I need help memorizing a vast amount of engineering text books. I have been beating my brain to death trying to memorize this stuff over the last 8 years. I now know the loci method and I am looking for a great new way to quickly absorb as much information as possible. I use freeplane for mind mapping (since it is free) and then use that to create loci. I find that using a grocery store I am familiar with works well for loci. I use isles for broad topics, and shelf’s in that isle for sub-topics. Does anyone have a better strategy?
I’ve moved your comment to its own thread, so that more people will see it.
Do you find that the mind mapping helps, or would a simple list be faster?
Are there any specific things that are causing difficulty?
An idea that I haven’t tried yet, but that I’ve been thinking about is to create a series of smaller memory palaces that are organized by topic, and then placing the names of those memory palaces into Anki. That way Anki would used spaced repetition to remind when to review each memory palace.
Josh, I really like the idea of using Anki to use spaced repetition. I’ve been looking for a good way to go about that for awhile now. Thanks
If you try it, let me know how it goes. 
I’ll start it in a few weeks for sure!
“Does anyone have a better strategy?”
Rather than memorizing, try “understanding”.
(ducks the obligatory retorts about this being a “memory forum” and how understanding will come later etc.)
This is done by:
-
Reading the text thoroughly.
-
Work every example in the chapter.
-
Create several of your own example problems from each example given. If you cannot do this then you do not understand the concept yet. Pretend like you are making a test for a student. Try and be tricky. Explore all angles of the problem. Predict complications or extensions. This may predicatively cover concepts in the next several examples you come across, and best of all you figured it out actively rather than reading about it passively.
-
Work every problem in the text, starting with the ones that have answers, then doing the ones that do not.
-
Ask questions of your instructor and other students.
-
Teach the concept to another person. This is actually the best step to solidify your understanding. Volunteer a couple hours at the tutoring lab. This will help you review and consolidate earlier knowledge, and shore up weaknesses.
In engineering (as viewed from my perspective as a physicist, and having tutored and taught engineers) there are a few fundamental concepts, and therefore relatively few equations to memorize. Once you understand the concepts, and have worked many problems, you can derive anything you need and apply it to situations you have not seen in homework.
As for memorizing, well…
Try and memorize a large group of physical constants, including their units, both derived and fundamental. Understand what the constant means, and why it even exists? What is the use of the permeability of free space for example?
Many problems can be solved not by knowing an equation, but by dimensional analysis. Knowing the units the answer must have, and guessing at the input parameters can allow you to determine a good estimate of the answer without having to use many equations. This is called “back of the envelope” calculations. To work on this concept look up “fermi problems” and “buckingham pi” method.
You can use any convenient system to remember the constants. I would recommend only 2 or 3 decimal places, but more importantly remember the units and the physics behind the constant! For example permeability of free space I would associate this in my mind with a “magnet”, and the ability of “space” to support a magnetic field. Not completely accurate, but it serves as a trigger for recalling more information.
In a chapter, highlight important concept words, and use loci to ingrain them. Then for each word you remember pretend you are trying to explain that concept to someone else. Imagine you are lecturing to various skill levels. Create an internal dialog.
Learn how to do Taylor series expansion. You can estimate nearly all equations, integrals and functions with a proper knowledge of series expansions.
For each sort of problem you work, determine a method of attack, codify it into an algorithm, and them use loci to remember the steps and branch points. In engineering it really is cookbook even at the high levels. This will not quash your creativity in solving non-cookie cutter problems, because you will rapidly realize when a problem is not cookie cutter, and thus know that new modes of thought are required.
Then… every so often, go back to the text book and re-work the problems, without reading the text.
I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people memorize equations out the yinyang, but have no understanding of what the equations mean. Or people who can name something, but do not understand the properties of what they named. I have seen this in PhD level students and in industry! For more on this phenomenon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05WS0WN7zMQ
Use mnemonics as a tool to remember the fewest number of important concepts, then use your understanding to fill in everything else.
Good video. I will repost it in the video section.