping
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Mind Mapping
Key principles of an effective mind map:
1.
Branches should be curved and stem from a central picture
2.
No long sentences – key words only
3.
Use images to reinforce the point
4.
Use lots of bright colours to make it visually stimulating
Mind
Mapping
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Technique 2: Mnemonics
Mnemonics (pronounced... nu-mon-ics) are devices which help us to
remember.
Generally they are easier to remember than the thing they stand for!
They fall in to 3 categories;
• Spelling Acronyms
• Rhymes and Catch phrases
• List order Acronyms
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Spelling acronyms
Rhymes where the first letter of each word spells out a word which you may find
tricky to spell
Big Elephants Can’t Always Use Small Entrances = BECAUSE
Dash In A Rush Run Hard Or Else Accident = DIARRHOEA
These can also be used for parts of words. This is good when the word can be
sounded out but there are multiple letters which you are unsure about!
POTASSIUM - always remember one tea, two sugars!
EMBARRASS – really red, silly sausage
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Rhymes and Catch Phrases
Rhymes and Catch Phrases are often found to have multiple usage. Some people
use these to help them spell; For example
I before E except after C
Rhymes have been used for many years to aide our memory on a variety of
subjects!
30 days has September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 except
February which has 28 alone (or 29 in a leap year)
Spring Forward, Fall Back!
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List Order Acronyms
The most popular type of Mnemonic! A series of words which enables us to
remember the order of items. The first letter of each word is the first letter of the
each of the words being remembered.
Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain
The colours of the vision spectrum/rainbow!
Do you know what this mnemonic helps you remember?
My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets!
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List Order Acronyms
My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets!
The order of the planets in the solar system!
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
BUT, a few years ago Pluto lost its status as a planet 
So now we need a new mnemonic for the solar system!
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Technique 3: Associative Recall
Associative recall is a memory technique that is used by some of the top
memory champions when trying to remember things.
It can also be used as an effective revision technique.
Three key types of associative recall:
• Image & Story Technique – Story Telling
• Von Restorff Effect
• The Roman Room Technique – Going on a journey
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Story Telling
Our brains prefer images over words!
If we picture a list of items by either drawing or visualising them in our
minds, we are more likely to remember them than if we simply look at a
list of words.
If we then create a story using these words/images (making it funny,
unusual etc.) the brain will find it easy to form a connection.
Repeat the story at least 5 times and by the end you should be able to
recite the items off by heart!
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Story Telling
How can this help revision?
If you are remembering the plot of a story, an event in history,
or need to know any kind of list of items this may be useful!
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Von Restorff Effect
Identified by Hedwig von Restorff in 1933. She conducted a set of memory
experiments concluding that an isolated item, in a list of otherwise similar items,
would be better remembered.
By isolating an item it allows our brain to pay all it’s attention to that area, which
helps form a connection, which helps us to remember it.
Memorise this list....which one word do you remember?
Peas
Carrots
Potatoes
Beef
GRAVY
Broccoli
Cabbage
Sprouts
Chicken
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Von Restorff Effect
It’s not rocket science!!
You probably come into contact with this effect every day at school, AND even
use it yourself
Don’t over ‘isolate’
things otherwise it loses
it’s effectiveness!
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Roman Room Technique – going on a journey
It works by imagining a room (e.g. your bedroom) and within that room are objects.
The technique works by associating images with those objects and
pegging the images to places within the room.
To recall information, simply take a tour around the room in your mind, visualising
the associated images and recalling what they relate to.
This technique is used by the top memory champions when trying to remember lots
of information, for example remembering the sequence of 100 packs of playing
cards.
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In the exam
•
•
•
•
•
Listen carefully to the instructions given by the invigilator
Make sure you read the whole paper first and understand it before you attempt to
answer anything
Make a plan for each answer and include your workings out- you never know if it
could gain you some extra marks!
Watch your spelling and grammar- extra points can be awarded for correct
grammar and spelling.
Common spelling errors include;
THEY’RE
THERE THEIR
ACCEPT
OR
EXCEPT
YOUR
OR
YOU’RE
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Top tips for revision
Make a timetable & most importantly stick to it!
Manage time in to small, manageable chunks
Set yourself realistic targets
Keep an eye on your diet – avoid junk and sugary food which give short term energy
then a dip in concentration, eat plenty of fruit and veg and include omega-3 rich foods
Turn of any distractions – mobile phones etc (facebook??)
Use techniques and styles which are suited to your learning style
Do plenty of practice papers and practise writing under timed conditions
Look, cover, write, check
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Exam success
It’s crucial to adopt a positive mental attitude
Nerves are fine in moderation, but not if they become disabling – stay
calm, ask for help
Think of an exam as a challenge – a way to demonstrate your knowledge
– rather than a test of what you know
Plan, prepare and succeed!
Good
luck
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