Facts and quotes play a crucial role in substantiating your arguments in an essay, but remembering them all often proves difficult.
The most problematic way in which students attempt to do this is by reciting the facts in a 'rote learning' fashion. The issue with this is that the connection between fact and argument is lost.
A strong student will link their facts to relevant arguments. For example, a 20% rise in industrial growth between 1928-1940 in Soviet Russia (untrue) can be linked with the assertion that economic policy failed on its targets. Rather than just remembering the numbers, this student will make their assertion and will be able to recall this fact as they had linked them together in their preparation.