Photographic Memory?

Okay so when I revise I make mind maps and after doing this I can visualise them and read everything off them, even in the exams. I didn't realise this wasn't the normal way of remembering things until my friend said her way. This explains quite a lot of things, such as why I was so bad at pronouncing in my Spanish coursework (because I was reading it, so was just saying it in an English way). Who else does this? What is this?

Okay so when I revise I make mind maps and after doing this I can visualise them and read everything off them, even in the exams. I didn't realise this wasn't the normal way of remembering things until my friend said her way. This explains quite a lot of things, such as why I was so bad at pronouncing in my Spanish coursework (because I was reading it, so was just saying it in an English way). Who else does this? What is this?

Are you joking? Visualising things is the most normal way of remembering information. I do it all the time and it's a much better method for me because drawing it out helps me revise it thoroughly.
After finishing my mind maps I tend to not have to return to them because the informations all stuck in my head.
Do it more often.

Ah okay that's cool just was quite confused as she said she just had to read everything over and over again. Yeah same here, they are definitely a great way of revising, but I didn't use to actually look at them if that makes sense, I just used them as a way of getting the information in my head, but now it makes it a lot easier. Thanks for your help!

Your brain is just memorising patterns and you have probably become accustomed to it overtime. It is a great way of acing exams though, I personally write down information on index cards and number them. During exams, I filter the cards into topics and what card I need to get full marks.

Okay so when I revise I make mind maps and after doing this I can visualise them and read everything off them, even in the exams. I didn't realise this wasn't the normal way of remembering things until my friend said her way. This explains quite a lot of things, such as why I was so bad at pronouncing in my Spanish coursework (because I was reading it, so was just saying it in an English way). Who else does this? What is this? Slightly freaked out now, idek..

I admit that a photographic memory has the advantage that learning by memorization is the best effective way, if it matters to keep (important) informations in mind. But to learn languages, I guess it is not so effective. Learning languages means not to learn some informations about grammars or a lot of vocabularies, declinations and conjugations only, it rather means to learn the different ways of expressions, the understanding and the pronounciation and that works with reading and talking best. Learning to talk in a foreign language by using it frequently is more effective than learning the rules of a foreign language by memorization - even if you have a photographic memory.

Yeah, that's very true as it would be much better to have language skill up to the point that you don't even have to think about it than having to hesitate piecing together the rules. That's why I'm not sure about Spanish A-Level as you have to be much better than GCSE and it's hard to know from GCSE if you're a linguist. Coursework is just Google Translate and memorising it mainly, then for the exam you just have to know words xD (& My pronunciation is awful)

I see. If you have no language skills for speaking Spanish and not even the circumstances to improve your understanding, pronounciation and knowledge of vocabularies by talking with class mates or another people in this foreign language, it is hard to get fluent in it. From this point of view, I would drop Spanish at A-level, if I were you.

Okay, thank you, I don't have anyone around that could help really so I agree it would be tough and I probably wouldn't do too great. Not really sure which ones to go for though, was thinking Biology (to go in to environmental science/global warming research/marine biology), Maths (always been a strength, enjoy it and it's useful in lots of areas), Photography (one of my big passions, maybe go into photojournalism/media/campaigning/advertising) and then one other good one/ academic one. Any ideas? Sorry for asking a lot of things but you give good advice

A photographic memory means that you basically take a photo of stuff you would like to remember in your head. I know people like this, who can write a page of notes and basically have a picture of that sheet in their heads. It's perfect resolution and they can visually see every word and colour of it. An iodetic memory is more to do with just knowing everything you have been told or have seen recently. If you only have to look at it a couple of times to remember it, its a photographic memory. If you have to labour over it and only remember by travelling across your mindmap (remembering what points are attributed to which lines/key word/shapes/colours), that's unlikely to be a photographic memory, but a visual learning type.

Thanks for the explanation. I think mine is probably photographic too as I look at the sheet once or twice and can see all my writing, images and diagrams in my head on that sheet in the exam or whenever, then my mind zooms in to the part I need. Definitely doesn't take much labouring so I am glad I found out now as I can really utilise it more and know to visualise them in the test, instead of just content memorising off them. Thanks for clarifying the different versions

Yeah that sounds like a photographic memory to me. Just for clarification, when I, as someone without a photographic memory, make a mindmap, I remember the concepts and key ideas of points I made as I travel across teh mandmap. I assume that you literally "read off" the points from the photo in you mind? Just so I can understand it better, you see

pretty sure i have this, i read stuff once or twice and can remember them for the exam, like i can see the page in my mind

Yeah, that's right, it's like reading in front of you and you're looking at the different parts, while it's in your head, but you still have your eyes open and can look at your surroundings too. As if you're imagining a tropical beach visually but instead it's your mindmap/normal note page, it's strange. I've never actually acknowledged it before yesterday, but that's how it works, for me anyway. Sorry for the iffy explanation but it's so hard to explain as it's more of a multitasking thing and I find it hard to understand how myself.

No, that was genuinely really clear, not iffy at all. That is what i assumed it was, but obviously as someone without it, I will never truly understand. I suppose that's lucky for you! It can be quite frustrating for people without photographic memories, as they often put in a lot more hours, yet receive worst grades, but i personally think that we all got given our method so we had better just get on with it