One way to help the brain remember is to put the information into your own context. You can do this by creating an image in your mind around the information you are trying to remember. Give the image three dimensions, sound, scent, movement, taste, and bright colors. Making the image appeal to all of your senses will force you to use more of your brain and will help you remember the information. It also helps to make the image a pleasant one, as pleasant images are said to be easier to remember.
Create a rhyme or a song to help you remember the information. Think about one of the first things you memorized, the alphabet. The alphabet song helped you remember that long string of 26 letters. Without the song, it would have been much harder to remember them in the correct order. Another example is the "bone" song you may have learned as a child that goes "the hip bone connected to the thigh bone" which helps teach anatomy to children.
When trying to remember a list of words, you can use acronyms. Take the first letter of each word and form a word, or acronym, by putting the first letters together. For example, if you are trying to remember a list of names such as Samuel, Paul, Adam and Steve, your acronym could be SPAS. This will not only help you remember the number of items you need to know, but also gives you a clue as to what letter it starts with.
If you have taken notes in class or from your readings, rewrite and reorganize your notes. Put them onto flash cards and study them by going through the flash cards. Have somebody help you study. Saying the information out loud and teaching it to somebody else will greatly increase your chances of retaining the information.