From the course: Learning Study Skills

Numeric peg system: Linking numbers to pictures

From the course: Learning Study Skills

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Numeric peg system: Linking numbers to pictures

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- In this video I'll show you how to memorize a 10 item grocery list. You might think it's difficult to remember such a list especially in order, but I want you to know that your brain is more than capable of memorizing this list with the help of a memory strategy called the Numeric Peg System. The Numberic Peg System can be used to memorize a list of items like the 10 shown here. But you can also use it to remember a presentation or things that you've read. The reason it's called the Numeric Peg System is because each number is going to get pegged to a visual, something you can picture in your mind. For example, the number one is going to be pegged to a pencil, something you can easily visualize. I need you to remember that right now that one is associated to pencil. Why? Because it has the same general shape as a pencil. Before we worry about memorizing the 10 item list we need to visualize each number. So remember that one is a pencil. Two is a swan. Again, this is simply because the number two happens to be shaped like a swan. Before we proceed, make sure that you've committed that to memory. Let's move on to number three. Three is McDonald's. You have to look at it sideways but I want you to associate the number three with the golden arches of McDonald's. And number four is a chair, it's upside down but I need you to remember that four is a chair. Let's move on to five. Five is a hook. This one is a little tricky, but picture the number five as a hook. The horizontal line at the top is the handle. Notice the pointy part of the hook, remember that five is a hook. Before we proceed here, make sure you're able to remember the first five. I'm going to review them for you right now. One is a pencil, two is a swan, three is McDonald's, four is a chair, and five is a hook. Now let's move on to six through ten. Remember the six is a cherry because the number six has a similar shape to a cherry. Seven is a lightning bolt. Just picture the lightning bolt as a series of sevens. And eight is a racetrack, even though it'd be kind of weird if the racetrack had an actual intersection here, unless there were some sort of bridge there but I need you to picture eight as a racetrack. And number nine is a balloon. Do you see the balloon there? Keep in mind, this memory technique only works if you make the mental effort to visualize the images. So make sure that you visualize the number nine as a balloon. Last one, ten. Ten is going to be associated with a plate and silverware, like a place setting. Or it can be a bowl and silverware, whatever you want. Now let's do a quick recap of six through ten to make sure you've remembered them. Remember that six is a cherry, seven is a lightning bolt, eight is a racetrack, nine is a balloon, and ten is a place setting, like a plate or bowl and silverware. Now that we've pegged numbers one through ten to visuals, let's move to the next step where we'll use these pictures to memorize a grocery list. We'll do this in the next video.

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