How to Remember Important Formulas: A Smart Student’s Guide

For students preparing for competitive exams like NEET, JEE, or board exams, remembering formulas is often a major challenge. These formulas are the building blocks of subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. But instead of memorizing them blindly, you can use smart strategies to understand and retain them for the long term. Here’s how:

1.Understand Before You Memorise

One of the biggest mistakes students make is trying to memorize formulas without understanding their meaning or derivation. For example, the formula for kinetic energy, KE = ½ mv², becomes much easier to remember when you understand what mass and velocity represent and how energy is calculated from them. Understanding the logic behind a formula helps you recall it naturally during exams.

2.Create a Formula Book

Dedicate a small notebook or a section of your study journal to only formulas. Divide it subject-wise and update it regularly. Writing formulas down helps reinforce memory. You can review this notebook weekly to keep all important formulas fresh in your mind.

3.Use Mnemonics and Shortcuts

Mnemonics are memory aids that simplify complex information. For example, to remember the trigonometric identities, students often use phrases like “Some People Have Curly Brown Hair Through Proper Brushing” to recall sin = P/H, cos = B/H, tan = P/B. These fun shortcuts stick in your brain more easily than the formulas themselves.

4.Practice Regularly

The more you use a formula, the more familiar it becomes. Solve a variety of problems that require the use of the formula. Repetition builds confidence and reduces the chances of forgetting during the exam. Flashcards can also help—write the formula on one side and its name or use-case on the other.

5.Use Visual Aids and Posters

Stick formula charts on the walls of your study space. Use colored markers to highlight key formulas. Visual memory is powerful—when you see something often, it becomes part of your long-term memory. Especially for formulas in Geometry, Physics, and Chemistry, diagrams and visuals can help you link concepts faster

6.Teach What You Learn

One of the best ways to remember something is to explain it to someone else. Teach a friend, a sibling, or even just pretend you’re teaching. When you explain a formula and its application, your brain processes the information more deeply, improving retention.

7.Connect Formulas to Real-Life Examples

Try to connect abstract formulas with real-world experiences. For example, relate Newton’s second law F = ma to pushing a shopping cart. The more force you apply, the faster it moves—this helps in understanding and remembering the formula.

Conclusion

Remembering formulas is not about rote memorisation—it’s about consistent practice, smart techniques, and making connections. By following the above strategies, you can build strong memory habits that will not only help in exams but also in understanding the subjects deeply. Keep reviewing, keep practicing, and you’ll never forget the important formulas again.