IDS110

Forum on
Tech and
Resources
Lecture 4: Chapter 3 Memory

Mohamed Ramadan
 🔹 Power Process: "Love Your
Problems"
🔹 Neuro-Science: 6 Brain
Principles for memory
🔹 The Memory Jungle: Navigating
mental pathways
🔹 Toolkit: *25 Evidence-Based
Techniques*
Chapter 3 🔹 Recall Traps: Practical strategies to
capture ideas
Roadmap 🔹 Mnemonic Mastery: Devices for
complex info
🔹 Memory Retooling: Upgrade your
cognitive habits
🔹 Names & Faces: Techniques for
social recall
🔹 Master Spotlight: Maria Popova’s
learning journey
 Unlock Academic & Life Success**

Memory is the treasury and guardian of all knowledge."*

Why This Chapter Changes Everything:**

• - 🧠 Brain Upgrade**: Turn fleeting facts into lasting
knowledge
• - Slash Study Time**: Recall faster = study smarter
(not harder)
• - 📈 Boost Test Scores**: Apply techniques for exams
& presentations
• - 👥 Build Relationships**: Remember names =
deeper connections

Why Master Your • - Solve Real Problems**: "Love your problems" →

transform obstacles into growth

Memory?
The Cost of Ignoring Memory Skills
• "Without strategy, we forget 70% of new info within
24 hours.
 • **Power Benefit**:
• | *Before* |
*After Mastering Techniques* |
• | Cramming for exams |
Confident recall under pressure |
• | Forgetting names |
Why Instant recognition & rapport |
Master
• Key Features:
Your
Memory?
• > 💡 **Teaching Tip**: Open with a
quick poll:
• > *"Raise your hand if you’ve ever
walked into an exam and instantly
forgotten what you studied!"*
Power Process - Love Your
Problems
 🧩 Core Concept:
"Your attitude toward problems
determines your ability to solve
them"
🔥 Key Mindshift:
"What we call 'problems' are actually
Power opportunities to strengthen our
Process - memory muscles."
Love Your — David Ellis
Problems 📌 This Means:
•Reframing frustration as fuel for
growth
•Embracing confusion as memory’s
training ground
 •🧠 The Neuroscience Link
Memory thrives on desirable
difficulties
•Struggle → Stronger neural
pathways Discomfort →
Dopamine release on resolution
Why "Loving
Problems" •🚫 The Alternative:
Avoiding problems = Missed
Boosts synaptic growth
Memory
•"The brain grows most when
we're at the edge of our
abilities"

•✅ Action Step:
Next time you feel stuck, say:
"This is my memory upgrading!"
 🔄 The Reframing Process

1.Name It
Identify the specific memory
challenge
(e.g., "I keep forgetting
formulas")
2.Claim It
4 Steps to Own without judgment: "This is
Transform MY problem to solve"
Problems 3.Reframe It
Add "How fascinating!" before
complaints
(e.g., "How fascinating! I get to
master mnemonics for this")
4.Leverage It
Ask: "What new technique can I
try here?"
 Real Student Applications
🎓 Academic Problem → Opportunity

💡 Pro Tip:
Start a "Problem Journal" - track how solving each boosts recall
 • 🔍 Exercise: Love Your 3 Biggest
Memory Problems
(Inspired by p. 112 Action
Your Memory Exercise)

Challenge Lab • List

•
current memory struggles:
Struggle 1: ________________
• Struggle 2: ________________
• Struggle 3: ________________
• For each, complete:
"I love this problem because
solving it will teach me ______"
• Choose 1 technique from p. 118 to
attack it TODAY
• 🌟 Power Mantra:
"Every memory problem is my
teacher"
Your memory and your brain— 6
key principles
 Your Memory & Brain - 6 Key
Principles

🧠 Core Insight:
"Your brain isn't hardwired - it's upgradeable software"

🔑 The Big Idea:

•"Understanding these 6 principles is your foundation for memory mastery"
— David Ellis

📌 Why This Matters:

•Explains why some techniques work
•Reveals how to hack your natural biology
•Transforms memory from mystery to science
 Principles 1 & 2 - The Dynamic Brain

