Alternative methods of memorization

I have used the method of loci for university and its been very helpful, however I don’t find it to be overly useful for detailed long term memory. I can always recall a little bit about a subject I learned a few years ago but I couldn’t tell you exact dates or other numbers, or names of certain places and such. Its a great way to study in my opinion, as I am a history major and have much memorizing to do. I actually learned about this in a class of mine, looked it up and thought I’d try it. For example on my midterms this semester I got a 99% on Tudor England and a 104% on Europe post WWII, all by using this memory technique. So that leads to your question, and the answer is yes. This very well could change the way we teach students, I think you are on to something here. I too have an idea about how to change learning, that is teach high school students to speed read, that way they won’t be so over whelmed in college. Not to mention that reading a lot increases your vocabulary, writing abilities and promotes proper speech. I think that implementing both of these methods would advance learning greatly. I mean right now test rates and literacy is terrible, there are many kids who are not learning at the appropriate level and they say its all about funding. These techniques would not take much funding at all and would allow the upper levels to prepare for college better. I am way less overwhelmed as a senior who can speed read and memorize everything quickly than I was as a freshman who had to read and study very seriously and carefully. @brett,

@brett, I curious what the man taught you if it took studying down to 20 minutes. My university says you should study 3 hours for every 1 hour in class, now that is a lot of time considering how many classes people take. So if memorization techniques became part of the education system at an early age it would save many students time as well as raise grades and general intelligence.
It is rather amazing what our brains are capable of when they get going on some thing, kind of like when people say “I’m in the zone” and their mind is working so well and they see everything they need to do. It would sure change the world if everyone thought like that, I mean how much more productive would we all be.
Alas, the problem is how to get this information out there, I have had teachers talk about memory techniques people used in my lectures but never do they advocate them and I wonder is it because they don’t think it works or because they were never curious enough to try. I tried though and I say the exploration of study skills from memory tricks to flash cards to speed reading, if you try them you’ll find a combination that works and you’ll be successful.
I basically had this same thought though but with speed reading. O the time it would free