Mnemonics – A clever way to recall information
Do you know the feeling of trying to remember important content and nothing seems to work?
When you are trying to learn a lot of new information, you might feel overwhelmed, especially when exam deadlines are approaching. Sometimes you might even feel that nothing is going into your head and you feel demotivated.
If this sounds familiar to you, then we recommend checking out different learning techniques to improve your learning experience. One of them is called mnemonics.
Last year we started sharing some clever mnemonics on our Instagram page. We thought it would be great to also publish the collection here on our blog and hope you will find them useful.
But first, we want to explain what mnemonics are and how they can be used.
What are Mnemonics?
Mnemonics are an effective and fun strategy to help recall information or facts. They are a great learning aid which creates a memory bridge to recall information that you would otherwise find difficult to remember.
Although mnemonics are mainly used in learning, they can also be useful for your everyday life.
There are different types of mnemonics, such as keyword mnemonics, chunking, or letter & word mnemonics, only to name a few.
What are the advantages or disadvantages of Mnemonics?
The advantages are that they provide a memory bridge to recall (difficult) information. They allow you to rearrange information to suit your personal learning needs, which can improve your learning activity. Using mnemonics effectively should also reduce your revision time, as you can recollect information better from your long-term memory.
The disadvantages are, that if they don’t already exist for a specific topic, they can take time to create. You also still need to learn and practice applying them. Also, if you use too many, you might get confused or mixed up. Therefore, we recommend using them wisely.
How do Mnemonics work?
With the keyword mnemonics, you connect a mental image to the word you are trying to remember.
For example, you are trying to remember the terms used to describe the orientation of your hand or arm when you turn it with the palm facing up or down. These are called ‘Supination’ and ‘Pronation’.
Supination means the palm is facing upwards, Pronation means the palm is facing downwards.
To apply the mnemonics strategy, connect an image of holding a bowl of soup with the ‘Supination’. To hold the bowl, the hand needs to turn into slight supination. Sup = Soup
Now imagine you don’t like the soup and you pour it out! Here you need to pronate your hand. Pro = Pour.
You have now created a keyword mnemonic to remember the hand orientations Supination & Pronation with ‘hold Soup’ & ‘Pour out’.
How to apply the letter or word mnemonics strategy
To use letter or word mnemonics, you need to create a word of the initial letters of multiple words you are trying to memorise. You could even create a phrase with words starting with the same letters as the ones you want to remember.
Here is an example, which is also another useful top tip to help you with managing your learning. It is about setting SMART goals. SMART is the mnemonic and stands for
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound.
This is not only a clever mnemonic but also a great tool to effectively plan your learning.
Clever Mnemonics for students
This is our collection of different mnemonics which are useful for students who are studying for the NEBDN Dental Nursing Diploma as well as students aiming for the Access to HE Diploma in Health Professions.
Signs & Symptoms of Anaphylaxis: ALLERGIC
A = Abnormal breathing
L = Loss of consciousness
L = Laryngeal swelling
E = Extensive rash
R = Respiratory depression
G = Generalised flushing
I = Itching
C = Cramps
5 Divisions of the Facial Nerve branches: “Party To Zanzibar By Motor Car”⠀
= Posterior Auricular, Temporal, Zygomatic, Buccal, Mandibular, and Cervical branches.⠀
Crossbite may cause: JET DR
Joint damage, Enamel wear, Trauma to TMJ, Displacements, Recession
The causes of Shock: HAVANA
Hypovolaemia
Adrenal crisis
Vascular Stasis
Acute respiratory obstruction
Neurogenic
Anaphylaxis
Where are the Sinuses: Money For Excess Success
= Maxillary, Frontal, Ethmoidal & Sphenoid⠀
Different types of Leukocytes: Never Let Me Eat Bananas
Neutrophils Lymphocytes Monocytes Eosinophils Basophils.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Then you just need to remember that the Neutrophils, Eosinophils, and Basophils are all different types of Granulocytes,
which are the largest type of Leukocytes. ⠀
Assessment of Burns: SCALD
Size⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Cause⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Age⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Location⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Depth
First Aid -Primary Survey: DR ABC
Danger ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Response ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Airways ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Breathing⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Circulation/Compressions/Call an ambulance⠀
We hope you find our Mnemonics collection useful. If you are interested in our top tips on how to deal with study or exam stress, why not check out our blog post from January here?