1. Neuroplasticity Principle
• 🔄 "Neurons that fire together wire together"
• Your brain physically rewires with every memory
• Practice creates thicker neural pathways

2. Use-It-or-Lose-It Principle
• 📉 "Memory decays without active recall"
• Forgetting curve: 50% loss in 24 hours (without review)
• Action: Space out rehearsal sessions
 Principles 3 & 4 - The Engaged Brain

3. Deep Processing Principle

• 🎯 "Meaning survives - surface fades"
• Semantic encoding > Rote memorization
• Connect new info to existing knowledge

4. Attention Gate Principle

• 🚪 "Nothing enters memory without focus"
• Multitasking = Memory killer
• Action: Single-task for 25-min bursts 🧪 Proof:
Students who silence phones recall 27%
more
 Principles 5 & 6 - The Strategic Brain

5. Association Principle
• 🔗 "Memory thrives on connections"
• Link facts to: Locations | Emotions | Stories
• Example: Relate formulas to real-life objects

6. State-Dependent Principle
• 🎭 "Recall matches learning conditions"
• Context: Physical state + Environment
• Hack: Study in test-like conditions 📍 Pro Tip:
Chew same gum during study &
exams
Your Brain Upgrade
Plan
Principle Your Action Step
🚀 Apply the Principles Today
1. Plasticity Do 5-min daily memory drills

Schedule 3 review
2. Use It
sessions/week

Ask "Why?" for every new

3. Deep Process
concept

4. Attention Phone-free study zones

5. Association Create 2 mind maps this week

🔬 Experiment:
6. State Match Mimic test environment
Track which principle boosts your recall most
The Memory Jungle
 Navigating the Memory Jungle

🌿 The Metaphor:
"Memory isn't a filing cabinet – it's a wild, growing
ecosystem"

"Forgetting is natural – like vines regrowing on a path.

Mastery means constantly clearing new trails."
— David Ellis (p. 116)

🔍 Why This Matters:

•Explains why forgetting happens
•Reveals how to maintain mental pathways
•Reduces frustration with recall
 Jungle Terrains: 3 Memory Systems

1. Sensory Clearing
• 👂 *"Lasts 1-2 seconds (sights/sounds)"*
• Survival Tip: Immediate note-taking
2. Short-Term Thicket
• 🧠 "Holds 7±2 items for ~30 sec"
• Survival Tip: Chunk phone #s (e.g., 555-
0199 → "triple 5, zero-one-double 9")
3. Long-Term Forest
• 🌳 "Unlimited storage (with deep roots)"

Survival Tip: Connect new info to emotional memories

 The Forgetting Curve: Jungle
Overgrowth

📉 Ebbinghaus' Discovery
Without reinforcement:
• 50% lost in 1 hour
• 70% lost in 24 hours
• 90% lost in 1 week

🆘 Why Trails Disappear:

• Shallow processing
• No emotional hooks
• Zero review sessions ✅ Jungle Hack:
Schedule reviews at 1 hr, 1 day, 1 week marks
 4 Jungle Survival Tools

Trail-Maintenance Kit
• Machete of Association
Link new facts to known paths (e.g., "Mitochondria =
cell's battery")
• Rope Bridge of Visualization
Build mental images (e.g., "Imagine Newton’s apple
hitting a matrix chart")
• Compass of Self-Testing
Daily quizzes > passive rereading
• Water Canteen of Spacing
*3 x 10-min reviews > 30-min cram*
• 📍 Pro Tip: Combine tools for strongest trails!
 Your Jungle Expedition Plan

Create a Memory Map

• Identify "overgrown" areas:
[ Course/topic with most forgetting ]
• Choose 2 survival tools:
Tool 1: ________________
Tool 2: ________________
• Schedule trail maintenance:
• Review 1: Today @ ______
• Review 2: Tomorrow @ ______
• Review 3: 7 days later @ ______
🔥 Power Quote:
"In the jungle, the learner is the gardener"
25 Memory Techniques
 Memory Techniques - Your Toolkit

🧰 Core Concept:
"Memory isn't magic - it's method"

"These 25 tools transform passive info into active recall"

— David Ellis (p. 118)

