Linking Lists
In this first section you will learn how to memorize any list. This skill is needed in order to learn the rest of the techniques explained on this site, so be sure to practice what you read.
Pretest
Before starting this section, try a test to see how you would do right now. Take two minutes to memorize as much of the following list as possible, and at the end of the two minutes continue reading below.
- purse
- TV
- light bulb
- hammer
- barbecue
- waterfall
- chocolate syrup
- garden hose
- lamp
- oven mitt
- ice cream
- dumbbell weight
- broccoli
- chair
- ice cube
- chain-link fence
- teapot
- pillow
- boxing glove
- candle
Assessment
Now go get a soda or play a game of solitaire. Try not to think about what you memorized. After a while, try to recall the list. Check what you remember with the list above and make a note of how well you did. How many words did you remember, and how many did you remember in order?
You might have forgotten a few of the words when you stopped thinking about the list. Don’t worry—the point of this isn’t to see how well you can do now. After reading this section, you will feel proud of yourself when you can memorize a list of 20 things in just a few minutes.