During my senior year of college, I wanted to creatively pull out of a study rut. The courses I had planned would require memorization of a large set of new information. With the goal of involving as many of the five senses as I could, I began trying different note taking strategies.

I used InstantCert’s flashcards to supplement my textbooks. To internalize what I was learning, I would type the new facts in my own words into a memo on my computer. This strategy inspired me to try writing facts on 8.5″ x 11″ paper. Writing instead of typing helped me to remember facts even better.

Another technique I tried was to group the facts of a certain year. For example, when I was studying the history of Europe after 1945, I created a page for specific years to cement the order of events in my mind. I also used a page to write definitions of new words and biographies of people. You can see some of my note sheets in the header photo.

These oversize flashcards had purpose beyond a writing exercise. I hung them in my room so I could view them in the mornings and evenings and rehearse the new information. Rehearsal after learning aids memorization.

Finding new ways to retain information shook up my study time. What’s your favorite way to memorize new facts?