• Grouped for Mastery:

•Association Techniques
•Visualization Power
•Organizational Systems
•Active Recall Methods
•Lifestyle Boosters
✅ Pro Tip: Start with 3 techniques matching your
learning style
 Association Techniques (5 Key Tools)

🔗 Create Meaningful Links

• Acronyms
Create words from initials (e.g., HOMES for Great Lakes)
• Acrostics
Make sentences (e.g., "My Very Eager Mother..." for planets)
• Chunking
Group digits (e.g., 177614921812 → 1776 | 1492 | 1812)
• Method of Loci
Place facts in familiar locations (e.g., grocery list on mental couch)
• Peg Systems
*Link numbers to images (e.g., 1=gun, 2=zoo)*

💡 Try This: Turn your phone # into an acrostic story

 Visualization Power (5 Key Tools)

🎨 Paint Mental Pictures

• Symbolic Images
Visualize concepts (e.g., justice as scales)
• Exaggeration
Make images absurdly big/loud (e.g., giant bacteria
playing trumpets)
• Color Coding
Assign colors to topics (e.g., blue=theories,
red=formulas)
• Mind Mapping
Branch ideas radially from central image
• Story Chains
Connect facts in wild narratives (e.g., "The
mitochondria danced with glucose...")

🧠 Science: Visuals boost recall by 65% (p. 121)

 Organizational Systems (5 Key Tools)

📊 Structure Chaos
• Cornell Note-Taking
Divide pages: Notes | Cues | Summary
• Matrix Charts
Compare concepts in grids (e.g., theories vs. proponents)
• Tree Diagrams
Branch details from main ideas
• Time Lines
Plot historical events sequentially
• Priority Ladder
*Rank info by importance (1=Must know, 2=Should know, etc.)*

✅ Pro Tip: Reorganize lecture notes within 24 hours

 Active Recall & Lifestyle (5 Key
Tools)

⚡ Engage Your Brain

• Self-Testing
Flashcards > Rereading
• Teach Back
Explain concepts to imaginary class
• Spaced Repetition
Review at 1-7-30 day intervals
• Movement Anchors
Walk while reciting/gesture learning
• Sleep Optimization
Study before bed → 50% consolidation boost (p. 125)
🍏 Lifestyle Bonus:
*Blueberries + Omega-3s = Neurofuel
 Your Technique Experiment Plan

🔬 Personalize Your Toolkit

• Audit Your Style:
[ ] Visual [ ] Auditory [ ] Kinesthetic
• Pick 3 New Techniques:
• Technique 1: ________________
• Technique 2: ________________
• Technique 3: ________________
• Apply to Current Material:
"I'll use [Technique] to master [Topic] by [Date]“
• 🌟 Power Quote:
"Tools unused gather dust - start digging!"
Set a Trap for Your
Memory
 Setting Memory Traps

🧩 Core Concept:
"Don't chase memories - lay traps to capture them"

"Genius is the trap-setter, not the hunter. Prepare your

mind to catch ideas."
— David Ellis (p. 126)

🎯 Why It Works:
•Turns passive hope → active systems
•Exploits brain's pattern-seeking nature
•Prevents "tip-of-the-tongue" syndrome
 4 Physical Trap Systems

External Capture Tools

• Pocket Dump Journal
Always carry notebook → jot within 10 sec
• Voice Memo Nets
Record insights immediately (e.g., after lectures)
• Sticky Note Minefields
Place cues in high-traffic zones (mirror, laptop)
• Digital Alarms
Schedule pop-up reminders with context
(e.g., "Recall 3 econ theories @ 3PM")

📱 Pro Tip: Use apps like Google Keep with location-based alerts
 3 Mental Trap Strategies

🧠 Cognitive Trigger Systems

• The Hook Question
End study sessions with:
"What's ONE thing I'll need to recall tomorrow?"
→ Creates mental sticky note
• Anchor Objects
Assign concepts to physical items:
"My blue mug = supply/demand curve"
• Gateway Actions
Link recall to daily routines:
"Every time I open Zoom, I'll recite today's key term"

⚡ Science: Context triggers boost recall by 40% (p. 127)

