The total momentum is unchanged according to the law of conservation of momentum. When the gun is fired, the bullet gains a high velocity forward (positive velocity), and that velocity multiplied by its mass is the momentum the bullet gains. Therefore, the gun must gain a momentum backwards to cancel out that momentum forward, so the gun recoils back with a negative velocity.
I like to just keep writing them over and over on a page also if you remember them just before the exam than as soon as you start write them on the front of your test so you don’t forget them.
Hope this helps.