Memory sits at the heart of learning, and most of us want easier ways to make complex ideas stick. The good news is that centuries of practice and modern cognitive science offer a very decently sized toolkit to try. From classics like the method of loci (your “memory palace”) to evidence‑based spaced repetition, there’s something for every study style.
In the sections ahead, we’ll introduce a handful of trusted techniques, explain how they work, and suggest the kinds of tasks they suit best. Because every brain is different, treat this as a menu rather than a rulebook – experiment, mix and match, and keep what helps you most.
Method of loci (memory palace)
History:
The method of loci is one of the oldest documented memory techniques, dating back to ancient Greece (Jarry, 2024). According to legend, the poet Simonides of Ceos conceived this approach after a tragic banquet hall collapse. He discovered he could recall where each guest had been sitting by visualising the scene. This insight linked memory to spatial locations (Jarry, 2024).
What to do:
In this technique, you mentally place items you want to remember along a familiar route or in specific locations of an imagined space. This imagined environment is often called your “memory palace”.
To recall the information, you then walk through that space in your mind, retrieving each item at its predetermined location. Our brains are very good at remembering places and visual images. Therefore, pairing facts with familiar locations makes them easier to retrieve later.
The proof:
Modern research confirms that method of loci training can dramatically improve recall. Memory competitors regularly use this method to memorise decks of cards or long number sequences, and studies show that novices who undergo method of loci training significantly improve their recall of word lists (Dresler et al., 2017). A recent meta-analysis in educational settings found that using the method of loci yields a medium-to-large improvement in recall (Twomey & Kroneisen, 2021). Still, the memory palace remains a powerful tool for students. It is especially useful for memorising items or ideas that must be recalled in a specific order.
Effectiveness and uses:
The method of loci works best for information that can be visualised and arranged in a sequence. It is ideal for memorising lists (for example, the main points of a speech, a series of historical events, cases relating to a particular topic, or steps of a process) where preserving order is important.
By contrast, this technique is less convenient for learning abstract concepts or material that does not easily translate into vivid images. In such cases, other strategies may work better.
Many students find the loci method most useful as a supplement: for instance, to memorise discrete facts or lists within a broader study plan. When combined with other techniques (like practice testing or spaced review), a well-trained memory palace can greatly enhance a student’s ability to retain and quickly recall detailed information in exams or presentations.
Pegword method
History:
The pegword method is another classic mnemonic system for memorising lists. Henry Herdson is credited with developing this technique in the mid-17th century (Edublox, n.d.).
What to do:
It works by first memorising a fixed list of simple “peg” words associated with numbers. These pegs serve as mental hooks on which you hang new information. A common version is the rhyming peg list for numbers 1 through 10: “one is a bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree, four is a door…”. Each number corresponds to a concrete object (bun, shoe, tree, door, etc.). When you have a list of items to learn, create a vivid mental image linking each item to its peg word.
For example, suppose you want to remember a list of chemistry groups in the periodic table. You might imagine the first group (alkali metals) as a bun – perhaps a bun glowing with lithium flame. Then picture the second group (alkaline earth metals) as a shoe filled with calcium powder, and so forth. Students have even applied pegword strategies to complex sequences. For instance, some learners memorise the steps of biological processes or ordered lists in history using this method. They encode each step into an image and link it with a peg word.
The pegword method is best used for lists of perhaps 10–20 items at most. An extensive peg list can become unwieldy and may cause interference between items or between separate lists (Wadsworth, 2024). If the list items are very abstract or very similar (for example, a set of mathematical formulas), the pure peg approach may be less effective. The mental pictures for such items can become too alike, reducing their usefulness.
Applications and limits:
Overall, the pegword technique offers students a fun and effective way to memorise ordered facts. It works well for things like lists of examples, categories, or chronological events. The method gives each item a striking mental “hook” that makes it more memorable.
However, like any mnemonic, it requires practice to use quickly. Students should thoroughly learn their set of peg words first, so that recalling “2 = shoe” or “7 = heaven” is automatic. Once the pegs are second nature, attaching new information to them becomes faster.
This method shines when you need to recall items in order (e.g. memorising a formula derivation or a series of events) and when the items can be represented with concrete imagery. It may be less useful for material that is non-sequential or highly abstract. In such cases, other strategies (like a concept map or an analogy) might complement or replace the peg system.
As with the memory palace, combining the pegword method with active recall (quizzing yourself on the peg images) and spaced reviews can improve its effectiveness for long-term learning.
