Hi,
For my course, I have to memorize around 100-200 definitions and quotes per subject, including related material. I’ve looked into several methods, such as the Lanier method, Method of Loci, Mind Maps, Acrostic method, and others. However, I’m unsure which method is the most efficient and effective, and I would appreciate any help.
I have linked examples of the verbatim text below.
I appreciate any help at all.
It looks very doable.
One method that I’ve used (and would definitely use for this) is the “method of loci” (aka, “memory palaces”, aka “memory journeys”).
Here are posts tagged with method-of-loci
https://forum.artofmemory.com/tag/method-of-loci
And you can go here to experiment with the basics/fundamentals: https://artofmemory.com/start/
Hi,
Thank you so much for the response. I have looked into the method of loci although I’m not sure how I would do so for long definitions. I know how to use it with lists and it’s great, although I’m not familiar with long verbatim text.
Ah, of course!
I think you have options.
One of my favorite methods is to memorize the “glossary terms” (so to speak) first.
So, first I would memorize the terms using the method of loci.
Next (after a few days with the terms memorized) I would then add words/imagery that help cue me as to what the words of the definition are.
I might assign one word (and its corresponding definition) per “room” or “area” in the palace.
This might be too vague. That’s not intentional, I may be in the stranglehold of The Curse of Knowledge as I’ve been using mnemonics for quite a while now.
But if you ask for clarification I will do my best to give more specific examples.
Regards,
Beau
You have certainly been cursed with knowledge Beau!
By glossary terms do you mean like a keyword?
To avoid running in circles I will first provide the picture you have painted for me. Am I correct in saying: pick key terms, associate the key terms with definition and stick with loci.
I would appreciate if you could provide an example from the chemistry definitions, it doesn’t matter to me which. I learn really fast with examples.
I am familiar with mnemonics although I struggle to create them for long complex verbatim text for example: “Electronegativity is the relative attraction that an atom has for the shared pair of electrons in a covalent bond”.
Usually I would use the acrostic method combined with anki and spatial repetitions although I feel like it took too much time considering I usually have to learn around 20 quotes/definitions a week from all subjects.
Do you have any good resources for mnemonics by the way? I can’t find any good ones.
Yes. When I get a little more time, I’ll give some examples and share some resources I like. 
Thank you very much, I appreciate it a lot.
Well, I don’t know if this helps with your particular situation but here goes. The idea behind the method of loci is to use imagery.
For example: Let’s say you have memorized the Key word electronegativity. Now you want to memorize the rest of the definition. Unless the exact words are necessary, memorize the meaning not the words. Imagine the same station where you have parked your keyword is actually a screen. On that screen the covalent electron is being pulled apart in a tug of war by the two main bodies. You can add information as is helpful such as each of any relevant particles represented by one which is a different color or size. Each representative particle embellished with an image from the Major Number System to carry the total number of that type of particle or whatever property interests you. Make the image big, use smiley faces, include sound even the smell of the forces involved. Strong enough imagery and you will remember that particular definition for life. Explosions, fire breathing dragons devouring matter, mermaids calling, puppies whining to get out the dog cage whatever adds impact to the imagery. Most important: make the imagery big, really big. Not your cell phone image but one that fills the wall of a large building.
King Kong on top of the Empire State Building grabbing a hold of an electron ( as indicated by your coding such as color) which is in Godzilla’s claws while they struggle with each other. Godzilla blowing fire from his mouth, King Kong hurling literal sh*t at Godzilla. World War One type biplanes buzzing around with the pilots using their personal pistols to shoot at the protagonists and each other (it was actually a thing at the beginning of W.W.1) Hell, now that I’ve written about it I’ll remember the definition and I don’t even need a physical location.
This is something that keeps bothering me when I see these posts asking to memorize things verbatim for exams. Do they actually demand you regurgitate exact sentences, or do they just want you to have the terms down, and actually understand what’s going on?
I wouldn’t be surprised, just deeply disappointed if they want you to copy-paste exact sentences in your brain with no concern for comprehension and application.
In the example given, the words to focus on are “Electronegativity” “relative attraction” “atom” “shared pair electrons” and “covalent bond”.
In a cove on valentine’s day, a pair of atoms are having a double date with twin electrons. One of the atoms is making passes at the other atom’s date. They are being served electric eels by a nihilistic goth.
All I did there was take the elements and puzzle out a way to make a scene out of them. The second pass would be to come up with the specific images to represent things, and probably add bond (or maybe not, covalent is the hard part) then encode them while focusing on the intent. Co(v)alent (bond)- etc etc.
Unfortunately in the Irish educational system verbatim definitions are needed. There obviously are questions involving comprehension of knowledge but verbatim questions are guaranteed. The answers have to be word for word as in the marking scheme there are very few accepted terms.
That is an excellent idea and I certainly will not forget the definition. Especially the King Kong part hahaaha. Unfortunately in Ireland the exams are very memory based and require too much verbatim and rote learning. E.g people having to learn off whole essays for exams or hundred of definitions/quotes. I have linked an article below.
Then move to Finland. Kidding… Not kidding.
