Many recall techniques, such as the hand on nose, finger through palm, and finger counting.
Well, these aren't really recall techniques for starters. They're reality checks, which you use to test if you are awake or not.

As for your WILDing problem, attempting it from a WBTB is much more likely to give you results. Make sure you're not TOO awake, but not too sleepy either. If the outside noises disturb you, I would suggest wearing earplugs or something of that nature. Visualizing dream scenes could help with actually entering the dream, though there are other techniques such as counting down from a hundred and focusing on your breathing.

Stressing out over it can hinder your progress, though. WILDing is a very difficult technique for many, and you shouldn't get too anxious if it doesn't work at first. It took me close to a year to have my first WILD, if I remember correctly. Just keep trying; Practice makes perfect!