Memory Training

Today I had a class called "Memory Training". It is an one credit hour class just for this Saturday, but from eight in the morning until five in the afternoon. After getting 50 minutes late for class (or on time for Brazilian time) we had class until almost two (technical problems with the computer). The teacher was explaining techniques on how to remember stuff. That's everything the class was about. It was pretty interesting I have to say, and it worked for the first exercise. I can't really say if it works or not, because I haven't used it yet. But he showed me some ways to use it for Chinese (the most interesting one was using a grid) since we have to memorize all these symbols.

The only thing that made me think was that all that class he was saying about Acing a test because you memorized stuff and these methods to "learn stuff faster". But I always kept thinking that it's not learning, it's memorizing. And how different these two are.

For example, I can learn the properties of distribution in math by understanding how Algebra works and the proof that shows how we get there, and never forget it. OR, I can memorize it using the Acronym FOIL (First, outside, something, left... I don't know) and never forget. But they are totally different things.

I will never forget what I read (in one of the only books I read) in one of the books of Sherlok Homes where he said that our brain is like a basement of a house. You can keep saving stuff in, but eventually you will start running out of space. That is why he would only "learn" useful things for him, but he would careless about what are the planets on the Solar System.

Note: The best part of all this, I was trying to remember what's the name of these "techniques", but I forgot it.