Hey peeps.

 

Does anybody have any tips to help memorize long (well, not THAT long) pieces of text? I have a presentation in a couple of days and I need to memorize it and I just can't get it.

 

My friend suggested making a song out of it, but that's confusing me even more.:thinking:

try and remember the first letter of a couple of words of text, kind of like a giant acronym. or just cover your speech with a sheet of paper and inch it down everytime you memorize one line. hope it helps (somewhat) and good luck w/ your presentation!

Hm. It takes the average brain 35 repititions of something for it to be stuck in your long-term memory. :wacko:

Also, and this sounds crazy, but it's scientifically proven, and it worked for me when I had to memorize presentations years ago, the more senses your brain connects with the text, the more you will remember. Saying it out loud as you read involves the ears as well as the eyes...stop licking the paper...lol! But seriously, the other senses being given positive reinforcement helps too. Like eating a favorite food while your memorizing, brewing coffee, if you like coffee, anything to mentally attatch. It's not as complicated as I make it sound, and it really works!!! Good luck!

^Ohh--I remember being told to do that. Linking all your senses to things to memorize stuff... Like moving while memorizing stuff, eating, talking, etc.

 

Haven't put it to use yet--darn. I forgot about that! Haha, thanks for the reminder.

Well, different techniques work for different people, but my style might help, I guess. Hope this isn't too long or confusing.

 

I used to go to one of those private Christian schools where they made you memorize big passages from the bible and write them out word for word. Drove me crazy at the time, but I can remember long poems and stuff now when I want to. It's actually a really useful skill to learn.

 

What I do is I read through the speech or poem or whatever it is. I break each paragraph down into an idea- a general gist of what is being talked about. I memorize the ideas and the order that they go in first. I'll read through it again, and this time try to get an idea of what the text sounds like- the rhythm of the words, I guess you could say.

 

Then I try to recite the whole text without looking. I don't worry about what it actually says; I just repeat my version of the ideas. The point is to make sure I know the ideas, the order that they appear in, the ways that they connect to each other, and how they should sound together. This way, if I have trouble later, I already have practice ad-libbing, and I have something to remind me of what comes next so that I don't blank out even if I forget something.

 

After I know the gist of the text, I start going through it, line by line. I read it over, cover it up and say it again, and then check to see if I got it right. Even if I have it right, I keep reciting it and double-checking until I know the thought isn't going anywhere. When I really know the sentence, I move onto the next one. I also try to think of ways to remind myself what order the sentences come in- usually something in one sentence will point me toward what the next one has to say, and if it doesn't, I think of an unrelated association that will help.

 

It's not until the very end that I think of the text in any unit bigger than a single paragraph. It keeps me from being overwhelmed by the length of the thing. This is where memorizing the ideas earlier comes in. It's how I know how to string the individual paragraphs together.

 

When I have it sort of memorized, I start reciting it to myself whenever I get a chance. For instance, on the bus I'll be like "paragraph 5, go" and I'll run through paragraph 5 in my head. Or if I'm driving and come to a red light, I'll just mutter paragraph 3 to myself before the light changes. This kind of practice makes what I memorised really accessible because I brought it up in so many random contexts. I always make sure that I have a spare copy tucked away in my purse or backpack so I can double-check the stuff I have trouble with in a hurry.

 

The most important thing I use, for the really tricky parts, is the power of association. For instance, when I was having trouble with the line "for now we see as through a glass darkly" I created a picture in my mind of an old Victorian woman sitting in a dressing gown looking at a corroded mirror. Whenever I came to that sentence and blanked out, I would see that old woman, and it would remind me of the line.

Or as another example, I memorized this (very long) poem called 'The Highwayman', but I always have trouble getting it started for some reason.

 

It goes:

 

"The wind was a torrent of darkness, among the gusty trees.

The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed upon the cloudy seas.

The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,

When the highwayman came riding, riding, riding,

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door."

 

When I can't remember those first two lines, I always try to remember the picture I have for them, and suddenly I'll see the wind taking the form of the headless horseman galloping through a forest (the torrent of darkness) while overhead an old wooden sailing ship made of moonlight sails in the sky. Once I get going, everything else falls into place because I recited it so many times already.

 

May not work for everyone, but that's how I do it. It's not as much work as it looks like. Mainly I just say it over and over while I'm doing other things.

