You're more likely to encode information it into long-term memory if it is associated with distinctive information that can serve as a "cue," or starting place. Anything can serve as a cue, but actively relating new information to things you already remember is a good strategy. For example, if you have a conversation with a friend at the coffee shop and she tells you about her upcoming birthday, try connecting the memory of the conversation to something you already remember well: "Melissa told me her birthday was on June 7. That's just a week after my mom's birthday." These cues can also be sensory information. For example, smells can trigger vivid memories in many people, like the smell of baking cookies reminding you of days spent at your grandmother's house. If the memory is possibly connected to a smell -- in this example, maybe the smell of coffee or cinnamon rolls from the coffee shop -- try stimulating your memory with a whiff of the familiar odor. Memory is strongly tied to the environmental contexts in which the information is originally learned. You can purposefully use this connection to help you encode information for retrieval later. For example, verbally connect the information you want to remember to the place: "When we met at that new coffee shop on Main Street, Melissa told me her birthday was on June 7." If, like many people, you forget names almost as soon as you've been introduced to someone new, try verbally repeating that information as soon as you get it. Connecting it to as many cues as possible -- what they look like, what they were wearing, where you are -- will also help you remember it later. For example, if you're at a party and a friend introduces you to someone named Masako, look directly at them as you smile, shake their hand, and say, "It's nice to meet you, Masako. That shirt is such a pretty shade of blue!" Reinforcing all of this sensory information at once may help you encode the memory for later. " Memory palaces are a common mnemonic technique used to create connections between information and environmental contexts -- in this case, though, those contexts are all in your imagination. Even the famed (if fictional) detective Sherlock Holmes uses this technique! This technique takes some practice to perfect, but it can be very helpful for storing information that you want to remember because it emphasizes forming creative, even absurd connections between places and memories. This isn't always an option, but if you can avoid learning new information under high-stress conditions -- for example, the wee hours of the morning before a huge exam -- your ability to recall those memories later will likely be improved. Sleep -- especially REM ("rapid-eye-movement") sleep -- is crucial in processing, consolidating, and storing information. Sleep deprivation affects the firing of your neurons, making it harder to encode and retrieve information. Do something different, believe you are helping yourself and you will remember it.

Summary: Create "distinctive cues" when you want to remember something. Connect memories to a specific place. Repeat the information immediately. Create a "memory palace. Avoid learning in high-stress situations. Get plenty of rest. Drink water.

. Ideally, start this an hour in advance so you have time to get perfect roasting coals. There are three successful ingredients to a good campfire (plus a safe fire pit and a way to light it, of course): A pile of dry tinder, such as paper, grass, dryer lint, or char cloth. If you didn't bring any and the weather is wet, collect pine cones or take shavings from inside a split log. Small twigs to use as kindling. Build it gradually outward and upward from small to large, leaving plenty of space for air. Dry branches about the size of your forearm, added gradually once the fire catches. These should be about as long as an adult's arm, sturdy, and pointed. Try one of these: Metal stakes or kebab sticks. These can get too hot to touch, so choose ones that are extra-long or have a wooden handle Hardwood sticks, sap-free and whittled to a blunt point. Storebought marshmallow roasters Make sure the stick goes all the way through the marshmallow to prevent slipping. If the marshmallow can slide easily along the stick, you'll have to be careful not to tip the stick down into the fire. You can stack on several marshmallows at once, but it's easier to get a good toasted surface with just one at a time. Once your fire has been burning for a while, some of the wood will burn out and turn it glowing coals. A spot right above these coals is the perfect area to roast marshmallows. The heat from this makeshift oven will caramelize that sugar perfectly, and there are no gouts of fire to ruin the majestic white goo. Rotate the stick as you go so the heat toasts the marshmallow evenly on all sides. You'll see the outer surface turn brown as it cooks. You can either keep up a steady rotation until the marshmallow is light brown all over, or cook one side until it's done, then rotate and start again on another side. Sometimes, the marshmallow will sag down and fail to turn when you rotate the stick. Stab it or prop it up with a second stick to fix this. Sticking a marshmallow into the flame will cause it to catch fire. You can blow it out, but you'll end up with a bitter, black layer of charcoal. Unless you love to set your toaster to 11, try to avoid this. Never shake the stick or jerk it back violently when the marshmallow catches fire. Silly though it sounds, a flaming molten marshmallow can cause a painful burn. Unlike the coals, which just radiate heat, the flames also send a stream of hot gases traveling upward. This second type of heat (called convection) will burn your marshmallow much faster. So even if the flame is well below your marshmallow, you can still end up turning half of it black or even setting it on fire. Usually it's worth the extra minute or two to cook it over coals instead. Some people like to pull off the crisp brown layer and eat it first, then devour the hot goo inside. If your marshmallow accidentally burned black, you can pull off this layer and throw it in the fire instead. And of course, some of your friends have already finished scarfing the entire jumbo marshmallow in one bite while you were reading this. Careful the marshmallow will be very hot. Wait at least 30-60 seconds after pulling it out of the fire.

Summary: Build a fire Choose your roasting sticks. Poke a marshmallow onto the stick. Roast your marshmallow over hot coals. Turn gradually. Expect charcoal if you put the marshmallow directly in the fire. Take care when holding marshmallows above a flame. Eat the marshmallow.

It's the white "F" on a blue background. If you aren't logged in, enter your email address (or phone number) and password and tap Log In. It's in the bottom right corner of the screen (iPhone) or the top right corner of the screen (Android). It's at the bottom of the page. If you're using an Android, tap Account Settings. You'll see this option at the top of the pop-up menu. If you're on Android, skip this step. It's near the top of the page. This option is under the "Who can see my stuff?" heading at the top of the page. Doing this ensures that only you will be able to see the people in your friends and followers lists. It's in the top right corner of the screen. If there is no Save option, tap the Back button in the top left corner of the screen. It's in the middle of the page. Selecting this option will limit the number of people who can friend you to the people who are friends of your current friends. It reads "Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?". It's at the bottom of the page. Users on Facebook will no longer be able to look you up from outside of Facebook. Additionally, now that your Facebook privacy settings have been tightened, your name will display in other users' "Suggested Friends" list significantly less often, and other users won't be able to view your mutual friends or list of followers.
Summary: Open the Facebook app. Tap . Scroll down and tap Settings. Tap Account Settings. Tap Privacy. Tap Who can see the people, Pages and lists you follow?. Tap Only Me. Tap Save. Tap Who can send you friend requests?. Tap Friends of Friends. Tap Save. Tap the option at the bottom of the page. Tap Allow search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile. Tap Confirm.