This is a classic scenario - you study so hard for a subject that is unfamiliar to you just to find out that an hour later you forgot what it is you should remember. Or possibly, you met new people, and then moments later you berate yourself for forgetting the names of the persons you just met. Forgetting names, things and information are experiences that everybody has gone through and probably will still experience in the future. With so much information to memorize, you might ask how to improve memory and if it is possible.

One technique on remembering, memorizing and how to improve memory, is using mnemonics. To better define mnemonics. Mnemonic is derived from the ancient Greek work mnemonikos or in English of memory and is another word for memory tool. Mnemonics are learning techniques that aid you to memorize and remember information by associating the information with a visual, image, a sentence or a word. It helps you to remember difficult and complex information in a much easier way. There are different kinds of mnemonic techniques. Most of the techniques can be used to facilitate memorization.

One mnemonic technique is the usage of acronyms. To form acronyms, you simply use the first letter of each word to form a new word. This is useful in remembering a long phrase and information or words in a specified order. For example for the colors of the rainbow, you can use the acronym ROYGBIV which stands for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. By trying to remember the acronym of the phrase or data, you can easily recall the information even if it means recalling it in an orderly manner. However, memorization does not necessarily mean you comprehend its meaning.

Another technique is the use of sentences or acrostics. The first letter of each word represents the initial letter of the word or phrase you want to remember. An example is My Dear Aunt Sally which represents the mathematical order of operations which are Multiply and Divide before you Add and Subtract. It is a bit similar to using acronyms but the use of acrostics means memorizing a longer phrase compared to acronyms.

You can also use the technique of remembering information through visual images. For example with the use of names, you can imagine rose for "Rosie", angel for "Angelo". When imagining of visual images, use pleasant and vivid images because they are easier to remember.

Another way of remembering things is by singing and rhyming words. This is particularly useful for those who can learn songs, melody or poems (since most poems rhymes at the end of each line) easily.

Method of loci, a technique used by ancient orators in remembering speeches, can also be used to remember information. A landmark that you know so well can be associated with a part you have to remember. For example, you visualize a walk from your dorm to class, you remember each path and building that you pass by and associate each building with the word you want to remember.

The use of mnemonics is very helpful indeed in memorizing and remembering things. Although, not a lot of comprehension occurs in the using of mnemonics but it helps to improve your memory. So if you are still wondering on how to improve memory, simply use the easy to remember mnemonics.