HOW TO MAKE YOUR BRAIN POWERFUL
More often than not, we complain about our memory as being unable to recall or remember what we have read as Students or those lecturers we have listened to, but the truth of the matter is that most of the time, we have failed to commit to memory things we heard and read. You must note one thing- committing things to memory should be a conscious effort. Below are a few tips that will help you improve your memory.
(a) Keen observation:
Keen observation is basic and essential to improving your memory. Many a times, we see things without observing them and we just hear what people say without listening to them. For you to improve your memory, you must be able to observe things critically and listen attentively when somebody is communicating to you. Here is a test for you to knoW if you just see without observing
1. Which colour is on top of the traffic light?
Is it the red or the green? Your thought might be that it is probably a simple question but I want you to put yourself in this position- you are on the popular MTN show ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’ and Frank Idoho puts this question across to you and it is worth 1 million naira and you don't have any Life line left. So which light is on top - red or green? Yap, you are probably hesitating now and thinking of the right answer and you probably passed through the traffic light some hours ago. You see! You saw the traffic light but failed to observe it. There is a big difference between seeing and observing. By the way, the red light is always on top and the green, is at the bottom and if there is a third colour [usually yellow, for caution), it is always at the center. But if you got the answer right, it means you are among the few minorities who observe. Well, let me see if I can puncture your pride a little bit with another observation test.
2. Don't look at your Wristwatch. Don't! And answer this question- is the number six on your wristwatch dial the Arabic 6 or is it the roman numeral Vi. Put yourself in the same position as in 1 above where there is a prize cash of I million naira at stake and answer the question (No spying please). Ok, having decided on your answer, now look at your wrist watch and see if you were right or wrong. Did you answer correctly? Well, whether you were right or wrong, you did have to look at your wristwatch.
Ok, without looking at your wristwatch again, tell me the time? (I caught you napping, right?) , you can't tell the exact time and you just looked at your wristwatch a second ago.
You must have a keen observation to be able to improve your memory. We cannot possibly remember anything we do not observe. After something has been observed either by sighting or hearing, in order to be remembered, it should be associated with something in our minds we already know or remember. Association really helps for a good memory.
(b) Interest in Memory:
Another aspect of improving your memory is interest. The crux of this point is- Do you have interest in what you want to commit to memory? Is your interest being misdirected and you just grope? Here is a question for you to test your interest memory.
You are driving a bus containing 50 people, the bus makes one stop and ten people get off while three people get on. At another stop, seven people get off the bus while two get on. There are three more stops at which five people get off at each time while each get on at two stops. At this point, because of mechanical fault, the bus could not go further and six passengers in a hurry decided to walk, while the others waited. Now without re-reading the paragraph, try and answer these questions- well, You know if I asked you how many persons are left in the bus or how many people got off at the last bus stop, you'd probably have the answers at your finger tip. But the question is - how many stops did the bus make altogether? I may be wrong but I don't think you have the answer to my question! See! You flop again. The reason you didn't commit to memory the number of stops made by the bus was because you felt that the question would be about the number of passengers and your interest was geared towards knowing the number but you were asked to read the paragraph and not to develop questions for me. But for the minority who got the answer right, because they were interested in the whole story, here is another test for you (I want to puncture your pride a little again) because I doubt if you'd get it right (please prove me wrong). A friend of mine, Adams by name in the University of Benin in his first year got admission overseas to study medicine. On the night of his departure was 24th December and he arrived his destination on the 26th of December. Now without re-reading the paragraph i.e. (if there is need at all), my question is - what is the name of the Bus driver? See! I doubt if you answered correctly or rather, you are still confused. Well, this is more of a trick; questions on observation than on memory test. Well, do you remember the bus story I told you about? Don't re-read please. Answer the question. What is the bus driver's name? - You, it is your name; remember, you were the one driving the bus. Ok, re-read the paragraph again. The trick used here is that of mis-direction and you fell for it because your interest was not keen enough on the stories you have read so far in this article.
The problem is not with our memories but with lack of interest in memory. Many ladies would complain that they can't remember a thing, yet they can remember the details of what a lady Friend was wearing when they met a few weeks ago. The same lady would recall the Colour of lip stick, mascara and the type of bracelet. Why? Because their interest lies there. Also, a guy who complains of retentive memory can remember vividly the names of the Clubs that won the premier league cup in the premiership football league 5 years ago and the players who scored and the skills used in scoring. The same guy will remember vividly and describe the geography of a girl he met once at a night party. You see! A night party for that matter when people could hardly see at night. (I guess he is a nocturnal specie).
The issue here is interest in your memory. Developing this interest is very vital in the art of improving your memory, force yourself to remember, associate abstract things/new things to things you already know. Ok, remember this nursery rhyme- thirty days has September, April, June and November... How often have you used it to recall the numbers of days in a particular month. That is association to a rhyme, also recall Mr. Niger D in our elementary science? The truth is that before you forget something you must first get it, so learning how to remember matters a lot. Most of us just write down things without committing it to memory. You can lose your notebook or jotter but not your mind. Anyway, if you lose your mind, it is more of a psychological problem and not that of improving your memory and you would need to see a medical personnel. Take a chance now, and commit all things keenly to memory. God bless your brain.
