#memorising

It is Wednesday my dudes *sounds of the void*

So I had to learn these endings in less time than I’d’ve liked, but here are in my opinion the two best/worst (your opinion) songs to quickly memorise the Classical Greek Declension endings:)

First & Second Declension

Extensive. Quick. Catchy? Strangely American but we love it.

Third Declension

Childhood 10/10. Weird but catchy? 567/10 for acronyms. Osi (you’ll know if you watch)

Thank you for your time and hope this helped someone or just made you laugh :)

28/04/2019

06.01.2019.

85/100 days of productivity

reread notes for tomorrows exam

memorised flashcards

cooked dinner

washed clothes

Step 1: Try to memorise as much as you can first

Step 2: Test yourself 3 days later and memorise again if you still can’t remember

Step 3: Repeat

Not random at all! This is actually a pretty usual question to ask, and I come to answer it armed with information from the many, many talks and workshops that past schools and college have sent me to on revision and memory improvement.

Art’s Top Four Quick and Dirty Tips for Memorising:

Chunk it: take what you need to learn word for word and break it down into little pieces. Learn each piece, and then go from the top. So if you needed to learn “Stars, hide thy fires. Let light not see my deep and dark desires.” you would learn “Stars, hide thy fires.” until you had it off by heart, and then learn the second part and recite the whole thing.

Visual connotations. (personally I find that this is best used in connection with the top one, but can be used alone) Break the text down into small images that you associate with the key phrases or words and stick/doodle them on one side of a piece of paper. Write the line/paragraph that you are trying to memorize on the other side. Try to recite it based off of the pictures, filling in the words that you need, before checking to see if you’ve got it right. Your brain is better at storing images than words, and very good at making connections between the two; if you can visualize the images, you should be able to remember what you need to.

Spacial Connotations: If you watch Sherlock, you’ll know that Mr Holmes has a mind palace that he goes to, in which he stores loads of information. An average brained human like you and I can’t really do that, but we can come close. Stand in a room and point at objects, giving each object a word or phrase; if you need to, stick an image or post-it note on the object but only for the first few times. The goal is, once you can point to every object in the room and recite the phrase connected to it, you’ll be able to visualize the room when you’re in your exam, speech, or whatever other reason you need to recall something verbatim for, and use the visualisation for recall.

Context-dependent memory: if any of you reading this (or you, Nonny) do Psychology, you might be familiar with this concept. The place in which you learn or think something is very important, because your brain connects that information with all of the other input coming from the room around you. It’s why when you think of going upstairs to get your pen, and you’re in the kitchen, you remember what you need to do (kitchen being the context) but once you’re upstairs you forget (you’re out of context). So, make the area in which you are memorizing as similar to the area in which you will need to recall the information as you can.

*SINCERITY*: Make sure that the intention you are making is *_only for the sake of Allah, The Almighty, to seek His Pleasure_* so that in shaa Allah, with His Mercy, we will be _rewarded in the Aakhirah._ It is not to show off to the world that you have memorized.

*CONSISTENCY*: The *_more frequently you memorize, the easier it becomes._*

*TIMING*: The best time to memorize is *_right after Fajr._* This way *_you will have the whole day to keep revising_* whenever you remember the task.

*ATMOSPHERE*: Have a secluded place to go to and *_memorize in a place that is quiet._*

*FAMILIARITY*: Start at the _same time, at the same place._ Stick to just *_one copy of the Glorious Qur’an._* This is because man memorizes things by sight as well as by hearing. *_The form of the Aayaah and their locations on the page of the Qur’an are stamped in one’s mind because of the frequent repetition and the act of looking at the copy itself._* Thus, if one changes his copy or memorizes from more than one, his memorization will not be so easy or good enough.

*NO MAGIC TRICK*: *_Repeat, repeat, repeat, over and over again. This is the key to memorization._*

*MEMORIZE WITH THE MEANING*: *_Read the translation_* _before you start and try to match the Arabic words with their meanings._

*SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE RECITATION*: *_Listen to the reciter over and over_*, before you start to memorize and then repeat after him.

*FIND A RECITATION BUDDY*: Get *_a friend, a family member or someone you know who will listen to your recitation every day or someone Who is also trying to memorize._* This way, you both can _compete and Check on each other's lessons everyday._

*RECITE DAILY IN YOUR SALAAH* what you have memorized or recite frequently in front of others.

*DO NOT JUMP AROUND*: _Be consistent. Don't try to go to another surah till you can connect It's beginning to It's end._

_*Once you memorize the Aayaah, it won't get solid in your heart until you repeat it many many times till it enters the deepest part of your brain. So always keep revising from the begining.*_

_*Memorizing new Aayaah everyday without revising the old ones, is similar to pouring water into a cup which is already full.* Therefore, keep connecting the old and new Aayaah everyday and after you learn new Aayaah, go back to the first Aayah and revise until you recite it without mistakes._

_*Remember, MEMORIZING AND REVISING THE QUR'AN IS FOR LIFETIME. Revising is more important than memorizing.*_

Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Prophet (salAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said,

_"The example of the person who memorize the Qur'an is like the owner of tied camels. If he keeps them tied, he will control them, but if he releases them, they will run away."_

*So you must keep reciting the Qur'an because it escapes from the hearts of people faster than camels that are released from their lead ropes."*