End With Review
Memorizing something is not a one-day event. If you want to keep a memory for many, many years, you need to work on that memory constantly. That is why continuing education is a thing! Make memorizing information a part of your daily routine. Review information throughout the day by writing down what you remember, rereading information, testing yourself, or maybe even telling someone else about it.
Reviewing through discussion—or the desire to pass learned information to someone else—is called the 50/50 rule. It means that, instead of completing studies all at once, you do it halfway then review what you have worked on so far, write about it, affix images to it, and ask questions. Once you know that first half, move onto the second half and do the same thing.
Another similar principle is called “spaced repetition.” However, unlike making mnemonics or sequencing images and numbers, you use a pattern to prompt the “spacing effect.” This odd memory phenomenon occurs when the brain learns better after being separated from information for a period of time. For example, you might try to memorize a mathematical formula. After reviewing it for one week, rest for one week, not looking at it at all, and then return to it for a week. Then break from it for three weeks. Review again then wait a month. This allows for the neural connection to solidify while putting emphasis on the information you want to keep.
All this might sound like a lot of work, but anything worth having takes some effort.
