My friend’s child studied a lot on the night before a test. When she entered the room to take the test, she was still reading in her textbook to revise what she had learned. But during the test, she could not remember the answer to a familiar question, and she only remembered the answer when she had already left the room. Everyone who has gone to school has experienced this before; you are not the only one. So how can you improve your memory? Western Australian Primary and High School would like to share some tips and tricks on how to do so.

You might want to try a different approach to studying. Instead of forcing your child to merely memorize facts, help him or her understand the subject. This will help your child remember things better. Do not just cram facts like a machine, because your child will remember them for a short time only, and when your child does not need them anymore, he or she will forget the facts again.

Not everyone can remember many different things quickly and for a long time. A method to help your child improve his or her memory is to connect new subjects to familiar ones. When you are learning something new, first of all you should make sure that you understand the matter thoroughly, then connect it to what you already know. This will not only improve your memory but also contribute to a richer learning experience.

During the seminar “A great memory and brain capacity” at WAPS, one of the things guest speaker Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury is going to talk about is how to remember a long shopping list after looking at it just once. Connect all purchases that you have to make with scenes in your head. For example, if you are going to buy bananas, imagine holding a banana in your right hand and throwing it at your window, smashing the glass. If you are going to buy potatoes, imagine dropping them all over the floor, and if you are going to have your motorbike repaired, imagine driving it in circles around on the roof of your house. With this method, you are never going to forget anything again.

Many of us still think that your brain is resting while you sleep. In reality, your brain is still working like it does during the day. An hour before you fall asleep, your brain organizes all the things that have happened during the day; therefore, if you want to remember things better, you should revise them during that hour. The morning after you wake up from a long sleep is also a good time to learn new things. Keep up a relaxed attitude when you study. You will not be able to remember things as well if you are worried, uptight and tired. A negative attitude will make it more difficult for you to study, and you may not be able to remember things as well.

Activities do not only mean physical activities but also mental activities for your brain. They help your brain analyze, process and remember what you learn better. On top of that, being active helps your body and your brain relax after working hard. This is the reason why Western Australian Primary and High School organizes many extracurricular activities and field trips.