Memory 3 · Association Hooks
When trying harder to memorise is not enough
Have you ever needed to learn a word that simply would not stick?
When that happens, I do not just keep forcing it.
Instead, I look for a pun, a picture, or something it reminds me of.
EXAMPLE
For Kobe (神戸), I might imagine “a god’s door”, using its kanji.
For Morioka (盛岡), I might picture bulging muscles: “mori-mori” suggests that image in Japanese.
Before learning each item in isolation,I look for a connection.
Make yourself a hook
Of course, these associations are not the real meanings of the place names.
But once I have that little “hook” in mind, the name can become easier to recall.
Being good at studying does not have to mean having an exceptional memory.
It can mean being good at giving a difficult item a memorable nickname.
When a word will not stick, start with one.
Make a hook of your own.
Why can it help?
An unfamiliar string of letters can be hard to remember.
Attach your own image or wordplay, and
you give it something to catch on to.
Connecting new information to something you already know can help you recall it.
In other words, try
making a connection, rather than just repeating a word
.
Combine it with colour hooks
Suppose you give one group the colour orange.
Your reason might simply be “it feels bright and refreshing”.
Whenever you see orange,
let it remind you of something: a mandarin, a sunset, or orange juice.
Instead of memorising the colour itself, let it lead to an image.
Smells can bring memories to mind, too.
Orange might make you imagine a citrus scent.
Red might bring strawberries or apples to mind.
Combining a colour with an association gives you more hooks to try.
Memory is not just a talent
“I’m just bad at memorising.”
Perhaps you have thought that yourself.
That does not have to be the end of the story.
The difficulty may be in your approach, rather than your ability.
There is no single correct association hook.
What matters is not whether the association is “right”, but whether it helps you recall the item.
The same thing can bring different images to different people.
You do not have to copy someone else’s way of remembering.
A useful memory skill is
thinking about what will make something easier to recall.
You can practise making associations, finding hooks, and recalling what you have learned.
It is fine if ideas do not come easily at first.
With practice,
you can develop ways to recall information as well as ways to learn it.
That is how d’ASH sees growth.
