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Memory is a very important aspect of learning. It is the ability of the brain to store, retain, and subsequently recall information. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a "bad memory". Memory is a dynamic entity. It can be sharp or dull depending on a number of factors. These factors include time of the day, diet, sleep and stress.
Memory can be improved and these tips will help you get started and get the most from your memory.
Move Around:
There is a correlation between movement and memory. In tip-of-the-tongue situations, simply gesturing with hands and body can help bring the name or word into consciousness. Also, when committing something to memory, movement - even if it is just taking notes - will help the brain retain the information.
Make sure you're alert and attentive before trying to memorize anything.
Understand:
 Try to understand the information rather
than merely memorizing. Look for ideas, concepts and patterns. 
Try to understand the information rather
than merely memorizing. Look for ideas, concepts and patterns.
Link:
Link the new knowledge
with what you already know. Place what you learn in context with your existing knowledge, look for relationships between ideas.
Teach and Remember:
Avoid passively soaking information. We explain things for a reason. It helps us to remember. Telling a friend about something we've just read and learnt almost triples our ability to solidify that information into memory.
Use the Morning:
This is difficult for many. but the hours between 6.00 AM and 11.00 AM are memory target zones. The brain's ability to take in and store new information is in peak operation. Use this time specifically for reading things you want to commit to memory.
Repeat and review what you've
learned as many times as possible. A fresh memory (especially when not interesting) is like petroleum - it is volatile. It evaporates. Hence you need to close the lid, that is review and repeat. There is no substitute to this process.
Remember:
Things that interest you are
easier to remember. Try to develop an interest in what you're
memorizing. Your memory and thinking will
function much better if you are in good health and well-rested. So, get that sleep.
Mnemonics:
Mnemonics are memory aids. They are often verbal, something such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something. They are often used to remember lists. Mnemonics can also be visual.
Use mnemonics such
as formulas or rhymes that serve as memory aids.
Examples of some popular mnemonics -
To remember the 12 cranial nerves:
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet. Ah! Heaven!
Often used by medical students in many variations to remember the 12 cranial nerves in proper order. The first letter of each word, in bold corresponds to there cranial nerves in correct order: Olfactory nerve, Optic nerve, Occulomotor nerve, Trochlear nerve, Trigeminal nerve, Abducent nerve, Facial nerve, Auditory nerve, Glossopharyngeal nerve, Vagus nerve, Accessory nerve, and Hypoglossal nerve.
To remember the 9 planets:
My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets
To remember the 9 planets in order from the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)
To remember the biological groupings in taxonomy:
Kings Play Chess On Fine Green Satin
The letters stand for Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
Example of a poem to aid memory:
Many students use the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" to assist in remembering the characteristics of DNA.
The original rhyme:
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
Modified:
We love DNA,
Made of nucleotides,
A phosphate, sugar and a base,
Bonded down one side.
Adenine and Thymine,
Make a lovely pair,
Guanine without Cytosine,
Would be rather bare.
Example of a phrase to aid memory:
I learnt this from a book in the library (a student had scribbled this in the textbook).
Criteria for the diagnosis of SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus)
Mnemonic for SLE criteria:
Disco Malar SOAP N' HAIR
4 of 11, just don't care!
- Discoid rash
- Malar rash
- Serositis
- Oral ulcers
- Arthritis
- Photosensitivity
- Neurologic disorder
- Hematologic disorder
- Antinuclear antibody
- Immunologic disorder
- Renal disorders
Presence of 4 of the above 11 criteria are diagnostic of SLE.
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