 

Oh, this may be the one time music and other distractions are a bad idea- you need to be able to actively hear and trust your own voice inside your head, and for some reason even if you do get it memorised, that stuff makes the info harder to access.

Yeah. Point form works well too! Thanks Erin!! Thanks alot!! *FAKE sarcasm* I have a devout Christian Mom who used to make me do that. You've brought back such precious memories...lol.

 

Psalm 119: verse 105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path"

 

That's the first Bible verse I ever memorized, and it was 32 years or so ago, so I guess these memory tricks work...lol.

^ You too? :laugh3: It's funny how some of them stick, eh? The weird thing with me though is that I can't remember references for the life of me. I'm like I remember this verse, it sounds cool, I think it's from somewhere in Isaiah, but it might be Romans...

 

I can't remember authors either. I still can't remember who wrote the Highwayman, even though I can spend a good ten minutes reciting it off the top of my head. Very weird.

 

Tyger tyger burning bright

in the forests of the night

what immortal hand or eye

can frame thy fearful symmetry?

 

Still there, though.

"The wind was a torrent of darkness, among the gusty trees.

The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed upon the cloudy seas.

The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,

When the highwayman came riding, riding, riding,

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door."

 

The Highwayman ! I remember I had to memorize that poem along with my entire class when I was 11 or 12 I think . Funny, just like you said, I remember this poem, but I can't remember what age I was exactly when I had to learn it..

 

Great tips by the way- I'll sure be using 'em !

Well' date=' different techniques work for different people, but my style might help, I guess. Hope this isn't too long or confusing.[/size']

 

I used to go to one of those private Christian schools where they made you memorize big passages from the bible and write them out word for word. Drove me crazy at the time, but I can remember long poems and stuff now when I want to. It's actually a really useful skill to learn.

 

What I do is I read through the speech or poem or whatever it is. I break each paragraph down into an idea- a general gist of what is being talked about. I memorize the ideas and the order that they go in first. I'll read through it again, and this time try to get an idea of what the text sounds like- the rhythm of the words, I guess you could say.

 

Then I try to recite the whole text without looking. I don't worry about what it actually says; I just repeat my version of the ideas. The point is to make sure I know the ideas, the order that they appear in, the ways that they connect to each other, and how they should sound together. This way, if I have trouble later, I already have practice ad-libbing, and I have something to remind me of what comes next so that I don't blank out even if I forget something.

 

After I know the gist of the text, I start going through it, line by line. I read it over, cover it up and say it again, and then check to see if I got it right. Even if I have it right, I keep reciting it and double-checking until I know the thought isn't going anywhere. When I really know the sentence, I move onto the next one. I also try to think of ways to remind myself what order the sentences come in- usually something in one sentence will point me toward what the next one has to say, and if it doesn't, I think of an unrelated association that will help.

 

It's not until the very end that I think of the text in any unit bigger than a single paragraph. It keeps me from being overwhelmed by the length of the thing. This is where memorizing the ideas earlier comes in. It's how I know how to string the individual paragraphs together.

 

When I have it sort of memorized, I start reciting it to myself whenever I get a chance. For instance, on the bus I'll be like "paragraph 5, go" and I'll run through paragraph 5 in my head. Or if I'm driving and come to a red light, I'll just mutter paragraph 3 to myself before the light changes. This kind of practice makes what I memorised really accessible because I brought it up in so many random contexts. I always make sure that I have a spare copy tucked away in my purse or backpack so I can double-check the stuff I have trouble with in a hurry.

 

The most important thing I use, for the really tricky parts, is the power of association. For instance, when I was having trouble with the line "for now we see as through a glass darkly" I created a picture in my mind of an old Victorian woman sitting in a dressing gown looking at a corroded mirror. Whenever I came to that sentence and blanked out, I would see that old woman, and it would remind me of the line.

Or as another example, I memorized this (very long) poem called 'The Highwayman', but I always have trouble getting it started for some reason.

 

It goes:

 

"The wind was a torrent of darkness, among the gusty trees.

The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed upon the cloudy seas.

The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,

When the highwayman came riding, riding, riding,

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door."

