Remembering Playing Cards
Once you are familiar with the Journey System, remembering the order of a pack of playing cards becomes relatively simple.
Before you try to do this, you should prepare a journey in your mind that has 54 stops. Ensure that the stops are fresh and firm in your mind.
The next step is fairly simple - what you need to do is have an image in your mind representing each of the cards. Counting an ace as 1, and the 10 as zero, you can create a picture in your mind of an image from the Number/Shape system for the numbers Ace - 10. For the jack, queen and king, the images on the playing card are ready-made mnemonic images. The suits similarly can be represented by the suit symbols.
For example, the two of hearts can be represented by a white swan with a red heart painted on its side. The ten of spades could be a hole with the handle of a spade sticking out.
It is a good idea to prepare all the images to be used beforehand, as remembering cards during a card game will have to be done quite rapidly.
As cards come up, associate the card images with the stops on your journey.
Easy!
Once you are familiar with the Journey System, remembering the order of a pack of playing cards becomes relatively simple.
Before you try to do this, you should prepare a journey in your mind that has 54 stops. Ensure that the stops are fresh and firm in your mind.
The next step is fairly simple - what you need to do is have an image in your mind representing each of the cards. Counting an ace as 1, and the 10 as zero, you can create a picture in your mind of an image from the Number/Shape system for the numbers Ace - 10. For the jack, queen and king, the images on the playing card are ready-made mnemonic images. The suits similarly can be represented by the suit symbols.
For example, the two of hearts can be represented by a white swan with a red heart painted on its side. The ten of spades could be a hole with the handle of a spade sticking out.
It is a good idea to prepare all the images to be used beforehand, as remembering cards during a card game will have to be done quite rapidly.
As cards come up, associate the card images with the stops on your journey.
Easy!
Remembering Telephone Numbers
These can be remembered simply by associating numbers from e.g. the Number/Rhyme system with positions in a peg system such as the Alphabet System, or the Journey System, and by further associating these with the face or name of the person whose number is being remembered.
For example, to remember that Kathryn's phone number is 735345, I can imagine myself traveling to her flat: with my destination firmly in mind, I envisage the following stops on my journey:
These can be remembered simply by associating numbers from e.g. the Number/Rhyme system with positions in a peg system such as the Alphabet System, or the Journey System, and by further associating these with the face or name of the person whose number is being remembered.
For example, to remember that Kathryn's phone number is 735345, I can imagine myself traveling to her flat: with my destination firmly in mind, I envisage the following stops on my journey:
- Front door: the door has sprouted angels wings, and is flying up to heaven! (7)
- Rose bush: a small sapling (tree, 3) is growing its way through the middle of the bush.
- Car: some bees have started to build a hive (5) under the wheel of my car. I have to move it very carefully to avoid damaging it.
- End of road: a tree (3) has fallen into the road. I have to drive around it.
- Past garage: Someone has nailed a door (4) to the sign. Strange!
- Under railway bridge: the bees are building another hive (5) between the girders here!
Remembering Words, Lines and Speeches
There are two main techniques for remember quotations and lines:
1. Repetition
Professional actors are said to learn lines most effectively by rereading a play or parts in a play many times over a short period. As an example, they may read something to be remembered 5 to 10 times a day over 4 days.
2. Keyword/Journey System
An alternative approach using mnemonics is to use the Journey System, with a stop for each line.
At each stop you can either code the key images or words, or can adopt a technique where you associate each word in the line.
There are two main techniques for remember quotations and lines:
1. Repetition
Professional actors are said to learn lines most effectively by rereading a play or parts in a play many times over a short period. As an example, they may read something to be remembered 5 to 10 times a day over 4 days.
2. Keyword/Journey System
An alternative approach using mnemonics is to use the Journey System, with a stop for each line.
At each stop you can either code the key images or words, or can adopt a technique where you associate each word in the line.
Using Mnemonics for Exams
A very effective way of structuring information for revision is to draw up a full, colour coded of the subject. This will enable you to see the overall structure of the topic, and make associations between information. A good colour coded Mind Map can be an effective way of remembering information in its own right.
Using Mnemonics
The problem with this is that you can forget the label on a line on a Mind Map. A more reliable method is to take your Mind Map of a subject, and break it down into a list of important points and facts on a large sheet of paper. This list can be ordered into general subject areas. This list should be numbered. Beside all the important facts you can note down associated and supporting information.
Coding exam subjects into Mnemonics
By associating items on a list with a peg such as a number, we can check that we have retrieved all items held by a mnemonic. This numbered list can be remembered using some of the mnemonic techniques explained in Mind Tools:
For simple, short lists, use a simple peg system, such as:
Using Mnemonics in Exams
By using mnemonics, retrieving all the facts necessary to answer an exam essay question becomes as simple as running through the mnemonic in your mind, jotting down the retrieved facts that are relevant to the question. Once you have written these down, you can apply any sub-mnemonics you have coded, or jot down any associated facts and connections that occur to you. This should ensure that you have all possible information available to you, and should go a long way towards producing an essay plan.
A very effective way of structuring information for revision is to draw up a full, colour coded of the subject. This will enable you to see the overall structure of the topic, and make associations between information. A good colour coded Mind Map can be an effective way of remembering information in its own right.
Using Mnemonics
The problem with this is that you can forget the label on a line on a Mind Map. A more reliable method is to take your Mind Map of a subject, and break it down into a list of important points and facts on a large sheet of paper. This list can be ordered into general subject areas. This list should be numbered. Beside all the important facts you can note down associated and supporting information.
Coding exam subjects into Mnemonics
By associating items on a list with a peg such as a number, we can check that we have retrieved all items held by a mnemonic. This numbered list can be remembered using some of the mnemonic techniques explained in Mind Tools:
For simple, short lists, use a simple peg system, such as:
- The Number Rhyme Technique
- The Number/Shape technique
- The Alphabet technique
Using Mnemonics in Exams
By using mnemonics, retrieving all the facts necessary to answer an exam essay question becomes as simple as running through the mnemonic in your mind, jotting down the retrieved facts that are relevant to the question. Once you have written these down, you can apply any sub-mnemonics you have coded, or jot down any associated facts and connections that occur to you. This should ensure that you have all possible information available to you, and should go a long way towards producing an essay plan.