Memosyne was the Greek goddess of memory and the mother of the nine sister muses who presided over the arts and sciences. (Did she have trouble remembering all their names?) The words mnemonic (na-MON-ik) and mnemonics refer to any special methods used to assist the memory.
Memory systems are the electrical appliances of the study world. Just as dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and other conveniences have eliminated much housework drudgery, so memory aids can relieve you of much homework drudgery.