Short Term memory vs. Long term memory

Short term
Basically anything you see, hear, touch, or experience enters almost instantly (in 1/4 of a second) into your short term memory. We have short term memories so we can use something immediately and then forget it if we no longer need to know it. We use it to recognize or understand something right at the moment that we're faced with it. Everything, essentially, starts with short term memory. The average person can store 5-9 things at a time in this storage place. These pieces of information, however, can be very easily forgotten in the instant that you learn something new, if you get it confused with something else or simply after a relatively short period of time (a few seconds!). Sadly, it's much easier to forget than to remember, since forgetting does not take any energy or concentration.

Long term
Your long term memory is where you keep all the memories and facts that you use to define who you are. Your first memory as a child, the first love letter you ever wrote or received, the time you broke your arm - it's all in there. While we can't explain for sure why we recall certain things and not others, we do know some things about long term memory. Information passes through short term to get to long term. What information makes it into long term? There are two main theories to answer this question; rehearsal and meaning. If you repeat the piece of information and practice it, it will likely enter your long term memory. If the information means something to you, either emotionally or for your survival, it will probably make its way into long term storage. One way we can "sneak" something into long term memory is to turn it into something unusual, vivid or outstanding. If it's differentiated from the plethora of other information you encounter daily, it stands a better chance of sticking. Rehearsal, however, is the only sure fire way to transfer information. Effective rehearsal involves using as many senses as possible; say the item you want to remember out loud, draw it, explain it someone, touch it...you get the picture!