If you’re in high school, chances are you’ve got a test right around the corner. Instead of stressing out about it and cramming at the last minute to try and remember all the little details, try following this one little tip: picture it. The mind is a very complex machine, and so is memory. However, by using your imagination, you can memorize anything you want.

While reading a book on memory, I stumbled upon the most brilliant and underused part of the brain: imagination. The author of this book declared that he could get the reader to memorize a list of ten random words in just a few minutes. And here’s the kicker: as long as they wanted to remember them, they would. Sounds crazy, right? I thought so to, but just try it! For example, here is a list of ten random words:

• Heart

• Orange

• Wings

• Baby

• Blanket

• Bird

• Sneeze

• Cell

• Tree

• Face

Now here’s what you do. For each word, picture a crazy, exaggerated image in your mind that represents that word. Then move on to the next word, creating an image that plays off of the one before. You’re basically creating a story of pictures in your head and once you’ve finished, you’ll be able to remember all of the words in order on the list. Can’t picture it? Here’s an example story for this one:

A giant heart was floating in the sky, flapping its bright, orange wings. Suddenly a baby falls out of the sky wrapped in a blanket and bounces on the heart. Then a bird comes along and picks up the baby. As they are flying, the baby sneezes. A small cell falls to the ground, and where it lands a tree forms. This tree is special, though, because as it grows a face appears and yells “Timber!”

It’s easier to remember the list if you use your own images as opposed to images that someone else provides. If you find that you keep forgetting something on the list, go back and make the image crazier! Try making some random lists with your friends and you’ll see that it really works! I read this book and will never study the same way again! If you want to read too (which I highly recommend!!!) it’s called The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas. This is one of the greatest books I have found that improved my memory in just one chapter!