 🎣 Advanced Bait Techniques

Information
Trap Method
Type
Pre-lecture Qs: Write 3
Lecture Concepts
questions to "catch" answers
Trapping Sticky Arms: Write on
Complex Formulas
forearm (washable ink!)
Information
Association Traps: "Ben →
Names
Big Ears + Nose"
Obstacle Course: Place
Tasks object in path (e.g., book on
door)
💡 Ellis' Hack:
Put your watch on opposite wrist → triggers "What
should I remember RIGHT NOW?"
 Your Personal Trap
Blueprint
📝 Build Your Capture System
1. Weakness Audit:
I lose memories when: [ ] After lectures
[ ] At night [ ] In meetings

🔥 Power Mantra:
"A trapped idea becomes a tool for life"
Mnemonic Devices
 Mnemonic Devices - Memory
Superpowers
•🌀 Core Definition:
"Creative shortcuts that transform abstract info into unforgettable patterns"

•"Mnemonics don't replace understanding – they build bridges to it."

— David Ellis (p. 127)

•⚡ Why They Work:

•Force deep processing
•Leverage visual/emotional brain centers
•Turn chaos into ordered chunks
 5 Powerhouse Mnemonics
1. Acronyms (Letter Traps)
• 🔤 Create words from initials
• Example: HOMES = Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario,
etc.)
• Academic Use: PEMDAS (Order of Operations)
2. Acrostics (Sentence Traps)
• 📜 First letters form memorable phrases
• Example: "King Philip Came Over..." = Taxonomy
order (Kingdom, Phylum...)
• Pro Tip: Make sentences absurd!
3. Method of Loci (Journey Method)
Place facts along mental walk
• Steps: Visualize familiar route → Assign data to
landmarks → Take "walk" during recall
 Advanced Mnemonic Systems
4. Peg System (Mental Hooks)
• 🎣 Link numbers to vivid images
• Number-Shape: 1=pen, 2=swan, 3=heart...
• Example: Remembering 3 grocery items:
*"Heart-shaped apples (3), swan swimming in milk
(2), pen stabbing bread (1)"*
5. Major System (Sound Codes)
• 🎹 Convert numbers to consonant sounds
• Code: 0=S/Z, 1=T/D, 2=N...
• Example: 21 = *N+T* → "Net" or "Nut"
• Power Use: Memorize pi (3.1415 = *M-T-R-T-
L* → "Metal Rail")
🧠 Neuro-Hack: Combine systems for complex data!
 🎓 Subject-Specific Tactics

Real Subject Mnemonic Application

Academic
"Dear King
Weaponry Biology
Philip..."
Taxonomic ranks

Oxidation/Loss
Chemistry "OIL RIG"
Reduction/Gain

1492
COLUMBUS →
History "1 ship 4 waves Dates & events
9 seas 2
discover"

Math "Some Old Sin=Opp/Hyp Cos=Adj/Hyp

Horses" Tan=Opp/Adj

⚠️Avoid This Trap:

Don’t spend more time creating mnemonics than studying
concepts! (p. 129)
 Your Mnemonic Lab Challenge
🔬 Build Your Own Device NOW
• Target Tough Concept:
[ Write a confusing term/formula here: ______________ ]
• Choose Your Weapon:
[ ] Acronym [ ] Acrostic [ ] Peg System [ ] Story
Create It:
Example for "Mitochondria":
Acrostic → "Mighty Invisible Tiny Organelles Churn Hot Oxygen"
• Test & Refine:
Recall after 1 hour → Adjust if sticky
🏆 Power Quote:
"The best mnemonics are personal, ridiculous, and meaningful"
BREAK
Making Connections in Memory-Friendly Ways
 🔗 Big Idea:
"Link new things to things you know"

💡 Why It Works:

Making
Connectio Your brain likes connections

ns Makes new information easier to

remember

📌 Example:
Learning "apple" → think of red fruit you
eat
 Easy Methods:

Same Group
Put things together:

Simple Apple, banana, orange = fruits

Connecti
Opposite
Remember by difference:
Hot ↔ Cold

on Ways Real Life

Connect to your day:
*"Water boils at 100°C = my tea water"*

✅ Try Now:
What group is "carrot" in?
(Answer: vegetables)
 Make
🎨 Best Method:

Think of new word

Pictur Make funny picture in your head

e Example:
Word: "biology"

Storie
Picture: A BIOlogy book riding a LOG (bio-log)
Another Example:
Name: "Mr. Baker"
Picture: Man baking bread

s 💡 Tip: Funny pictures are easiest to remember!

