We don’t all perceive the world in the same fashion. Actually, about 40 percent of the population is more sensitive to sight (visual), 30 to 40 percent reacts more to feeling (kinesthetic), and 20 to 30 percent is more receptive to sound (auditory).

Surprisingly, very few people are familiar with these three different types of memory. This is a pity, since many may have struggled a lot memorising things in a way that is not effective for them. In fact, by knowing the kind of memory you have, you could indeed make a better use of it. This applies to everyone, from students to CEOs of big enterprises, since we all have to deal with memory.

I realised I had an auditory kind of memory when in high school. It was a very tough school and I had a lot to study. Plus, I was also studying several languages (e.g. Chinese, Portuguese, Russian) at the same time. That was a reak breakthrough in my learning process and routine. Instead of reading my notes over and over again (which was very tyring and boring for me), I started recording myself while spontaneously making an organised speech out of those notes. When it was about learning some new vocabulary, instead, I simply recorded myself saying the word and its translation.

The disadvantage is that people you’re close enough to to tell them what you’re actually listening (your own voice saying strange things!) think that you’re kind of crazy… But it’s fine! They got used to it in my case!

There were many advantages, though. Movement helped me concentrating when I was tired so I could go running and studying at the same time. Before going to sleep (a key moment for memorisation), I could revise something important for the following day even inside the bed with closed eyes. When I travel, I do not have to carry with me anything heavier than my phone to go through the content again. With regards to languages, for me things simply sound right or wrong. Of course, I don’t know it all (far from that!), but I trust a lot that inner voice inside my head.

Now that I have to study a lot of terminology for interpreting assignments, even though people still find it crazy, I am more and more in love with my method and find it extremely helpful. Again, I think it really depends on the person and that each one should first understand what kind of memory they have and then find the most effective method to memorise things.

What type of memory do you have: visual, auditory or kinesthetic? Would you like to share your tricks to memorise things?