The Smartest Ways to Memorize Anything

Let's be real: we all stare at out textbooks the night before exams, but the next day? We can't remember a thing. Flashcards? Overrated. Re-reading notes? Pain. But what if I told you that there are memory tricks so good, that they will literally drill information into your brain?

These aren’t random “study tips” from YouTube shorts. They’re proven hacks used by toppers and even memory athletes. Here’s how to make your brain a memorizing machine:

1. Chunking

   Loading info into your brain is pretty much a recipe for disaster. Naturally, your brain remembers better in small chunks. That's why splitting notes and topics into small chunks was a GAME-CHANGER for me.

Split chapters into sections, diagrams, or even just 5 key points. Master one chunk, then slowly progress to learn the whole topic. Usually, I take a chapter, split it into units, then write a 5-point summary for each unit. Works like a charm.

2. The 'Memory Palace'

Sounds pretty cringe, but this is the technique that memorizing champions use to load info into their brains. Take a piece of paper and map out a room in your house that you really know. Then, associate each object in that room to a topic of your exam.

Suppose you have a digestive system quiz coming up. When you brush your teeth in the morning, you can remember enzymes in your mouth. As you drink water, you can imagine the water going down a large pipe: the esophagus. But then, suppose you forget the contractions the esophagus makes. You quickly Google it, and boom, the entire topic patched up while carrying on with your day.

3. Active Recall

This is THE topper move. Instead of re-reading notes, force yourself to recall without looking. Cover the page, write it down, say it out loud, or explain it to your wall.

It feels harder, and that’s exactly why it works. Struggle = stronger memory.

4. Spaced Repetition

Cramming only the day before the exam is NOT the topper move. You need to review every topic before you forget it, or relearning it is a huge pain.

The trick? Make some flashcards or use an online flashcard website, and review your flashcards on Day 1. Review them regularly, on Day 3, Day 7, Day 14, etc.

Chunking, memory palaces, active recall, spaced repetition, and stories are the exact methods toppers secretly use.

So next time exams come around, don’t just read. Hack your brain.

👉 If you want to stack even more hacks, I wrote about 10 Study Habits from Top Students (and How You Can Copy Them) 

Check it out next.