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Everybody’s memory works a little bit differently. Some people have an easy time remembering things, while others find that they have to focus quite a bit more in order to remember specific things. There are, however, some memorizing techniques that those who have a difficult time recalling information can use when they have something specific to remember, and one great technique to use is a mnemonic device.

What Is a Mnemonic Device?

A mnemonic device, pronounced new-mon-ic, is a word or list that is used to help you remember specific data. Think back to your childhood. Did you ever hear the phrase Roy G. Biv? Roy G. Biv is a mnemonic device that is meant to help you to remember the colors in the rainbow in their exact order.

R - red
O - orange
Y - yellow
G - green
B - blue
I - indigo
V - violet

The simple mnemonic device makes it easy to remember the exact colors and their proper order in the rainbow scheme. Almost every child who has ever learned the mnemonic device remembers it once they are an adult. Another popular mnemonic device for musicians is this: Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. This is not a one letter per item mnemonic device, but rather a sentence-style mnemonic device. The first letters of each word stand for the musical notes in the scale: E,G,B,D,F. And who can forget this popular mnemonic device: “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”?

When to Use Mnemonic Devices

You can use mnemonic devices whenever you’d like, but they’re the most useful when you have a large amount of information that you want to remember in a specific order. For instance, remembering the order of the planets is difficult, unless you use a mnemonic device such as “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles.” This allows you to remember the names and the order of the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Types of Mnemonic Devices

There are a number of different types of mnemonic devices, and each is good for learning certain things.

· First Letter - first letter mnemonic devices are great for learning a series of items. For example, HOMES is a mnemonic device for the Great Lakes (Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior).

· Keyword - a keyword mnemonic device uses words that sound similar and that connect. For instance, “two apples getting married” is a way to remember that Annapolis is the capital city of Maryland.

· Chain - the chain method links words together into a story or a sentence, like with the Columbus rhyme.

· Method of Loci - the Method of loci links information to a location. For example, if you’re trying to remember a list of items you need, such as milk, bread, and eggs, you may visualize the milk being poured onto the bread with a hard boiled egg on top.

Keeping it Simple

Remember: mnemonic devices don’t work for everything, and while they can be a great memorizing technique, especially if you are going to be taking a test, they should be used only when you know they’ll work.

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Tags: improving memory skills, memorization techniques, memorizing techniques, memorizing tips, mnemonics