Memorizing

[Minjin]

When I went through grade school, we had to memorize the 10x10 multiplication table. I hear that kids nowadays have to learn 12x12 or 15x15 tables. What do you wish you had memorized in school? What are you glad that you were forced to memorize (and still know)? What do you still want to memorize but haven't gotten around to?

Something I never memorized and wish I had
-how many days are in each month

Something I'm glad I was forced to memorize
-the exact text of the first amendment

Something I want to memorize....I know them, but don't have them exactly memorized
-laws of motion
-laws of thermodynamics

Some things SHOULD be memorized. Sure, we can often puzzle our way through stuff or reason out the proper answer, but memorizing via rote (or method of loci) is sometimes the best method.


Oh, and as a little aside, what things have you memorized that tend to amaze people (even though it may not be all that amazing)?

 

[coldmeat]

Thirty days hath September, April, June and November, all the rest have 31, except February. Pretty easy to remember.

actually, works better like this:

30 day hath September
April, June, and November
All the rest have 31
except February

 

[OCGuy]

"If there is an adam's apple, or the hands are too big, its probably a dude."

 

[Ika]

Use your knuckles for the days of the month. January - first raised knuckle, february - intent between first and second knuckles, march - second knuckle, etc. When you get to July, double up the knuckle for August, then go on back down the hand. Each indent has 30 days (except for February, which has 28 except on leap years, 29), and each knuckle has 31.

 

[nageov3t]

there were lots of things I was "supposed" to memorize, I was always terribad at memorization... thought it was telling that I went from being a C student in grade school where it was all based on memorization/regurgitation of facts to being an A student in college, where demonstrating theory comprehension, understanding, and original insight were more important than repeating whatever the teacher just said five times.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Why do we have to memorize when we could just look it up online?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
Why do we have to memorize when we could just look it up online?

So, there is something left after your generation inherits the planet.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I rather know where to lookup something then memorize it. But that's just me.

 

[JohnCU]

like we say at work, you don't have to know something, just know where to find it

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
"If there is an adam's apple, or the hands are too big, its probably a dude."

Oh please, I know you got a boner for Anne Coulter.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I swear, there should be an elementary/middle school class on Google just so kids know how to find shit.

 

[GeekDrew]

I can't memorize *anything*. If it requires memorization, then I'll fail at it.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: JohnCU
like we say at work, you don't have to know something, just know where to find it

Yup. Check out an engineering handbook sometime. It's literally impossible to know everything about your field, but it is important that you know how to find the information you need.

I have to do a short writeup on a book called "An Introduction to the Design and Behavior of Bolted Joints, 3rd Edition." 950 pages. Yes, it is an "introduction" to the subject. The one bolt design problem we went over took either two or three full class periods to work through.

The ASTM Handbook set has an index book that is itself a few hundred pages long, just so that you can find the right ASTM handbook to use.


Unfortunately, our civilization is generating new information at an ever-increasing rate. Being able to find what you need, or even knowing what to look for, or if it exists at all, is becoming a bigger and bigger problem.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
I swear, there should be an elementary/middle school class on library science just so kids know how to find shit.

Fixed that for ya. The kids already know how to use Google. The problem is they think everything there is to know can be found on the intarweb.

 

[nycxandy]

Originally posted by: Aflac
Use your knuckles for the days of the month. January - first raised knuckle, february - intent between first and second knuckles, march - second knuckle, etc. When you get to July, double up the knuckle for August, then go on back down the hand. Each indent has 30 days (except for February, which has 28 except on leap years, 29), and each knuckle has 31.

I was taught this as well.

 

[IronWing]

There is this neat deal with a circle divided into six pie slices used to explain the relationships among all the trig identities. Unfortunately I never memorized it and have never been able to keep all the identities straight.

I learn the colors of the rainbow via a song. Unfortunately the song used the order reverse to ROYGBIV so I was always found ROYGBIV annoying.

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante
I swear, there should be an elementary/middle school class on library science just so kids know how to find shit.

Fixed that for ya. The kids already know how to use Google. The problem is they think everything there is to know can be found on the intarweb.

Name one thing that can't be found on the web.

 

[TallBill]

Some day I'd like to memorize the words to Animaniacs - Countries of the World.

 

[hiromizu]

I wish I had the ability to memorize where I put my.....reminders.....gahhhrg.....I fail at life.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Originally posted by: nycxandy

Originally posted by: Aflac
Use your knuckles for the days of the month. January - first raised knuckle, february - intent between first and second knuckles, march - second knuckle, etc. When you get to July, double up the knuckle for August, then go on back down the hand. Each indent has 30 days (except for February, which has 28 except on leap years, 29), and each knuckle has 31.

I was taught this as well.

That works but I know of a technology called a calendar. There are paper and electronic versions. They account for exceptions (like February only having 28 days), leap years, etc.

Actually here's an interesting one, if someone is born on February 29th, how do birthdays work?

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
That works but I know of a technology called a calendar. There are paper and electronic versions. They account for exceptions (like February only having 28 days), leap years, etc.

Actually here's an interesting one, if someone is born on February 29th, how do birthdays work?

My grandmother celebrated her 21st birthday sometime in the past few years.

...or maybe it was her 18th? I don't actually know what year she was born.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: loki8481
there were lots of things I was "supposed" to memorize, I was always terribad at memorization... thought it was telling that I went from being a C student in grade school where it was all based on memorization/regurgitation of facts to being an A student in college, where demonstrating theory comprehension, understanding, and original insight were more important than repeating whatever the teacher just said five times.

a lot of my college courses have been memorization... which i was fine at in grade school, nut am terrible at now, and has been hurting my grades.
class discussion is always theory and application, but in almost all my classes the tests and quizzes is memorization.

for foreign language, its mixed, and i've been sticking too memorization and is hurting me. if i can memorize just a little more i'll be more capable of applying concepts.
sucks though, when you don't have the most thorough understanding of all the strict rules of even your native language, makes constructing proper sentences in a foreign language difficult, which is basically necessary for the classroom environment, even if the native speakers of THAT language mess up the little things just like I do with English.
I'm great at language use in college papers, so don't judge me here. :laugh: With effort I can do well, but natural speaking doesn't always flow as easy when using strict guidelines.
That, and getting into participles, clauses, tenses, indirect/direct objects and other such concepts... all a big meh. I've always just done what was necessary with language to communicate the idea as clearly as possible, and as you age you learn from any mistakes, and up through this day have never had a super strict grammar instructor critique written material.

 

[BoomerD]

I can't seem to memorize a dammed thing nowadays...I don't know wtf is the matter...

My wife says my memory is the second shortest thing about me...I can't remember what she said was the first.:roll:

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: Aflac
Use your knuckles for the days of the month. January - first raised knuckle, february - intent between first and second knuckles, march - second knuckle, etc. When you get to July, double up the knuckle for August, then go on back down the hand. Each indent has 30 days (except for February, which has 28 except on leap years, 29), and each knuckle has 31.

Still do that to this day.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: TallBill
Some day I'd like to memorize the words to Animaniacs - Countries of the World.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC1qkLn6IRI
It's not that hard.