If you can organize ideas or facts into meaningful categories it can be easier to recall. The best way to memorize materials is to approach it with enthusiasm and interest, gather the critical information and create a working comprehension of the ideas. Students have used tricks and wordplays for centuries, so they must work. Acronyms are a favorite technique. This technique is taking the first letter for a group of words and spelling a new word.
Association can also trigger memory.
By recalling something you already know and making a mental link to what you are trying to learn, you can help yourself recall the new information. For example, the combination to my gym locker is the age of my dog minus the number of dates I had last year plus the score on my first calculus test. Chunking is another useful memory technique. For example, phone numbers are easy to remember because there are 7 numbers. Try to remember groups of items in chunks of more than 9, and your brain gets confused.