Study Skills--Mnemonic Devices

Mnemonic devices are great memory aiding tools. The term "mnemonic device" was named for Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. They theory behind these tools is to incorporate a series of separate ideas that by themselves are difficult to remember into one easy to remember list. There are six types of mnemonic devices which include: acronyms, acrostic, grouping, method of Loci, rhymes, and visual association.

Acronyms consist of taking the first letter from each word and spelling out a simple word or phrase.

An acrostic is a sentence developed by using the first letter of each word as a cue to a thought one needs to remember.

Grouping comprises creating lists on the basis of familiar characteristics.

The "Method of Loci" uses the items one needs to remember in an imaginary room or "route." As one remembers the information, the items get "picked up" as he or she mentally walks through the room or route.

Rhymes use the information to be memorized and create an easy to remember rhyme.

The final mnemonic device, visual association, links two ideas using images. This method allows one to remember sequences of unrelated items in the appropriate order.

Some common mnemonic device usage includes:

*"Roy G. Biv" (used to member the colors of the spectrum--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)

*"HOMES" (used to remember the names of the Great Lakes--Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior)

*"My Goat Eats Hay Not Corn Pops" (used to remember the order of the Spanish speaking countries in Latin America--Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama)

Mnemonic devices are excellent tools to use on a broad number of subjects in school. With the right amount of imagination and use of the information given, one can easily remember any number of facts.

--Whitney Black, Editor-in-Chief