Chunking
History:
Chunking is a memory strategy grounded in the way our short-term memory naturally operates. George Miller famously noted that people can hold roughly seven (give or take two) discrete items in mind at once (Miller, 1956). He also observed that we cope with larger amounts of information by grouping bits into “chunks”. In essence, chunking means reorganising or grouping information into fewer, more meaningful units.
What to do:
As an example, the number sequence 2-0-2-5-1-8-1-9-4-5 is hard to memorise as ten separate digits. But if you group it as 2025-1819-1945, it becomes three chunks (which you might recognise as years) that are much easier to recall. This technique does not require vivid imagination or special mnemonics. It is more of a structural strategy, but it is still profoundly useful for students.
For instance, when studying a list of vocabulary, you might group words by theme or origin. This creates smaller, meaningful categories rather than one long list. When learning a complex concept, you might break it into three or four key ideas (chunks). This is better than trying to remember every detail in one sequence. Chunking works because each chunk is stored as one item in memory. This allows you to hold and recall larger sets of information by capitalising on patterns or familiarity.
Chunking on its own does not guarantee long-term retention; you will still need to review the information. However, it makes the initial encoding and short-term recall far more manageable.
When to use chunking
This strategy is especially helpful for structured information. Numeric data (like phone numbers, student IDs, dates) are usually memorised by chunking (e.g. splitting a telephone number into area code, exchange, and line number). Verbal information can also be chunked: when trying to remember a long sentence or definition, you might break it into key phrases.
More generally, students can use chunking in note-taking and revision. For example, you might group facts about World War II into political, social, and economic categories. Similarly, you could organise anatomy terms by bodily system. The key is to find logical or intuitive groupings. Well-chosen chunks draw on prior knowledge or clear patterns, making the material easier to remember.
In study practice, chunking often goes hand-in-hand with other techniques: for instance, after chunking a list of terms into categories, a student might create an acronym for each category (combining chunking with an acronym mnemonic) or use spaced repetition to review each chunk. By structuring information into digestible pieces, you reduce cognitive load and make your study sessions more efficient.
Acronyms and acrostics
Using acronyms or acrostics is a straightforward yet effective memory aid.
What to do:
An acronym forms a new word from the first letters of a series of words to be remembered. For example, geography students remember the Great Lakes by the acronym HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
An acrostic, in contrast, is a phrase or sentence where each word’s first letter corresponds to an item. A famous acrostic used in biology is “Kings Play Chess On Fine Glass Stools,” representing the taxonomic ranks (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) in order.
These verbal mnemonics create a simple, often vivid hook that makes information easier to recall.
Examples:
- SOHCAHTOA – for sine, cosine, and tangent: Silly Old Harry Caught A Herring Trailing Off Afghanistan.
- BODMAS/BIDMAS – order of operations: Brackets, Orders (Indices), Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction.
- OIL RIG – redox reactions: Oxidation Is Loss, Reduction Is Gain.
- MRS GREN – characteristics of life: Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition.
- Never Eat Shredded Wheat – compass directions: North, East, South, West.
- Every Good Boy Deserves Football – notes on the treble clef lines (E, G, B, D, F).
- FACE – notes in the spaces on the treble clef.
- Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived – fates of Henry VIII’s wives.
- FANBOYS – coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
Application and limitations:
One limitation of acronyms and acrostics is that they cue only the initial letters of the terms, not the full information. For instance, an acronym might remind you that there is an item starting with “H”, but you must still recall what “H” stands for. Thus, these devices work best when you already know the items but need a prompt to retrieve the whole list (Edublox, n.d.).
Students should ensure they understand the underlying material; the acronym or acrostic then serves as a quick checklist to ensure nothing is forgotten.
In practice, acronyms and acrostics are ideal for memorising sets of related names, steps, or categories (especially when they form a catchy word or phrase), but they are less helpful for learning entirely new or abstract content.
Keyword method
The keyword method is a creative technique particularly useful for learning new vocabulary or paired information (Atkinson & Raugh, 1975).
History:
Atkinson and Raugh (1975) originally devised this method to help students learn foreign language vocabulary. Since then, students and researchers have applied it to various paired-associate learning tasks.
How it works:
The method works by choosing a concrete, familiar word (a “keyword”) that sounds similar to the new word you want to remember. You then form a vivid mental image that connects this keyword to the meaning of the target word.
For example, suppose an English speaker is learning Spanish and encounters the word mesa (meaning “table”). A possible keyword could be “mess” (since it sounds like mesa). The student imagines a very messy table covered in food and dishes. Later, when you try to recall mesa, the image of the messy table comes to mind. This picture cues the meaning “table.” The sound similarity of “mess” to mesa also helps you retrieve the Spanish word. This two-step encoding – one verbal and one visual – makes the foreign word much more memorable than rote repetition.
