Have trouble remembering which operation to tackle first while solving a math problem? No problem! Just remember the word BEDMAS which stands for Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. Similarly, you may recall learning the “I can sing a rainbow” song in school to remember the colors in a rainbow. These kinds of memory techniques are known as mnemonics.
Mnemonic devices can be your secret weapon to easily remember things which can otherwise be difficult to memorize. These memorization tips are usually in the form of a short phrase, an acrostic, an acronym (like the one above) or a song. They are basically memory devices that help us remember by association.
Mnemonic aids can also take the form of a visual reminder like saying the months using the knuckles and valleys on your fists held together. Months that fall on a knuckle are 31 days while a valley is a 30-day month. Another example of a visual mnemonic device is simply association. Like, if one wanted to remember numbers then the number one could be associated with a candle, two looks like a swan, etc. There are also number-sound mnemonics for which one needs to learn number-sound associations. For example, 0=s, 1=t, 2=n and so on.
You can also make your own mnemonic devices. Consider creating a short rhyme or ditty to remember something. If you find it difficult to find rhyming words, try online resources tat will help you with suggestions. Even a half-rhyme should suffice. Sing it out loud to internalize it.
Trying remembering it with a series of gestures. Just like a game of charades, you can act out what you are trying to remember. For examples, if it is the spelling of a word you can make gestures for each letter of the word with your hands.
If you are trying to remember things in a particular order, an acronym is usually your best bet. Mnemonics like VIBGYOR and BEDMAS are acronyms. Try to construct an acronym with the first letters of the things you need to recall. You could also use a second letter of the component words if it generates a proper word.
