According to the Smithsonian, 60 million Americans fill out a bracket for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament every year. And according to USA Today, over $12 billion was bet during the 2012 March Madness. And yet, with all of this engagement, the odds of getting a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion.

Completing a bracket for March Madness may seem futile, but I can honestly say it is one of the most exciting things a sports fan can do. Although the tournament doesn’t start for a few more weeks, now is the time for us Americans to start thinking about making brackets and I think everyone should seriously consider making a bracket.

One of my favorite parts about March Madness is the hype surrounding every game. In January, when Northern Iowa and George Washington University play, the majority of people  aren’t even aware that it happened. But during March Madness, everyone has a bracket and millions of people are suddenly hardcore Panther or Colonial fans… Well, at least until the next game comes on.

This hype is what makes March Madness so exciting, which is why I recommend everyone make a bracket this year. In order to do so, I have decided to compile a list of different strategies for how to make your bracket:

Research: This one is for people who are really into statistics. You may spend days, if not weeks, carefully weighing the odds of a certain team winning each game. You may forget about that algebra test next week because you’re too busy crunching numbers for something that really matters: basketball.

Battle of the Mascots: This is a fun one. If you’re not really in favor of a certain team to win, just consider both of their mascots. Take Memphis and Connecticut for instance. If they played each other and you don’t really care who wins, look at the mascots. If a tiger (Memphis) and a huskie (Connecticut) got into a fight, who would win? Obviously a tiger. With that sorted out, send Memphis through to the round of 32.

Judge the Book by its Cover: This one is very similar to the Battle of the Mascots strategy, but this time, take a look at the uniform for each team and choose your favorite. Make a bracket for the coolest uniforms rather than talent. This can also transfer over to home courts. (In this case Oregon would win the tournament every time).

The Gut Feeling: This strategy is the one I usually do… So that means it is probably not the best option because my brackets are awful. Anyway, if you go with the Gut Feeling strategy, you have a basic understanding of most teams in the tournament and choose who you think will win each game. The real strategy comes into play for close games (like No. 8 seed versus No. 9 seed games), upsets and any round past the round of 32. It is a really difficult strategy to take: you guess. Most of the time, you have a 50 percent chance at choosing correctly, and hey, I’ll take those odds.

The Blind Audition: My 6-year-old brother is a master of this strategy. It’s very similar to The Gut Feeling but lacks even the slightest amount of thought. Don’t even look at the names or seeds of the two teams playing, just choose one. Hey, you might have Dayton winning the tournament, but that’s okay. Just have fun with it.

These strategies will hopefully help you enjoy the best month of basketball in the world (in my not-so-humble opinion). They may not guarantee a winning bracket, but they will sure make your March Madness more entertaining.

See, that is probably the best part of March Madness: the bragging rights. You think it feels good to get an A on an English paper? That feeling is nothing compared to correctly predicting an upset that your best friend didn’t choose. Months later, you might still find yourself boasting about that pick, even if you incorrectly chose the entire rest of the tournament.

When you have a bracket during March Madness, you begin to live and die with every game on the television. The thrill that comes out when your team wins is unlike any other. I genuinely encourage everyone to take part in this amazing experience.