Class Practice

• Let's Try Together:

• New word: "astronomy"
• Connection: ______
(Example: stars at night)
• New name: "Mrs. Green"
• Picture: ______
(Example: lady wearing green dress)
• New fact: "2×8=16"
• Story: ______
(Example: two octopuses (8 legs) = 16 legs)
 📝 Do This Every Day:

Your When learning something new, ask:

"What does this remind me of?"

Daily Draw small pictures next to new words

Connecti
on Habit Share your connections with friends

🌟 Power Sentence:
"I connect new things to old things every
day"
Retool Your Memory
Retool Your Memory
• Core Concept:
"Upgrade your memory strategies like software"

•"Old techniques may not fit new challenges - adapt your

tools."
— David Ellis

•📌 Key Idea:
•Identify ineffective habits
•Replace with science-based methods
•Customize for your learning style
Why Retooling Matters
• 🧩 Common Problems:
• Outdated Techniques
(e.g., Only rereading notes)
• One-Size-Fits-All Approach
(Using same method for all subjects)
• Ignoring Brain Science
(Not using spacing/testing effects)
• 💡 Research Insight:
Students who adapt strategies improve recall by
30% (p. 130)
4 Retooling Strategies
Upgrade Your Toolkit:
• Diagnose Weaknesses
Example: "I forget formulas → need better visualization"
• Match Tools to Tasks
• Use mnemonics for lists
• Use concept maps for theories
• Test & Measure
Compare old/new method results
• Combine Techniques
Example: Spaced repetition + storytelling
✅ Action: *Audit 1 course this week - "Which method isn't
working?"*
 🎓 University Applications:

Subject-Specific Subject
Ineffective
Habit
Better Tool
Retooling
Derive formulas
Memorizing
Math + real-life
formulas
examples

Flashcards with
Word lists
Language images +
alone
sentences

Draw diagrams
Science Passive reading
+ self-explain

Timelines +
History Isolated facts
"why" questions

⚠️Key Principle:
"No tool works forever - regularly check and
adjust"
Your Retooling
Plan

📝 4-Week Upgrade Process:

• Week 1: Identify
• Choose 1 subject: ________
• Current method: ________
• Problem: ________
• Week 2: Experiment
Try 2 new techniques from Chapter 3
• Week 3: Measure
Test recall before/after
• Week 4: Adopt
Keep what works; try another subject
🌟 Final Tip:
"Retool when: 1) New course starts 2) Grades
drop 3) Feeling frustrated"
Practicing
Critical
Thinking
(Get
Creative)
Critical Thinking +
Creativity

•💡 Core Connection:
"Critical thinking needs creativity to
solve real problems"
•"Questioning ideas + generating new
solutions = powerful learning"
— David Ellis (p. 131)

•🔑 Key Skills:
•Analyze deeply
•Imagine alternatives
•Connect unrelated ideas
Why
Creativity Traditional
Thinking
Creative Critical
Thinking
Matters in Finds "right" Asks "what if?"
Critical answers questions

Thinking Uses old

patterns
Builds new
connections

🧠 The Brain Science: Avoids risks Experiments bravely

✅ Real Benefit:
Solves textbook problems AND real-world
challenges
4 Creative Critical Thinking
Techniques

• Practical Tools:
• Mind Mapping
• Start with core problem → branch radical solutions
Example: "Climate change" center → connect to tech/behavior/policy
• Reverse Thinking
Ask: "What would make this WORSE?" → then flip solutions
• Role Storming
Think like: Scientist 🥼 / Artist 🎨 / CEO 💼
• "How Might We..." Questions
Frame challenges: "How might we reduce student stress?"
Academic Application Exercise

📚 Try with a University Topic:

