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December 24, 2012 7:46 pm  #1


Canon as a mnemonic device

Thanks to BBC Sherlock, I have recently found myself immersed in everything related to Sherlock Holmes, not to mention the rereading of the entire canon. But, alas, the exams are closing in on me and I may not get the pleasure of being around here as much as earlier

The only solace is that I've found a way to be in the ever soothing Sherlockian world and to make the dry subjects interesting and easy to study at the same time by connecting the Canon stories in every possible manner with the latter, be it story titles, characters, plots, facts, years or what not! And it works brilliantly

Last edited by holmes23 (December 24, 2012 7:50 pm)


 
 

December 24, 2012 8:53 pm  #2


Re: Canon as a mnemonic device

That is fascinating. How have you managed to link them up so far?

Good luck with your exams by the way, what are you studying for?


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'Non Solum Ingenii Verum Etiam Virtutis'
                
 

December 25, 2012 8:17 am  #3


Re: Canon as a mnemonic device

Thanks Mnemosyne. I'm doing a basic level course in Accountancy, Banking and Business Management.

I usually rely on some memory techniques to learn things especially by associating them with things that I'm familiar with in my real life. Since I was engrossed in the Canon recently, the first things that come to my mind as cues for learning my study materials are from Canon.

I have to admit that many a time they are far fetched and bear little on the subject matter. But in my mind I find some weird connections!

Topics like 'Recruitment of staff', 'Holding a conference', 'Recovery of debts',  bring to my mind the titles 'The Redheaded League' 'The Vally of Fear' and 'The Sign of Four' respectively because of some of the plot elements.

Sometimes I create silly stories of SH and JW and some other major characters too feature in, for learning a chain of items. For example, in Accountancy, I have to memorise the items in the Balance Sheet in the right order, so I will say myself  how SH got some money in his hand and how he deposited it(money) at bank, and how he expected to get some bills(receivable) for his service and because of these affluence how he readily gave some money to JW to do investment in gold fields in South Africa, etc etc...

Thanks to Sherlock, I sometimes use 221 B as a basis for the loci method(though very inchoate)

With regards to memorising some years in the 19th and early 20th century, it's needless to say that I use years like 1854, 1887, 1895, 1902, 1930 etc as pegs.

I know it may sound silly and crazy , but I don't mind as long as it works

Merry Christmas to you all


 
     Thread Starter
 

December 25, 2012 1:44 pm  #4


Re: Canon as a mnemonic device

You can never be too silly or crazy when it comes to mnemonics! The weirder the better in most cases. The importance of them comes from the meaning you ascribe to them. Other people may not be able to use that same mnemonic device or train of thought but that does not render your logic useless. Like you said; if it works for you that is all that matters.

I had massive trouble with numbers myself as a child (hideously bad, at 9 I had the reading ability of a 16 year old but couldn't add up the same column of numbers twice without getting three different answers*sigh*) so I would change numbers to letters so I wouldn't get them mixed up. Four would become 'fort' and distinguishable from 'heaven' (seven) and so on. I don't need this any more but it worked at the time.

Merry Christmas 


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'Non Solum Ingenii Verum Etiam Virtutis'
                
 

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