Try to remember before looking. Close the book. Write what you remember. Then check — the gap is the lesson. Trying to remember is the training, not just the test.
Connect it to something you already know. Ask: "How is this like something familiar? Could I explain it to a 12-year-old?" A lone fact slides off — a connected fact sticks.
Put information into small groups. Your brain holds a few things at a time — so turn a pile of facts into a handful of named groups. Small groups beat one big pile.
Give information a clear order or place. Your brain remembers organised information more easily. Optional trick: place silly pictures in order along a route you know well (the classic "memory palace") — useful, never required.
Come back to it later. Little reviews, spread out over days, beat one big night. Each review lands just before you'd forget — and helps the memory last longer.
Sleep after learning and reviewing. Your brain files the day overnight — so a review before bed usually works better than a last-minute cram.
From The Memory Advantage — live workshop by the Neurogenetics Institute · Print me and put me on the wall.