• Choose a concept:
e.g., "Supply and Demand" (Economics)
• Apply creative critical thinking:
• Mind Map: Branch 5 real-life examples
• Reverse: "How could we destroy market balance?"
• Role Play: Think as a shop owner during inflation
In-Video Task (For Students):
"Pause and analyze a recent news story using 1 technique above"
Your Creativity Challenge

🚀 Weekly Practice Plan:

• Choose 1 lecture topic
Topic: _______________________
• Apply 1 creative technique:
[ ] Mind Map [ ] Reverse Thinking [ ] Role Play
• Answer:
"What new insight did I discover?"
Insight: _______________________
• Share online (if allowed):
"One creative idea about [Topic] is..."
🌟 Power Quote:
"Routine thinking answers questions – creative thinking discovers new questions"
BREAK
Revisit Your
Memory Skills
Why Revisit Memory Skills?

🔄 Core Concept:
"Memory mastery requires regular upgrades – not one-time learning"
"Skills that worked last semester may not match new academic challenges."
— David Ellis
📊 Key Reasons to Revisit:
1.Course Difficulty Increases
(e.g., Intro → Advanced Biology)
2.Learning Context Changes
(e.g., In-person → Online labs)
3.New Research Emerges
(e.g., Updated spaced repetition models)
4.Personal Growth
(Your learning style evolves
The 3R Review System
🔍 A Practical Framework:

tep Action Example

*"I use flashcards for
Review Audit current techniques vocabulary - success rate:
60%"*
"Fails for complex terms
Recognize Identify gaps
like 'photosynthesis'"
Switch to: Picture stories +
Revise Upgrade strategies
self-testing
 • Implementation Roadmap:
• Mid-Semester Check (Week
8)
• Choose 1 struggling course
• Apply the 3R System
• Pre-Finals Tune-Up (Week 14)

Your • Compare exam

performance

Semester • Adjust techniques

• New Semester Reset
Upgrade • Match methods to course
types:
Plan • Theory-heavy →
Concept mapping
• Fact-heavy →
Mnemonics + spaced
repetition
• ⚠️Critical Warning:
"Using outdated techniques =
studying harder, not smarter"
 Move from
problems to
solutions
Shift from
Problems to
Solutions
•🔄 Core Critical Thinking Skill:
"Don't just identify problems - design
actionable solutions"
•"Solutions-focused thinking turns
barriers into breakthroughs."
— David Ellis (p. 132)
•📌 Why This Matters:
•Prevents "analysis paralysis"
•Builds proactive learning habits
•Develops real-world problem-solving
•Increases academic confidence
The 4-Step Solution
Framework
🔧 A Practical Method:
• Define the Problem Clearly
Bad: "I'm bad at math"
Good: "I struggle with calculus word
problems"
• Identify Root Causes
Ask: "What specifically makes this hard?"
• Example: "I can't translate real-world
situations to equations"
• Generate Multiple Solutions
*Brainstorm 3+ options:*
• Practice with real-life examples (e.g.,
shopping discounts)
• Create visual diagram templates
• Study solved problems step-by-step
• Test & Refine
Try 1 solution → Evaluate → Adjust
✅ Academic Example:
Problem: "Forget research paper structures"
Solution: Create a fillable template with
sections
Your Solution
Challenge
• 💻 Apply to Current Studies (Pause
Activity):
• Choose 1 academic problem:
[Write here: ________________________]
• Analyze root causes:
Cause 1: _______________
Cause 2: _______________
• Design 2 possible solutions:
Solution A: _______________
Solution B: _______________
• Select 1 to implement:
"I will try [Solution] for 3 days starting
[Date]"
Remembering
Names
 👥 Why Names Are
Important:
• People feel happy when you
Rememberi remember their name
• Helps make friends in school
ng Names
• Teachers notice you
💡 Big Idea:
"Remembering names is a
skill you can learn"
 🧠 Simple Reasons:
• Too many names at once
(Example: First day of class)

