How to Use Mnemonics to Remember Long Lists
You are in the exam hall. The invigilator is walking up and down, looking for who to catch. You’ve read your books. You actually prepared.
But when you look at Question 3, your mind goes completely blank.
You know the answer. It’s on the tip of your tongue. But the pressure of WAEC or JAMB makes it disappear. It’s painful.
This happens to the best of us. But there is a way to fix it. You don’t need to have a “photographic memory” or be a genius. You just need a cheat code.
That cheat code is called Mnemonics.
In this guide, I’m going to show you exactly how to use Mnemonics to remember long lists, complex definitions, and those annoying scientific names that just won’t stick.
What Actually is a Mnemonic?
Forget the big grammar. A mnemonic (pronounced ne-mon-ic) is just a memory shortcut.
Think of it as a hook.
Your brain struggles to hold onto random information like a list of 15 chemical elements. It’s slippery. But if you turn that list into a funny song, a weird story, or a simple word, your brain can “hook” onto it easily.
If you’ve ever used “MR NIGER D” in Biology to remember the characteristics of living things, you’ve already used a mnemonic. You just didn’t know the fancy name for it.
Here are the best methods I’ve found that actually work for Nigerian students.
1. The Acronym Method (The “MR NIGER D” Style)
This is the most popular method for a reason. It works.
You take the first letter of every word in the list you want to remember and form a new, pronounceable word.
How to do it: Let’s say you are studying Government or Civic Education and you need to remember the functions of a specific body.
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Write out the list.
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Circle the first letter of each keyword.
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Rearrange them until they spell a word.
Real-life Example: In Economics or Commerce, remembering the aids to trade (Banking, Insurance, Transport, Warehousing, Advertising, Communication).
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Banking
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Insurance
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Transport
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Warehousing
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Advertising
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Communication
Rearrange it to BATWIC. It sounds like a weird company name, right? But in the exam hall, once you remember “BATWIC,” you can unspool the whole list.
This strategy is a lifesaver when you are trying to prepare for an exam in a short time, as it compresses huge chunks of notes into single words.
2. The Sentence Method (Acrostics)
Sometimes, the first letters don’t form a nice word. They form gibberish like “XGTPZ.” You can’t pronounce that.
This is where the Sentence Method comes in. You use those letters to make a funny or weird sentence. The weirder, the better.
The Classic Example: Remember learning the order of the planets?
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My Very Eyes May Just See Under Nine Planets.
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(Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto).
Note: I know Pluto isn’t a main planet anymore, but the rhyme still sticks, doesn’t it?
Pro Tip: Use Nigerian context. If you need to remember a list starting with F, B, E, M, don’t use boring English words. Use something like: “Father Bought Eba Morning.”
Your brain remembers funny, relatable things much faster than boring textbook facts.
3. The Story Method (Linking)
This is one of the most powerful techniques, but it takes a bit of creativity.
If you have a random list of items that don’t fit together, create a story that links them. You must visualize this story in your head.
Let’s say you need to remember these items for a chemistry practical or a history timeline:
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Lion
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Table
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River
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School
Don’t just repeat the words. Create a movie in your head: “Imagine a big Lion standing on top of a Table, floating down a River that flows directly into your School.”
It sounds crazy. But I promise you, when you sit for that exam, you will remember the lion on the table.
This method effectively combats the urge to just “cram and pour,” which is one of the 10 effective study habits every student should develop to avoid failure.
4. The Rhyme and Song Method
Have you noticed you can remember the lyrics to a Wizkid or Burna Boy song after hearing it twice, but you can’t remember a definition you read ten times?
Music sticks.
If you have a difficult formula in Math or Physics, put it to a tune. It doesn’t have to be a Grammy-winning song. It just needs a rhythm.
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“SOH CAH TOA” is a form of rhyme/acronym for Trigonometry.
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“Thirty days hath September…” is how we all remember the calendar.
If you are struggling with a specific list, record yourself singing it on your phone. Listen to it while you’re doing chores or trekking to class.
Why Mnemonics Sometimes Fail (And How to Fix It)
I need to be honest with you. Mnemonics aren’t magic. Sometimes they fail.
Here is usually why: You made the mnemonic too complicated.
If your “shortcut” is harder to remember than the actual answer, you have wasted your time.
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Keep it short.
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Keep it simple.
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Don’t force it.
Also, don’t try to create a mnemonic for everything. Use them only for the lists and facts that refuse to stay in your head. For deep understanding of concepts, you still need to actually study and understand the material.
According to research by University of Central Florida, the key is organization—reorganizing the information in a way your brain prefers.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for exams in Nigeria is stressful. The syllabus is huge, and the time is short.
But you don’t have to carry the weight of the whole textbook on your head. Use these tools. Break the information down.
Start small. Pick one difficult list you are struggling with right now (maybe from Biology or Government). Try the “Sentence Method” on it. See if it sticks.
If you need to check the syllabus to know exactly which lists are compulsory, you can always check the official JAMB IBASS website for the most current topics.
You’ve got this. Good luck!
