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Is Memorization a Skill or Talent? (With Tips!)

Memorizing is difficult, and, truth be told, most people don’t really want to memorize information. No one wants to memorize equations when they are in high school or college because life just is too darn busy. 

You want to spend your time studying for the important exam, or, even more importantly, you want to spend your time working as an attorney, a business owner, or something else that you find truly interesting.

Memorizing tricks are useful tricks to learn. They can come in handy at job interviews, when studying for tests and in everyday life. To memorize something, you have to memorize the tricks on how to memorize.


Is it a skill or a talent?

Memorization is considered a skill, but is it really? Many would argue that memorization is innate, but is it really? If memorizing is an innate skill, then we all should be experts at it. In fact, everyone should be able to memorize anything. Right?

Wrong, many people don’t realize that memorization is a skill that can be enhanced, just like any other skill, through repetition and practice. Even though we all think we know stuff, most of us don’t. Even if we do, we rarely remember any of it, and it becomes increasingly difficult to remember information as time passes.

Memorization is a skill that most of us would like to improve. Memorization is the art of remembering what you learn. Some tend to learn better through repetition, and some through association. But no matter how you learn, there are tricks you can use to improve your memorization.


Are people born with a good memory?

Some people can remember seemingly everything. It doesn’t matter if you meet a stranger at the grocery store. You will remember them for the rest of their lives. When you meet a friend at a party, you will remember their names, what they did for a living, where they were raised, and just about anything you want to know about them. 

However, some people cannot remember anything. They forget names, faces, and events they attended. If you are one of those people, you will likely wonder, “Are people born with a good memory?” But the answer is no.


Foods that may Boost Your Brain and Memory

Eating certain foods can help boost your brain. It’s common knowledge that certain foods are good for your physical health, but what about your brain? Foods that are high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals can protect against brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Avocado, blueberries, and kale are three of the best foods to boost your brain and your memory.


10 memorization tricks you can use to get better

1. Write it down.

Practice writing the information to learn it (preferably by hand) before you try to mentally remember it. This not only cements the material in your brain but also helps you phrase it in a way that makes it easier to remember.

2. Break it down.

After you write it down, read through it a few times, taking note of the key points or terms. Then, write out groups of words, and read through those groups, taking notes of each group. Repeat this process until the information feels familiar.

3. Group similar items.

Try grouping similar terms or ideas together. This can help your brain easily adapt to patterns. For example, put verses and Bible verses together, or put nouns and verbs together.

4. Use acronyms 

Using acronyms to memorize things can be an effective way to remember the information. For example, SOHCAHTOA, this acronym really helped me in math to remember to solve the angles of a triangle. 

5. Read aloud

Reading aloud eliminates skimming words that might be crucial to what you’re memorizing. Reading aloud also triggers your hearing, which might be better for some people rather than just reading. You can also record yourself and listen to it to help you remember.

6. Teach someone

Teaching someone is a great way to check your knowledge. Ideally, when teaching someone, your goal is to be as simple as possible and get to answer their question correctly. If you get any difficulty with some topic, try and memorize it again.

7. Don’t cram

It’s better to study a set of lessons over a period of time than to cram and lose focus. Cramming before a test is not advisable. Most of the time, it is not an effective method. Your brain cannot absorb all the information, and you’ll be battling with tiresomeness.

8. Remove distractions

When it comes to learning, distractions can make a big impact on how well you retain the information. You can distract yourself with devices, other people, or even with bad habits that interrupt your learning flow. The trick is to avoid distractions while learning, set up a timer, and dedicate yourself to memorizing.

9. Test yourself

Testing yourself after a lesson is a great way to gauge what you have learned, as well as get immediate feedback on your progress. There is nothing worse than spending hours on a lesson and then getting downgraded on the test.

10. Review your notes regularly

Learning through repetition is the best way to create permanent memory. The more you practice and the more time you spend learning something new, the more likely you are to retain it. Memorizing information takes up more time in the beginning, but you’ll eventually be able to remember things without referring to notes.


Conclusion

Overall, for me, memorization is 1 of the most important skills to have. I am a very forgetful person, and my memory sucks. I struggle to remember events, dates, and names, and over the longer term, I get really annoyed when I can’t remember things. 

My memory is not good. But, I had to learn memory techniques from reading books and blogs, websites, youtube, classes, workshops, etc., and memorize a lot of information. It is a good thing that I did this, and over time I managed to improve my memory to the point where my memory is very good, and I can remember a lot more than I used to.