Okay, so today I decided to mess around with memory and see how good (or bad) mine really is. I’ve been reading a bit about psychology and memory techniques, so I figured, why not put it to the test? I went for a simple “memory quiz” approach. Nothing fancy, just a good old-fashioned test of recall.
Getting Started
First, I needed something to memorize. I didn’t want anything too complicated, so I grabbed a random psychology textbook lying around my house from when my sister learned. I flipped to a page with a list of key terms and their definitions. Perfect! There were about 15 terms, which seemed like a good challenge without being totally overwhelming.
The Memorization Process
I spent about 10 minutes just reading through the list, trying to connect the terms to their definitions. I didn’t use any specific mnemonic devices or anything, just straight-up repetition and trying to understand the concepts. I read them aloud, whispered them to myself, and even tried to picture them in my head. It felt a little silly, but hey, all in the name of science (or, you know, self-amusement).
Taking the Quiz
- First I hide the book and wait for 5 minutes.
- Then, I grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a pen.
- I numbered it from 1 to 15, ready to write down as many terms and definitions as I could remember.
My heart actually started pounding a little bit! It was like being back in school, facing a pop quiz.
The Results (and a Dose of Reality)
I managed to remember about 8 of the 15 terms and their definitions correctly. A few others I got partially right – I could remember the term but struggled with the exact wording of the definition, or vice versa. And then there were a couple that were just…blank. Complete and utter mental voids. It’s need my sister to review again.
Final Thoughts
It was a humbling experience, to say the least. It definitely showed me that my memory isn’t as amazing as I might like to think it is. But it was also kind of fun! It felt good to challenge myself, even if I didn’t ace the “quiz.” It’s got me thinking about trying out some actual memory techniques, like the method of loci or spaced repetition, to see if I can improve. Maybe I’ll do a follow-up post if I do!
