Final Exams: Will You Crumble Under The Pressure?

Diet & Exercise

    The day before the test and the day of, it is best to avoid foods rich in sugar and fat. What? You mean I shouldn’t be studying with my favorite candy in hand? Actually, sugar from fruits and other natural sources are better to have coursing through your body as you are preparing for an examination.

    Look for snacks that are low in fat and easy on the stomach. The goal is to have your body primed and focused to perform well on the exam, not to have it be distracted by what is going in its digestive tract.

    Exercise promotes general well-being and healthy brain function. One more easily grasps new concepts when confronted with them directly after exercise, than when encountering them for the first time from a sedentary state. Am I suggesting you take a quick jog before trigonometry? Although your classmates may not like your “fragrance,” why not try anything to perform your best?

     Exercise can reduce stress and may give the brain more access to endorphins that “make you feel nice.” All of these factors help when you are faced with numerous exams and papers to finish during crunch time.

Study Aids

     In today’s technological world, even tech-unsavvy students use digital recorders in classrooms and take notes on laptops. Professors use powerpoint presentations and videos to emphasize their key points. So, when it comes to studying, what aids are available to students?

     There are a number of electronic study tools from desktop sticky notes to online tutorials to help teach the information. But, in terms of repetition, what has been the successful standard in study aids?

    Believe it or not, good old fashion flashcards may still do the trick. Taking notes on a computer is a different experience than writing them by hand. Some believe that more retention takes place when they write out their notes than when they use electronic means. Besides, flashcards provide an easy system: write the term on one side and write the definition on the other. Straight forward enough? Using flash cards is a system that can be applied across disciplines and when used creatively can actually help memory.

Procrastination

    The killer of your grade may not solely be your group study, lack of sleep, poor diet, or lack of study aids, but your procrastination habits. It is a simple principle, the more one is exposed to something the more one understands its nature. Wouldn’t you think it was illogical to know someone fully and completely if you had just met them? Similarly, you cannot know the breadth of the subject material by only glancing at it once or merely paying attention in class.

    It is profitable to expose yourself in small doses to the material over and over again. Although a time crunch may activate your “fight or flight” response giving your short term memory a boost, it will not increase your general understanding of the topic at hand.

     Don’t get stressed, frazzled or freaked this final exam season. Take charge, put good habits to work, and see the results.