Best Trick to Memorize Fast: Top Proven Memory Techniques Explained
Discover the most effective trick to memorize anything faster, backed by real science, relatable examples, and actionable advice that actually works in your daily life.
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If you ever feel like the stuff you study just slips away, you’re not alone. The good news is that a few easy memory tricks can turn that feeling around. Below you’ll find practical ideas that work whether you’re prepping for an exam, learning a new skill, or just trying to remember your grocery list.
Our brains love images. When you need to remember a list, picture each item in a vivid scene. For example, to recall “milk, keys, notebook, phone,” imagine a giant milk carton spilling over a set of keys that are sitting on an open notebook, while a ringing phone sits on top. The sillier the picture, the easier it sticks.
This trick, called the method of loci, works even better if you place each image along a familiar route—like walking from your front door to the kitchen. As you walk in your mind, you “pick up” each item.
Mnemonics are short phrases that help you recall longer information. A classic is PEMDAS for the order of operations in math (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction). Create your own by taking the first letters of what you need to remember and turning them into a fun sentence.
Say you need to remember the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. The mnemonic “ROY GBIV” does the job in one quick breath.
Try making a silly sentence for a list of study topics. If you need to recall "photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration," think of "Peter Really Trains"—the first letters match the terms.
These tricks aren’t just for school. You can remember client names, passwords (use a memorable phrase plus a number), or steps in a work process.
Finally, keep it consistent. Review your visual story or mnemonic a couple of times the first day, then test yourself the next day. The more you rehearse, the stronger the memory trace becomes.
Give one of these tricks a try right now. Pick something you need to remember tomorrow, turn it into a picture or a short phrase, and see how much easier it feels to pull it from your mind. Small changes like this add up, and soon you’ll notice you’re remembering more with less stress.
Discover the most effective trick to memorize anything faster, backed by real science, relatable examples, and actionable advice that actually works in your daily life.
Read more