Whenever you want to memorize a list, you have to say it aloud over and over or write it down as often as possible. The 50 states' names is a long list to read over and over, but it's easier to have a specific song or phrase to help you memorize them in order.
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Method 1 of 2: Memorizing Fifty Names
Step 1. Listen to songs about the 50 states in the United States
You can find many songs about the 50 states in the United States in alphabetical order on the internet. This video uses a rhyming song, making it easier for you to learn it. Listen to this song if you just want to hear the song without the video, or if you prefer the tone. Listen to the song a few times and try singing it.
Step 2. Make a list of the states to help you learn the song
Look up lists of states online, or print them out on paper. Take your eyes off the paper and try singing yourself. When you forget, look again at your paper and find the name of the next state. Take your eyes off the paper again and continue singing.
Listen to the song again if you forget and get stuck
Step 3. Use a phrase
If the song doesn't help you remember the names of the states, come up with a phrase that will make it easier for you to memorize. The following is a phrase composed of the first letters of the names of the states in the United States: US PVC WOK MACHINING DATA 7M5N FAILS WW I TV WORK CON. See the full list of state names. Read the phrase repeatedly, then write the names in order.
- In this phrase, "7M5N" means "a list of 7 states starting with the letter M and 5 states starting with the letter N".
- PVC is a type of plastic, and WWI stands for "World War One." (If you know the meaning of the word, it will be easier for you to memorize the phrase.)
- These methods are known as "mnemonic devices" (pronounced "neh-mo-ik"), which means "memory aids."
Step 4. Find someone who can test you
Give a list of the names of the states to a family member or friend. Sing a song or say the names of the states while your family or friends look at the paper you gave them. Ask them to stop you when you miss a state name.
Step 5. Try an online quiz
The online quiz will teach you to spell the 50 names of the states, and you will be asked to type the names of the states correctly in order to get a score. Try to write down as many state names as you can in 10 minutes. When you can do it, try it in just 5 minutes.
Step 6. Create special sounds to remember difficult state names
When you can remember most of the names of the states, use this trick to remember the parts that are difficult for you. Find a phrase you know that sounds like the name of a state. For example, "Swing-and-a- Miss-issippi" or " I-ow-a- dollar to my brother" ("I owe a dollar"). Repeat this phrase, or insert the whole phrase into a song or as you say the names of the states to help you memorize.
Method 2 of 2: Memorizing the State Map
Step 1. Watch a video containing maps of all the states in the United States
Check out this video for a shortened version of the song. If you like learning through pictures or stories as well as songs, check out this video.
Step 2. Test yourself using a blind map
Look for a map of the United States with boundaries, but without state names. Print to multiple sheets of online maps if you don't have them in print. Write the names of the states according to their location, or use the order you learned from the video or your teacher. Check how much you did exactly, using either an atlas or an online drawing. Cross out the name of the state you wrote incorrectly, and replace it with the correct state name.
Step 3. Try an online quiz
Online quizzes will really help you memorize the names of the states and their positions on the map, without having to repeat the names of the states. Try this quiz, which lets you choose the level of difficulty ("study", "test", or "strict test"). Read the question, then click on a certain part of the image according to the name of the requested state.
Step 4. Create "connections" between states if you're having trouble
If you often forget a state name, try connecting it with the next state name you remember. The more creative you are in creating “connections” between the names of the states, the easier it will be for you to memorize them. for example:
- Consider " Washing dishes with oregano " to remember that Washington is next door to Oregon.
- Mention repeatedly "The O. K. Llama pokes the textbook" to remember that Oklahoma's shape looks like a finger sticking out to poke Texas.
Step 5. Focus on a specific part of the map
If there are some state names that are difficult for you to memorize, temporarily forget the parts you have memorized. Print out several sheets of blind maps and write down the names of the states that are difficult for you to memorize. Always check and correct the mistakes you make, repeat them many times until you can solve them properly. Do it this way on the hard sections, then do it all over the map of the United States, and you'll get good marks on your Geography exam.
