How to build memory association

Association is the way to relate what you want to learn to what you already know. Many of your associations are learned unconsciously. That’s when something reminds you of another thing and you don’t know why that thing makes you think of it. It’s like the phenomenon of déjà vu.



Another association is learned consciously. You can use the benefit of association to help you remember things. Conscious association may be technique that you used to learn when you were studying in school. For example, when you want to remember names of great lakes, the word “homes” may help you remind all lakes because each letter is the initial of the lakes’ names. The lake names are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.

Another example is to add familiar to the unfamiliar, like when you know Italy because its shape looks like a tall boot. Italy may not be familiar to you, but the boot is more familiar.

Next example is to give meaning to numbers. You may help yourself to remember you friend’s phone number 225-1975 by thinking of the meaning of 1975 which is your year of birth.