The human brain continually evolves to digest information, interpret codes, and store memory. All activities somehow start with the brain. Words, images, and ideas cross the mind literally and get stuck somewhere inside there, temporarily or permanently. Some inputs must be remembered; others discarded; while a few others unconsciously kept.

Be sure that you can trust your memory to serve you well. Boost your memorization skills with the help of mnemonics.

Mnemonics are defined as methods or systems for improving the memory. Memory tool is the layman’s term for a mnemonic. Each one has his own personal pattern or version of mnemonics, depending on whether images or words leave better imprints on the mind. Effective means of using mnemonics include the following:

Use nice and pleasant images

The brain usually prefers to block out undesirable – and sometimes similar – visuals, so try to fill it up with distinctive images. Also, paint your imagination with colors. Image-sifters in the brain are suckers for photographic quality – anything dull and lackluster goes straight to the trash bin.

Exaggerate

It is easier to remember something too much or too little than something normal. Exaggeration is the key to remembering descriptive data. Extremes usually stick to brain cells like paste. For example, if you want to remember “a big, tall guy”, try thinking about a giant.

Use creative humor

Something funny is always worth remembering time and again. It is hard to forget a certain sea organism that brushes teeth even though you were asked to commit it to memory by its scientific name.

Utilize all your senses

Remember the taste, the feel, the smell, the look, and the sound of things. If one sense fails you, you can still rely on the other four.

Retain information by association

Find connection and similarities among two or more objects. For instance, if you want to remember that the product of 8 and 2 is 16, think about 2 boxes of pizza with 8 slices each.

Retain information by location

Remember where and how objects are positioned, like remembering which part of the book or a page a specific word was located.

Look for definitive patterns or create series

For instance, in memorizing a number of enumerations, put together the first letters of every item. Recognizing repetitive patterns also strengthen a data’s tendency to stick to your mind. A popular example for this technique is the mock name created for the colors of the rainbow, ROY G. BIV which stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.