Good news and Bad news.
Bad news:
If you’re newer to mnemonic techniques 1500 questions and answers isn’t even worth trying to do in 12 days.
- You won’t get them all memorized
- You’ll waste what precious time you have to study attempting a feat that even seasoned mnemonists would balk at.
Good news
12 days is still enough time to get to know the material well enough (provided it’s not mostly new material to you).
You have limited time so here’s an approach.
Consider this a sort of concentrated mnemonic “extract”.
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On day 1, divide the questions into categories. You know, respective and related groups of knowledge. Aim for no less than 7, no more than 15.
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Determine your weak spots and your strengths in these categories. Write things down. Do not do this all in your head. If that’s your approach stop reading now and don’t bother because this approach won’t work. Get pen and paper out and go through and make specific notes on what you know well and what is particularly confusing.
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Pay attention to which groups of topics you do and dont know. Measure it. Tally it. Count it measurably somehow. You don’t need to be perfect, but don’t just eyeball it.
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Prioritize. Now you have a list of knowledge groups the questions relate to—and you have a rough measure/score of how confusing each group is to you. So, prioritize (based on what you figure will get you a passing score) which groups are top priority, which are second, and which are tertiary.
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You should still be on day 1 if you have 12 hours/day. So, on day 1 you are also going to make a list of as many places as you can think of that are memorable. Sit down for at least 30 minutes and list them down the page. One on each line. Childhood homes are excellent. Anywhere you experienced something unforgettable is perfect. Anywhere you just know by heart. List them all. Don’t be picky. Picky is nice, but reduces efficiency by magnitudes.
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For each knowledge group (you should have between 7 and 15 that your questions are grouped into), pick a place of the list and use it as a memory palace. Don’t be picky. The only reason to choose one palace over another is if the connection is OBVIOUS—if someone is memorizing tennis shoes for some inexplicable reason, Al Bundy’s shoe store would pop right out if it were on the list, or a tennis court. Other than that, if you’re wondering which place to use, use the next one on the list. Or the one right after. Don’t be picky.
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Now the work begins. For your top priority groups, identify what knowledge you need clarified and understood to make those questions clear as mineral spring water.
WRITE IT OUT. Get clear on it. Do not allow room for ambiguity. For each top priorities area, identify at least 15 questions you need to get clear on. Those 15-ish are going in the palace you picked from the list. Yes, only 15 and only the top priority groups. Give them unique spots in your chosen location, and make sure the spots are ordered. Spot 1, spot 2, spot 3, etc. Good golly even if the order is arbitrary, if you don’t order them this will fall apart on you like a skyscraper made of spaghetti. Everything needs a clear sequential order. -
Make flash cards or some unambiguous way to quiz yourself as the days go by.
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Each day, add the most questions to top priority groups, and less questions to others respective to their priorities.
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Each day quiz yourself on the knowledge you’ve added so far before you start, at least once at a break, and again at the end.
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Don’t just review the questions. Read the materials you’re studying. Each night, when you rest well, your brain will consolidate the information you made an effort to recall and incorporate into your understanding that day.
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by the 5th or 6th day, you’ll notice very encouraging results when you quiz yourself. And you’ll still have plenty of time to go.
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Keep going. Any time a location starts getting even remotely crowded (or feels confusing when trying to recall the information), grab a new location/memory palace from your list (which should still be expanding as you think of places).
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Write down which topics go in which locations—on the paper list itself. And review that list before you start and after you end each day.
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Come back here and ask questions if you need, but at least share how it went and is going as you proceed. I didn’t write all this just to have it go into the “ignore bin” of your brain. I wrote it because this is exactly what i would do in your situation and for goodness sake I wanna know how it ends.
Note: On day 1 it is okay to only do these steps for top priority areas and then add others as the days move on. NOT a requirement, but if you feel that works for you, there’s no harm.
Regards,
Beau