Imagine you’re taking a test and get stuck on a question. You know you know the answer, but cannot get it out of your brain no matter how hard you try. It’s frustrating, I know. So, here are some strategies that can help you avoid those kinds of scenarios.

So this February, adding to all the roses and chocolates, here is your informative article:

1. Green Tea!
Though the mechanism behind this is not clear, studies suggest that green tea has a favorable effect on the brain’s cognitive functions. And no, you don’t have to restrict yourself to just green tea–Ginger, peppermint, matcha, and black teas also have similar effects.

2. Write it down!
The “generation effect” proves that information is better remembered when it’s generated from one’s brain than when it’s read. If you start summarizing everything that you read, and write it down in your own words, you’re more likely to remember it.

3. Teach it to someone!
This has helped me retain so much information. Find someone who is patient and explain everything you remember about what you learned. This will help you understand the topic more clearly and help you find things that you are missing.

4. Make connections!
Make meaningful connections, and relate the new information with the information you already know. Relate it to something you will remember very well so you don’t forget. This could be an event, a place, a person, or even an object.

5. Use the Memory Devices!
There are different methods you are probably familiar with, like Acrostics, Chunking, and using flash cards. Whichever way feels the easiest for you, use that.

6. The Loci Method!
This method is proven to be a very effective memorization strategy. This method involves relating certain objects to locations that are familiar to you. For example, if you take the same route to school every day, relate the names of the streets or shops to the objects or topics you want to memorize in the order you see them. That way when you take the same route the next day, you will remember what you wanted to do. For example, if you see Dominos every day you go to school, and you’re trying to remember the name king or an emperor for your history test, imagine him/her eating a giant pizza. It has to be something bizarre for your brain to remember it quickly.

The memory palace method is very similar to the loci method, except you visualize a place, like your office or your house and then you relate the objects that you see, like your shoe rack, lamp, or living room with what you want to remember.

It’s important to note that it will take some time until you find the right method for you, but make sure to try all of them instead of stopping with only one, so you don’t miss out on the next test question.