Hi everyone, I’m new and I’m really exited about this forum. I’m a medical student and I have been learning the basics of mnemonics in the past months.
Now, I’m trying to apply them to prepare exams. Since I study medicine, the majority of the exams are based mainly on memory. I have recently prepared one exam using the memory palace and other different techniques. It went well, but I want to improve.
For this reason, I kindly ask you a feedback about my study method.
First of all, during the period of lessons, I schematize them all into mind maps. This because I have read that it is the best type of scheme for memory and mnemonics, according to Tony Buzan and Dominic O’Brien. What do you think about them? Do you think normal/cascade schemes are better?
Then, at the beginning of the session, I study all the mind maps. During this step I note on the map which branches or sub-branches have to be learned by memory, so I put those information in the memory palace. I usually review every map and every palace according to the space repetition system. One week (or so) before the exam I review everything again, together with the palaces. I also take a look at the past papers during this period.
What do you think I should improve? Would you replace or add some steps? Do you have some tips to share? Which step of your personal study method is the most useful? Thanks in advance to everyone for the attention
Sounds good, but difficult to answer since your questions are very general. Can you specify? Does your strategy work for you? How precise is your recall? Are you having specific difficulties?
Mental maps are just one kind of good outline. It’s not about mnemonics. A workable method, but less effective at remembering.
The memory palace is not enough, my opinion. If you need to get a good grade and forget a subject, it can work for you. But when you’re working with an important science/subject for your professional development, this is where you need to memorise firmly, not for a couple of days.
(Although, if you know the material and memorise the questions for palaces, that’s a good option too)
BUT Palaces are not good for long term memorisation. In sports memorisation they are good, they can even be extended, but that’s about the other thing.
I recommend that you learn the skill of memorisation (mnemonics) and try your hand at mnemonic sports in parallel. Try memorising numbers - it’s fun to master. Then, when you feel better, you can get into other disciplines. This way you will gain mnemonic flexibility, stamina and increase the amount of information you can memorise in one sitting + practice making connections. Then you can memorise whatever you need to memorise. And you’ll know how to make it more convenient.
It’s good that you have systematisation - it’s always important in any study, and textbooks give it - systematised knowledge. You can memorise notes. Ideally, you want to reach a level of memorisation without outlining. Good luck in the future.
Also, just a piece of advice as a future doctor, and indeed as a human being:
Don’t rely on people’s gratitude - do as you see fit, even if they don’t thank you, don’t wait or think about it. Do what works and don’t do what doesn’t work.
Understanding comes first then memorize what needs to be memorized. Don’t try fancy techniques especially during exams just survive by your wits with what you know works for you. Also befriend seniors ask for test questions if they have. Good luck!
I’d suggest that you search the forum and find people who did this successfully in medical school. For example, here is a thread started by @MemberBerries which may be useful. Memory Palaces in Medical school
Searching the forum can be a gold mine of great posts and threads over the years.
Well, I think you can definitely use MP on a long term if you add it to spaced repetition.
I’ve memorized stuff with a Memory Palace and spaced repetition and I still remember them clearly even I used my MP for another purpose after. I still can see the images.
What will make all the difference is the spaced repetition.
You can use all the mnemonics you want, if you dont spaced repetition them it’s very useless. Use flash cards for some subjects like pathologies, symptomes, diseases, pharmacology etc in anki and stuff like that.
Mnemonics and memory palaces will really help the encodage of the informations, the way you store it and will make the process of restitute the information easier because your data is stored properly and naturally in your memory. Then, a proper spaced repetition program will enhance everything and allow you to store it definitely in long term.
Thank you very much for the reply! The recall is fine, especially through some steps of repetitions. The strategy is working, but I am having difficulties for the memorization part. I still have troubles in identifying the portions that I should memorize through memory palace and the ones that I should not. Moreover, I would like to make the strategy better, since the marks are still not the maximum
Thank you very much for the answer! I do agree on the memory palace part. It really helped me to memorize the concepts and also to understand them better. So it is definitely a tool that I want to use. But I still think that I am not able to use it perfectly, especially when combined with mind maps. Do you have any tips in regard? Should I just continue practicing?
Also, you mentioned flash cards. I only find them useful if I write them, so they take quite a lot of time. Do you advice to use pre-made ones? Since you were able to memorize concepts in the long term, I will continue practicing
Thanks for the reply! I use mind maps to help me better understand the concept. Do you think other schemes are better for what regards the memorization part?
I use the memory palace only after I have understood the concepts, so at the end of the whole process. I try to understand which parts need to be memorized.
I will try to practice more and more. I am already practicing the memorization of numbers. So I will try to practice other disciplines soon. For what I am understanding, you can train your memory for something, but it gets better in any field. Am I right?
Thanks for the advice! It’s never a good idea to rely on gratitude of others. I want to be a doctor for myself, not for the others.
Yes, this is important! As much as possible memorize your comprehension rather than brute facts.
As @CelineDL has said,mnemonics do not confer long term retention. They are primarily an acquisition tool. They do help with retention in several ways but they don’t do the job. Enduring retention comes from spaced repetition, there’s no escaping this, and comprehension - facts are linked together by a web of relationships.
You combined memory palaces with mind maps when each branch of your mind maps is a key word or an image. And you just put each image (related to each branch of your mind map) into locis. If you have secondary branches, you can just make them interact with the main image through a lil story Maybe if you see some difficulties is because your mind map might be too full. Remember : mind maps is all about images, icons, single words and just a summary, you should not put everything inside. A mind map should have the key images that will help you remember all the rest.
Flash cards is nice to make but much better when used with apps. Anki, quizlet for examples are great flash cards app. There are 2 benefits in using apps :
You can find pre made deck cards from other users
The app has this great spaced repetition algorithms. It knows exactly when and how frequently to show you a card in order to remember it. They ll show each cards, you will tell the app “I know this, I didn’t remember or it’s hard” and the app will calculate when to show you again depending on your answer. These kinds of math are possible with physical cards but are so time consuming that its better to rely on an app.
And that’s great because you don’t feel like studying. You just try to actively recall and if you can’t its fine, look the answer and go to the next one. Just trust the app.
Time is almost always an issue for me. I do not have much time, so I am looking for some methods which are more effective and less time consuming. For the moment, I do not see a trend for my troubles, but it could be because I am a beginner in this field. Thanks for the reply, I will for sure try to clarify this point
Thanks again for the reply! I think I am doing the connection between mind maps and memory palace in the correct way then Thanks for making it more clear for me. I am still trying to improve the way in which I make mind maps. So I am trying to use only key words and not many words. I think this just takes practice.
I have some questions. How would you repeat the material in the memory palace? Would you repeat the images in the loci or would you repeat what the images represent (so the concepts)?
When would you use flash cards from Anki? After making the mind maps and the palace? Or before making them, so to have an overview of the material?
Thank you, so let’s take this step by step. It seems you have two major issues that are interconnected-
Knowing what to memorize
improving your grades
Are there any other issues?
For issue 1, Are you finding you are memorizing too much, too little or the wrong things?
For issue 2, on your test, what is the common problem you find affecting your grades? Remembering late? Not Remembering? Remembering wrong? Not Understanding?