Why We • Not paying full attention

(Thinking about other things)
Forget • Stress
(Feeling nervous)
Names • No connection
(Just hearing, not understanding)
✅ Good News:
"Everyone forgets names - but we can
get better!"
 🔍 3 Simple Methods:
• Repeat the name
"Nice to meet you, Maria!"
(Say their name 2-3 times)
Easy • Make a picture
Tricks to Imagine "Ben with big ears"
Rememb • Write it down
After class, write:
er Names "New classmate: Sam - red shirt"
💡 Tip: Choose one method to try
today
Practice with
Classmates
• 👋 Class Activity:
• Find a partner
• Ask: "What's your name?"
• Use one trick:
• Repeat name
OR
• Make simple picture
• Switch partners
• ✅ Remember:
"Practice makes your memory stronger!"
 📝 Do This Every Day:

Your When you meet

Look at their face
Listen carefully
someone:
Name Say their name

Memory After class:

Plan Write 1-2 names you want to
remember

🌟 Power Sentence:
"I will remember one new name
every day"
"Master
Student
Profile: Maria
Popova
Meet Maria
Popova
• 🌍 Who She Is:
• English major student
• Researcher on language learning
• From non-native to master learner
• 📚 Her Challenge:
"Learning English collocations felt
impossible at first."
(Collocations = word pairs, e.g., "make
a decision") 1
• 💡 Key Lesson:
"Small strategies create big success!"
Maria's Academic
Journey
• 🎓 Education & Research:
• Degree: Studied Applied English
• Research Topic:
"How English majors learn word pairs
effectively" 1
• 🧪 Discoveries:
• Successful students use memory
techniques
• Daily practice > last-minute cramming
• Confidence grows with consistent effort
Maria's Memory
Techniques
• 🧠 3 Simple Strategies She Used:
• Group Similar Words
• Example: Learn "take a break", "take a
chance", "take notes" together
• Create Visual Stories
• Example: Imagine "breaking a record" (sports
image)
• Sticky Notes Everywhere
• Label objects: "bright sun" on window, "heavy
rain" on umbrella
• Time Tip:
"Practice 10 minutes daily—not 1 hour weekly!
 • 📝 Your Turn!
• For Vocabulary:
• Group words by theme
(food/study/sports)
How to • For Formulas/Concepts:
• Link to real life:
Apply Math formula → Shopping budget
Maria's • Review System:
• Day 1: Learn
Methods • Day 2: Review
• Day 7: Quick test
• 💻 Online Class Tip:
Use free apps like Quizlet for digital
sticky notes!
 • 🌟 3 Key Takeaways:
• Start Small
*"Master 3 words/day → 1,095
Maria's words/year!"*
• Make It Fun
Advice to • Turn learning into games/stories
You • Track Progress
• 💬 Her Final Words:
"Every expert was once a beginner.
Keep going!"
SUMMARY
Today's Memory
Mastery Journey
•🧠 Chapter 3: Key Takeaways
•"Memory isn't fixed - it's a skill you build!"
•📌 What We Covered:
•Embracing learning challenges
•6 brain principles for better recall
•Practical techniques (mnemonics, traps,
connections)
•Critical thinking → solutions
•Real student success strategies
•🌟 Power Quote:
"Small daily practice creates lasting
memory mastery"
Top 5 Techniques to Start Now
• 🚀 Evidence-Based Strategies:
Technique How to Use Best For
Study 10 min → 1 day → 1
Spaced Review Exams
week
Turn facts into funny
Picture Stories Vocabulary/Concepts
images
"Repeat + Visualize" when
Name Traps Networking
meeting people
Ask: "What new skill will
Problem Reframing Difficult subjects
solving this teach me?"
Review/Recognize/Revise
3R System All courses
methods monthly
Critical Thinking +
Memory
Connection
🔗 Key Insights:
• Creative Thinking → Stronger neural
pathways
• Solution Focus → Prevents "analysis
paralysis"
(Example: "Forget formulas?" → Try visual
stories)
• Maria Popova's Lesson:
• Consistency > Cramming
• Group similar concepts
• Track small wins
✅ Academic Advantage:
Apply to research, papers, and exam prep!
 "Your memory isn’t
a locked door—it’s a
muscle. Every
challenge you meet
today is tomorrow’s
strength."
END OF LECTURE

ANY QUESTIONS
THANK YOU