Effectiveness and uses:
Research has demonstrated that the keyword method can substantially improve initial vocabulary learning (Atkinson & Raugh, 1975). Students using the keyword method learned foreign word lists faster and recalled more of them than students using rote memorisation. That said, the keyword method’s benefits are often strongest for initial acquisition and short-term recall. This technique does require some creative effort to devise good keywords and imagery. That process might slow you down if you need to learn hundreds of terms.
Therefore, the keyword method is best applied to moderate-sized sets of new vocabulary or terminology. A little extra time spent on creating imagery can yield a big payoff in recall.
The keyword method is most effective for memorising pairs of information that have little natural connection. It has been widely used in foreign language learning (to link a new word to its translation), but it can also work for other purposes like remembering names and faces, scientific terms, or geographic facts.
This method is especially popular for language learning, where sound–meaning links are crucial. Students in other fields use it as well. For instance, medical trainees use keywords to remember anatomical terms, and history students create images to link people’s names to their achievements.
For long-term retention, students should combine the keyword method with retrieval practice or repetition to reinforce the memories. The keyword technique provides a powerful jump-start to learning new definitions and terms by harnessing imagination and sound associations.
Using the keyword method:
The key steps are: (1) choose a good keyword that closely resembles the sound of the new term, and (2) create a strong visual association between the keyword and the term’s meaning. For example, to learn that the chemical symbol Na represents sodium, you might use the keyword “nah” (as in “nah, I don’t need more salt”) and picture someone refusing a salt shaker – a quirky image tying the idea “no/nah” to salt/sodium. The more vivid or silly the image, the better, as studies suggest bizarre images are at least as effective as normal ones in mnemonic techniques (Jarry, 2024).
It’s important to note that the keyword method mainly helps you encode and retrieve the meaning of a term, but you still need to practice recalling the actual term itself. That’s why combining the keyword method with active recall is crucial: after forming your images, test yourself by recalling the foreign word when given the keyword or meaning, and vice versa.
Over time, as you get more familiar with the vocabulary, you can drop the keywords and recall the terms directly. In summary, the keyword method is a powerful tool in a student’s arsenal for initial learning – especially for subjects like language, anatomy, or technical terminology – but it should be integrated into a broader study routine that includes practice and repetition.
Spaced repetition
Spaced repetition is a memorisation technique that focuses on when you review material rather than how you encode it.
The principle is simple. To remember something for a long time, it is far more effective to spread out your study sessions over days or weeks. This works much better than cramming the same amount of study into one short period (Cepeda et al., 2006).
History:
Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus first documented this phenomenon (later known as the spacing effect) in the 1880s, and countless studies have since confirmed it. Spaced repetition takes advantage of a basic fact about memory: each time you recall or review information after a delay, you strengthen its storage in long-term memory.
For example, you might review your notes the day after learning a new chapter. Then review them again a few days later, then once more after two weeks, and so on. By the time each interval arrives, some forgetting has likely set in. Therefore, recalling the material at that point has a potent memory-boosting effect (Cepeda et al., 2006). Spaced practice does not necessarily require more total study time than cramming; it just distributes the time more effectively. Some students use physical flashcards in a box system, and others use digital apps. However, no special tools are required – even a simple calendar or study plan will do.
Spaced repetition is best applied to material that you need to retain over the long term. For example, spaced repetition is ideal for retaining foreign language vocabulary. It is also extremely useful for remembering formulas for an exam or key facts from weekly lectures. Studies have found that spaced practice produces superior retention across a wide range of subjects (Cepeda et al., 2006; Dunlosky et al., 2013). For example, medical students recall anatomy facts better with spaced review than with cramming. Similarly, language learners and even programming students see improved long-term recall when study time is distributed instead of massed.
The challenge is that spaced practice requires some planning. You need to start studying in advance and revisit material periodically. However, the gains in efficiency are enormous. By ensuring that each important item is refreshed just as it is about to fade, you can drastically reduce forgetting. In short, spaced repetition maximises memory consolidation, making your study sessions more effective in the long run.
Planning spaced practice:
To implement spaced repetition, it helps to map out a review schedule. For instance, after initially learning something, you might schedule a quick review a day later, then another a few days after that, then one a week later, and then a final review a month later. This is just an example – the optimal spacing can vary depending on the material and how long you need to remember it – but the principle is to expand the intervals over time.
Many students use flashcards for spaced repetition, reviewing each card at increasing intervals if they recall it correctly (this is the principle behind popular flashcard apps like Anki). Or, why not ask Uniwriter to create a spaced recall essay for your topic?
