Memorizing study material - the easy way

[Part 5]

	The most challenging study material you will come across in your study adventures are memorizing things that are in lists that you will need to know. Unfortunately, certification books has many of these. Fortunately, we have an easy way of doing it.

First, look at the following... how would you go about memorizing something like this?

NTFS Cluster Sizes

We memorize things using a few simple memory techniques. These are easy. Here they are...

Filing
First and last
Notice things that stand out
Grouping
Associations

When you need to memorize something from your study material, you may apply one of these techniques, some of these techniques or all. It will depend on how big the list is etc.

Now regarding this example on NTFS cluster sizes I wouldn't normally apply all these techniques... but for the purpose of showing you how it's done, I will but you will see some techniques overlapping.

I will use filing...

In my mind, I will create two folders. One folder will contain

Folder 1 = Partition size
Folder 2 = Cluster size

Your mind is like a filing cabinet. When you file things correctly, your mind will be able to retrieve them when you need them.

I'm going to tackle filing the rest of the things in the first folder first.

I will use first and last...

We tend to remember the first and last things of a list easier than what is in the middle of the list. So I will remember '512' and I will remember "32". I will remember this by also using another technique 'associations' which I show you below.

I will start grouping...

I will notice what stands out. What stands out from this first list?

2 of the first numbers have 'MB', the rest have 'GB'
The only number that goes immediately to the next is 512 which goes then to 513

I will start grouping...

We remember things easier when they are in groups, rather than individual items. So next I will begin grouping. When we have a list of items, first we look at what we can group...

I see two groups here, the first group is 512-513-1

The next group after the 1 times itself by 2, until I reach 32. (so 1x[2], 2x2[4] etc)

I will make associations...

When you associate something unfamiliar with something familiar, you can recall what you need to remember by easily thinking of the thing you find familiar. For instance, how can I remember which is the first number?

I can associate my laptop's memory size which is 512 and I will remember that the first number is 512.

I can remember the last number which is 32 because my brother is 32 years of age.

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I would next proceed to apply these study material techniques to the second folder about Cluster size to file it appropriately in my brain.

When you apply these techniques to study material you need to memorize, not only will you not find the material as daunting as you once thought, but you will begin having fun with it.

Now you are ready to write your notes about NTFS file sizes and how you will remember them. So next time you read your notes, again it will jot those memories and you will master that list in no time!