Saturday, January 17, 2015

I was an impossible case

Names! And I feel like I'm only doing this qualification attempt out of a desire for completeness. I really should make more of an effort to learn how to remember what people are called or what they look like.



I could have manufactured a better score for this by learning in advance the relatively small selection of names and faces that the training software provides, but there doesn't seem much point - presumably in the XMT itself we'll get all-new faces. If I had to qualify, perhaps I would have done that, but then again maybe I'd just have assumed I could get through on my scores in the other disciplines, just like I've done in every other memory competition I've ever competed in...

I missed my twice-daily training on Thursday and Friday because of having to work extra late (big rush to meet a deadline, not an accounting one but it was something everyone had to chip in with), but I'm back on song now. Next week is numbers! I'm very curious to see what the top score will be in that - I'm expecting something under 20 seconds...

3 comments:

Chris F said...

Still a decent score though Ben! Scores look a little more compressed so far this round although there are still a lot of names and faces specialists to post their scores.
I managed 15 which I was fairly happy with. The XMT training site has encouraged me to dust off my journeys after a 15 year gap from memorising so I can't complain with my scores so far! Had a disaster in cards, as I'm still getting to grips with my own P-A-O characters/actions which I only completed late last year. I agree with you that the images round is a good leveller in that you don't necessary need anything more than a journey or two, and some practice to have a go.

The numbers round next week will see those with the most tried and tested systems steam ahead. It's the systems that can hold up to the pressure of memorising numbers and cards very quickly and smoothly that will prevail - and that's where hours/days/months of practice can't be beaten.
best of luck for the last 2 rounds
Chris F

Zoomy said...

Chris, it's great to see you back in the memory world! Good luck with the numbers and words to you too, and it'd be great to see you at a competition! Would you fancy coming to the Friendly Memory Championship, date soon to be announced and almost certainly in June?

Chris F said...

Sounds great - I will definitely try and make it.
cheers
Chris