For content that isn’t easily made into flashcards (e.g. understanding a concept or solving problems), you can still apply spacing by self-testing or reworking problems after some time has passed.
The spaced approach can be applied to virtually any subject, from practicing math problems to reviewing historical facts or scientific concepts. Planning ahead is essential: it means avoiding last-minute cramming and instead spreading study periods throughout the term. The reward is better long-term retention and less need to re-learn material from scratch.
Active recall (retrieval practice)
Active recall, also known as retrieval practice, is one of the most powerful memory techniques for students. Unlike the previous techniques (which mainly help you encode information), active recall focuses on the output side of learning. In other words, it trains you to actively draw information out of your memory.
The technique is as straightforward as it sounds. You deliberately test yourself or try to recall information from memory, rather than simply reviewing it. For example, after reading a textbook chapter, you might close the book and write down everything you remember. Alternatively, you could use practice quiz questions to test your knowledge.
This act of retrieval significantly strengthens your memory for the information. In fact, it boosts retention far more than simply re-reading the material the same number of times (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). In seminal experiments, students who studied a text and then took a recall test on it retained much more after a delay. By contrast, students who repeatedly studied the text without self-testing showed far poorer retention (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). The cognitive effort involved in retrieval is key – it essentially “exercises” your memory and makes it more resilient.
Active recall can be combined with other techniques for maximum effect. For instance, you might use flashcards (which combine spacing and active recall). Or you could use a loci or peg system to encode information, and then practice recalling it without looking at your cues.
Educational psychologists rate practice testing as a “high-utility” strategy because it consistently improves long-term retention across many contexts (Dunlosky et al., 2013).
This technique is broadly applicable to almost any subject. Students use active recall to remember the steps of a proof in mathematics, to practice answering essay questions in history, or to drill key biochemical pathways in biology.
Active recall not only enhances factual memory but can also improve understanding. When you discover what you cannot recall during self-testing, it reveals where your knowledge is weak. That feedback then prompts more focused re-study.
The only slight downside is that active recall can feel more challenging than passive review. It is mentally taxing to dredge up information from memory. However, that very difficulty is a sign that your brain is working to strengthen the memory. Therefore, students should embrace techniques like flashcards, practice quizzes, teaching a friend from memory, or writing summaries without notes. Over time, these habits yield remarkable improvements in memory performance and are essential for mastering large amounts of material.
Putting retrieval practice into action:
In practical terms, adopting active recall means making self-testing a regular part of your study routine. Instead of (or in addition to) reviewing notes passively, you might try to write out what you remember on a blank page, answer end-of-chapter questions without looking at the answers, or explain a concept aloud from memory. It’s important to check accuracy afterward (to correct any errors), but the initial retrieval attempt is the critical ingredient.
Active recall can be applied in various formats: practice quizzes, flashcards, teaching someone else, or doing past exam questions are all examples of retrieval practice. The method can feel difficult at first – you will notice gaps in your knowledge – but this is precisely what makes it effective, and it directs you to what you should study further.
Research clearly shows that using active memory techniques (instead of passive rereading or cramming) leads to more durable learning (Dunlosky et al., 2013). By practicing these methods, students can improve their recall of facts for exams. More importantly, they also build knowledge that stays with them far beyond the classroom.
References and further reading:
- Atkinson, R. C., & Raugh, M. R. (1975). An application of the mnemonic keyword method to the acquisition of a Russian vocabulary. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 104(2), 126–133.
- Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380.
- Dresler, M., Shirer, W. R., Konrad, B. N., Müller, N. C. J., Wagner, I. C., Fernández, G., Czisch, M., & Greicius, M. D. (2017). Mnemonic training reshapes brain networks to support superior memory. Neuron, 93(5), 1227–1235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.02.003
- Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266
- Edublox Online Tutor. (n.d.). What are mnemonics? 6 types with comprehensive examples. Retrieved from https://www.edubloxtutor.com/mnemonics/
- Jarry, J. (2024). An ancient memory technique still puzzles scientists. Office for Science and Society, McGill University. Retrieved from https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-history/ancient-memory-technique-still-puzzles-scientists
- Miller, G. A. (1956). The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Psychological Review, 63(2), 81–97.
- Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
- Twomey, C., & Kroneisen, M. (2021). The effectiveness of the loci method as a mnemonic device: Meta-analysis. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(8), 1317–1326. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747021821993457
- Wadsworth, W. (2024). Mnemonics: The pegword method – How to use it, and does it really work? Exam Study Expert. Retrieved from https://examstudyexpert.com/pegword-method/
