Retaining information is closely linked to academic success since exams are designed to determine what you’ve retained from classroom lectures and personal study. Remembering what you’ve studied is also important when you enter the workforce after college.

Utilizing these strategies will help you improve memory retention:

• Make the information meaningful
  Students often struggle retaining information because it is unclear or confusing. It is difficult to remember concepts that are not completely understood. In order to remember new information presented to you, re-summarize the information you’re learning in your mind into your own words. If you are unable to do this, it is a good sign that you do not fully comprehend the concept you’re attempting to learn.
• Organize the information
  To better retain information, organize it into categories you’ll easily remember. For example, if you are trying to memorize words for a foreign language class, classify words together that have similar meanings or fall under similar categories. This will enable you to associate words with certain categories. Organized information is easier to retain than random information.
• Use pictures to improve memory
  It’s easier to remember a picture rather than details from a book or a lecture. Visualization is one strategy that can be used to remember information read or spoken during a lecture. This strategy is especially useful when studying abstract or confusing subjects. To do this, create images in your mind that relate to, or have similarities to, the abstract concept. Visualizing information read or relayed to you will imprint it in your mind, increasing the likelihood you’ll remember it.
• Active Studying
  In order to remember or learn a concept, you must practice active studying. If you are passive in your study habits, it will be very difficult to remember what you read or hear during a lecture. One way to be an active studier is to teach information you are studying to classmates in a study group. You can also critically analyze material you’re studying by contrasting it with correlating details or coming up with questions about what you’ve learned. By implementing active study strategies into your personal study, you’ll enhance your ability to retain confusing or complicated concepts.
• Frequent Reviewing
  All college students cram for tests at one time or another during college. Although many people cram before tests, it is not an effective test preparation strategy. It is very difficult to retain information long-term after cramming. The key to memory retention is to frequently review notes and other study materials weeks or days before tests. If possible, review notes immediately following lectures and jot down or highlight information that will probably show up on a test. You should also adapt this strategy after completing textbook reading assignments by reviewing information you highlight and chapter headings. Through repetitive review and study, you will eventually begin to retain the information being learned.
• Mnemonic devices
  Many people use mnemonic devices to remember specific details from lectures and reading. Mnemonic devices work by relating facts with short phrases, words that rhyme, or anything else an individual is familiar with. For example, if an important definition that will appear on a test rhymed with the last name of your favorite movie star, you could use this mnemonic device to remember the word. Many people also use acronyms to remember important details.

Many students use acronyms when memorizing facts. Acronyms are shortened phrases representing longer words or phrases. Each letter represents a separate word in the phrase. For example, FBI stands for Federal Bureau of Investigation. Acronyms do not need to be real words.

 

Ref:

http://www.educationcorner.com/improving-your-memory.html