Unlock Your Brain’s Full Potential: Effective Memory-Boosting Hacks Revealed

Unlock Your Brain’s Full Potential: Effective Memory-Boosting Hacks Revealed


Are you feeling the pressure of final exams looming over you? Well, don't worry, because there are some simple tricks you can use to boost your memory while studying. 

To help calm your anxiety, we talked to Mads Soegaard, founder of Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) who shared a game-changing tips to help hack your memory. Let’s learn something new that could make all the difference in your studying routine!

Using Coloured Pens To Make Notes

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Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Mads Soegaard, founder of Interaction Design Foundation (IDF), says, “writing notes in color is an effective method to boost memory performance.” By writing notes by hand using colored pens, highlighters, and sticky notes, students are more likely to remember the key points when they head into their exams. “Writing notes by hand stimulates retention as it forces the brain to process information more detailedly, and it makes students more selective about what they are writing down,” Soegaard added.

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Image Credit: Cristian Storto/Shutterstock.

Moreover, color also helps to form associations between notes, as when you recall a fact linked to one shade, your brain will naturally start thinking of the other points that share the same shade. 

“However, some colors are more effective than others. It is vital to choose attention-grabbing shades associated with importance — hot shades like red, orange, and yellow,” Soegaard emphasized. 

Picking contrasting colors can also make information stand out more, so students may want to incorporate different sticky notes or highlighters for essential points. However, they should avoid overloading their messages as making facts more distinctive is the key.

Using Diagrams to Link Information

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Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Apart from using color, students can also boost their memory by using diagrams to link information. If they find themselves zoning out when faced with a wall of text, they may want to write notes as a diagram like a spidergram, flowchart, or table.

Making Sure Your Room Is Well-Lit

https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing-lightbulb--300x169.jpg.webp 300w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1024w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 768w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1536w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 50w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 180w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 150w" srcset="https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing-lightbulb-.jpg.webp 1600w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 300w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1024w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 768w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1536w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 50w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 180w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 150w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" />Woman changing lightbulbhttps://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing-lightbulb--300x169.jpg 300w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1024w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 768w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1536w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 50w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 180w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 150w" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" data-lazy-src="https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing-lightbulb-.jpg" data-ll-status="loaded" class="entered lazyloaded" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" srcset="https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing-lightbulb-.jpg 1600w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 300w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1024w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 768w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 1536w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 50w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 180w, https://wealthofgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Woman-changing... 150w" />
Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Soegaard also advises students to make sure their room is well-lit when studying. As studying in the evening after school or work is typical, they are likely to write notes without proper daylight. Just as color can be a strong context cue, so can light, so students should learn in as close to test conditions as they can. Meaning in a well-lit room without any other visual distractions (like TV or their phone).

Taking a Break Every Half Hour

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Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Finally, it is essential to take frequent breaks to recharge and reset, as it is easy to fall into the trap of spending hours on end sitting and writing notes. Students lose 85% of their input after reading for 25 minutes straight, so taking breaks every 25-30 minutes can help to boost productivity and retention of information.

Final Take

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Image Credit: Shutterstock.

According to Mads Soegaard, some will benefit more from these tips than others, as he says: “If you’re someone with a preference for seeing and observing things in your day-to-day life – including pictures and written directions – you’re a visual learner, and you’ll struggle to retain information that’s just written down with no visual elements to trigger the memory.

Just remember that not every strategy is going to work for everyone. Try different methods and find the right one that works for you. 

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