 

When I can't remember those first two lines, I always try to remember the picture I have for them, and suddenly I'll see the wind taking the form of the headless horseman galloping through a forest (the torrent of darkness) while overhead an old wooden sailing ship made of moonlight sails in the sky. Once I get going, everything else falls into place because I recited it so many times already.

 

May not work for everyone, but that's how I do it. It's not as much work as it looks like. Mainly I just say it over and over while I'm doing other things.

 

Oh, this may be the one time music and other distractions are a bad idea- you need to be able to actively hear and trust your own voice inside your head, and for some reason even if you do get it memorised, that stuff makes the info harder to access.

 

i love you.

thank you.

you just made my life much much easier.

:kiss:

 

It goes:

 

"The wind was a torrent of darkness, among the gusty trees.

The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed upon the cloudy seas.

The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,

When the highwayman came riding, riding, riding,

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door."

 

 

i remember learning this!!! the highway man!!! i did it in literature class i mean i learned it in literature class in 8th grade!

Thanks everybody!! :D

Well' date=' different techniques work for different people, but my style might help, I guess. Hope this isn't too long or confusing.[/size']

 

I used to go to one of those private Christian schools where they made you memorize big passages from the bible and write them out word for word. Drove me crazy at the time, but I can remember long poems and stuff now when I want to. It's actually a really useful skill to learn.

 

What I do is I read through the speech or poem or whatever it is. I break each paragraph down into an idea- a general gist of what is being talked about. I memorize the ideas and the order that they go in first. I'll read through it again, and this time try to get an idea of what the text sounds like- the rhythm of the words, I guess you could say.

 

Then I try to recite the whole text without looking. I don't worry about what it actually says; I just repeat my version of the ideas. The point is to make sure I know the ideas, the order that they appear in, the ways that they connect to each other, and how they should sound together. This way, if I have trouble later, I already have practice ad-libbing, and I have something to remind me of what comes next so that I don't blank out even if I forget something.

 

After I know the gist of the text, I start going through it, line by line. I read it over, cover it up and say it again, and then check to see if I got it right. Even if I have it right, I keep reciting it and double-checking until I know the thought isn't going anywhere. When I really know the sentence, I move onto the next one. I also try to think of ways to remind myself what order the sentences come in- usually something in one sentence will point me toward what the next one has to say, and if it doesn't, I think of an unrelated association that will help.

 

It's not until the very end that I think of the text in any unit bigger than a single paragraph. It keeps me from being overwhelmed by the length of the thing. This is where memorizing the ideas earlier comes in. It's how I know how to string the individual paragraphs together.

 

When I have it sort of memorized, I start reciting it to myself whenever I get a chance. For instance, on the bus I'll be like "paragraph 5, go" and I'll run through paragraph 5 in my head. Or if I'm driving and come to a red light, I'll just mutter paragraph 3 to myself before the light changes. This kind of practice makes what I memorised really accessible because I brought it up in so many random contexts. I always make sure that I have a spare copy tucked away in my purse or backpack so I can double-check the stuff I have trouble with in a hurry.

 

The most important thing I use, for the really tricky parts, is the power of association. For instance, when I was having trouble with the line "for now we see as through a glass darkly" I created a picture in my mind of an old Victorian woman sitting in a dressing gown looking at a corroded mirror. Whenever I came to that sentence and blanked out, I would see that old woman, and it would remind me of the line.

Or as another example, I memorized this (very long) poem called 'The Highwayman', but I always have trouble getting it started for some reason.

 

It goes:

 

"The wind was a torrent of darkness, among the gusty trees.

The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed upon the cloudy seas.

The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,

When the highwayman came riding, riding, riding,

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door."

 

When I can't remember those first two lines, I always try to remember the picture I have for them, and suddenly I'll see the wind taking the form of the headless horseman galloping through a forest (the torrent of darkness) while overhead an old wooden sailing ship made of moonlight sails in the sky. Once I get going, everything else falls into place because I recited it so many times already.

 

May not work for everyone, but that's how I do it. It's not as much work as it looks like. Mainly I just say it over and over while I'm doing other things.

 

Oh, this may be the one time music and other distractions are a bad idea- you need to be able to actively hear and trust your own voice inside your head, and for some reason even if you do get it memorised, that stuff makes the info harder to access.

 

I did this and it went extremely well. Thanks a lot!!!:D