Tips For Memorization, and What To Do When Your Brain is a Toadstool

Well, it’s that time of year again. August. School is kicking into gear, life is starting to crank up the speed, and school is starting. We’ve had a few months of glorious summertime, and now it’s time for some new beginnings.

In short: After a couple of months of summertime my brain is a toadstool. 🍄

In my Latin class, we have this thing called the PSQ, which stands for the Pre-Semester Quiz. That means it’s time to get out my Latin books once more and try to remember everything I learned last semester. I have a six-inch thick stack of flashcards which I shall review exhaustively, paradigms to recite and read and recite again, pronouns to scare siblings with (HIC! HAEC! HOC!), and Latin battleship to play. (“What is the imperative plural form of venio, Cap’n?”)

I’ve picked up a few memorization skills along the way, and I figured I’d write them out here for both myself and anyone else interested. Maybe blogging about it will get me in the studying mood. PSQ, here I come!

1. Talk it! Whether this means muttering to yourself under your breath, shouting from the rooftops, or pretending to have a conversation with yourself, talking out loud helps to get things to stick in your memory. It could be chanting poetry or Latin conjugations as though you were doing the cha-cha. “Amo, amas, AMAT!” (stick leg out and do jazz hands), “amamus, amatis, AMANT!” Etc.
2. Write it! For me, this is one of the most helpful things. Being someone who thrives on words, getting out a pen and paper and writing things out over and over again is one of my favorite ways to nail things into my memory. You could even do a double-deal and write it whilst speaking it. Go, you!
3. Sing it! No, really. This is also helpful. It’s how I learned the interrogative pronouns. Either make up your own tune or sing to the tune of ‘O Christmas Tree’, but singing something is a great way to memorize. Did you ever notice how easy it is to remember song lyrics? Especially those really annoying ones, like “Baby Shark” or “Everything Is Awesome”? Make your memorization like that. Impossible to forget.
4. Learn anywhere and everywhere. If you wait for the circumstances to be perfect, you’ll never get anything done.
5. Recite to yourself. A lot. “Repetitio mater studiorum!” While I was working on memorizing parts of “Horatius At The Bridge”, I would do this all the time. It’s especially helpful when you’re learning things like poetry or bible verses. I would recite stanzas of “Horatius” while I was in the shower, or while I was making dinner, or taking a walk.
6. Focus. Close the novel and shut the computer while you’re trying to learn. It helps a lot.
7. Challenge yourself! “By next week I want to have learned five stanzas! Aha!”
8. Discipline yourself. If you really want to learn something, just do the thing. And try to have fun, too!
9. Don’t forget to take breaks! No breaks = toadstool brain. Trust me.
10. Revel in the glory of your accomplishment.

Picture this scenario:

You: “Hey, what have you done this summer?”

Random person: “Ah, nothing much.”

You: “Oh? Well, I learned an entire 30 stanza poem. No biggie.”

Random person: *Jaw falls to floor*

You: *Smug smile*

Well, I hope that helps somebody. I guess now I’d better go and work on those Latin pronouns.

Bonam fortunam habete!