Creating templates can be useful for jogging your memory on what to expect from ATC. For example, writing things like this on a piece of paper:
Code:
What to say: Facility name: New York Approach Who you are: Cessna 431AC Where you are: 35 miles to the North East at 9,000 feet. What you want: Request transition Bravo airspace to ...
Code:
What to expect: Cleared for Bravo: Yes / No Squawk: Altimeter: Heading to fly: Altitude to fly:
And filling in the blanks the moment you hear them back is useful. Then you can either set the bug on your instruments (if you have them) and/or cross-check your flight path with what you've written down.
Practice makes perfect!
If you're going to fly through busy terminal airspace remember that instructions come quickly and they will expect you to respond quickly too.