Memory : Date Linking

One way to remember a date is to consciously link it to a date or fact that you already know. For example, you could remember someone's birthday by remembering that it is exactly two months and two days after your birthday. There are many dates (birthdays, holidays, anniversaries) that you already know, and it is very easy to link new dates to these using simple mathematics. The linking method works for two reasons. First, it associates a date with another date that you will never forget (for example, your own birthday!). Second, simply figuring out the association will keep you thinking about the date long enough for it to get into your long term memory.



You can also link dates to important facts. For example, if your sports buddy has a birthday on April 9th, you could remember that April 9 is 4/9 which is the 49ers -- San Francisco's football team.