October 17, 2008, Newsletter Issue #210: How to remember dates and numbers?
Tip of the Week
One of our common problems before a test or even when teaching is top remember dates and numbers.
One technique is encoding the number. "Number elaboration" involves converting the number to a more familiar format. For example, to remember that the Magna Carta was granted in 1215, convert that date to money, $12.15. To remember that the Paleozoic Era lasted from 230 million years ago to 65 million years ago, think of it as a zip code, 23065. ("Be a Pal, Zoe, and mail that letter to 230...65.") "Number association" involves linking numerical information with other information thatīs personally important to you. For example, to remember the number of nations on the United Nations Security Council, associate it with the uniform number of a favorite athlete (whom you image running across a UN conference table as diplomats stare in astonishment).
These strategies should your memory a boost. Sometimes you do just have to repeat and repeat a fact until it sticks in your mind. But turning the unfamiliar into the more familiar can speed up the process.
Source: CyberTip of the Day, 2000
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