Good luck. You can always use sound-alikes to remember all the silly filler words. Electric eel slurping nihilistic goth on station 1 for electro-negativity, an island on station 2 for is, Theodore (Roosevelt or whatever you come up with for association) on station 3, etc, etc. Combine that with shorthand writing to practice off of “en i t re att t a at h f t s p o el i a co b.”
Try both single letter, and one or two helping letters.
Whatever you do, don’t let school get in the way if your education.
“The truth is that those who self-train to rote memorise well set themselves up to excel – including via critical thinking – with ease in all kinds of learning lifelong, and those who don’t so train shoot themselves in the foot, so to speak.”
I disagree with this so hard I’d go to war over it.
I would be interested to get more details about why they say that (on what do they base this opinion)?
I mean my first reaction is to disagree, but to reject an opposite belief without honestly considering it, isn’t wise.
If you both memorize (which is what we do around here) AND think critically it’s very useful. Both don’t have to be exclusive. Having basic knowledge memorized coming automatically to mind does allow you to make connections between things more quickly. Also if you spend the time memorizing things the right way you are (probably) sure to understand it.
What I don’t like is the term “rote” memorisation, because “train to memorise well” implies the use of techniques for me (or maybe I don’t understand what “rote” is exactly).
From what we’ve been taught, rote memorisation is just repetition, constantly going back and forth over content you have learned. In all fairness the definitions are for key words to ensure students know them. In my opinion it is just the examiners being lazy and wanting simple tick or no tick answers. Most systems in Ireland are extremely flawed, especially public transport.
I do that for learning quotes! It’s called the acrostic method right? I have mentioned it in my original post. It’s great for learning quotes fast, although it’s not great for long term memory in my opinion.
Rote is just repetition of the lowest quality. Repeating the kinds of information time and again your brain doesn’t consider worth holding onto, in hopes that you bludgeon your memory into submission.
Even if you can argue that rote doesn’t stymie critical thinking, putting the focus on getting sentences correct and punishing any other display of understanding does. It actively deters you from learning.
I, along with the vast majority of the population are memory cripples according to Joe Foyle in the Irish Times post above. I can’t learn “word-perfect” a 100 word paragraph by rote in 3 minutes. If I could, most of it would fade regardless, and if I didn’t take the time to work with the information there would be no learning at all.
But yeah, I agree 100%. Memorizing and critical thinking don’t need to be exclusive, and they really shouldn’t- at least not for long.
Anyway, forgive me if I’m not being fair. It’s a sore spot and the article’s tone really agitates it.
You are being very fair, Ireland’s educational system is extremely flawed. Especially when it comes to teaching. E.g like 50 thousand students pursue Maths at Ordinary Level whilst only around 20 thousand pursue Higher Level.
I don’t think you’re being unfair, only passionate about it 
I would actually welcome more memorisation in schools because it’s extremely useful, if schools were TEACHING pupils how to memorize. Not just tell them “you have to know this”.
Unfortunately it is not the case in most places.
Didn’t mean to go awol on this conversation. To make up for it, I’ll give an example of how I might memorize that verbatim definition.
Alec Baldwin is suited up as a player in Tron, and he is “thumbs downing” and blowing raspberries at everything that happens.
Suddenly his brother Stephen (Baldwin) grabs Alec and tries shoving his tongue down Alec’s throat—much to Alec’s horror.
Alec jumps back and and uses the Tron discus 
to slice open Stephen Baldwin’s adam’s apple as a second Tron Alec (a duplicate?)/copy of Alec) enters the scene from the background shadows, applauding the first Tron Alec’s retaliation.
(to cue me for “atom”)
Adam (of Adam and Eve infamy) steps forward (naked with fig leaf) and hands a pear 
to the duplicate Alecs —the “forbidden fruit”?—which they then sit with in an alcove, passing back and forth and taking bites (ie, sharing).
(to cue me for “an atom has for the shared pair of Alec-Trons in a covalent…”)
The pear juice squirts and drips from both the Alecs` chins—onto their Tron suits and stickies the alcove floor (and their chins and Tron suits).
Which is why they struggle to stand up when James Bond comes upon them, PP7 carefully aimed, and silences (aka kills) both Alecs.
Then Bond makes some casual remark like “Positively repulsive” before leaving the alcove and taking an elevator out of the “Tron” world.
(covalent bond)
To get those associations correct and not confuse myself, I would go through the mnemonic scene, speaking the definition out loud and visualizing the cues for each keyword (vividly, of course).
I would do it a few times like that, then I would say the definition backwards (also visualizing the keywords at each specific part of the scene).
i would do it forwards and backwards few times to ensure the mnemonic cues are strong, and then I would take some time to push myself further and say the mnemonic cues out of order, doing the odds forwards, then the evens, then odds backwards, then evens, then I’d mix it up and see if I can even confuse myself at all by this point and go in any random order… finally attempting to speak the definition (while visualizing the mnemonic cues, of course) in the proper order, and see how easily that goes after having ran through the definition-mnemonic-keywords in all sorts of unusual sequences
–/
In truth, this routine is just that: a routine.
And I usually don’t even need a whole 5 minutes.
Coming up with the mnemonics might take me more time for me than the practice routine itself.
But the upside is, after those couple minutes of practice, retrieving that definition verbatim is difficult not to do. 