Even in the movies, finals week in college was depicted as something nightmarish and terrifying. For the most part, they’re not all that far from the truth. While it’s a week that most students dread for weeks or even months ahead of time, here are a few tips to keep your heart rate down.
Confidence
It’s important to go into a test confident that you know the material, to the best of your ability. It’s not realistic to expect yourself to remember everything you studied – instead of going into the test worried you’ll fail or that all the time you spent studying went to nothing, be confident that you can work through the questions to find the best answer; regardless if you’ve studied heavily or not. Success isn’t measured by how well you can remember statistics, dates and numbers.
Find a healthy method
Akin to what you’ve read in the midterms relief article a few issues ago, all-nighters may be appealing, but the notion that you’re giving yourself more time to study is false. Under no circumstances should you deprive your brain of sleep. The better you sleep before a test, the better your chances of retention.
Stay hydrated
While it’s important to eat healthy, it’s imperative you keep hydrated. After all, your brain and heart are 73 percent water. Your body and mind work together to get you through the day (and the test), so don’t disregard your body. If you tend to forget to eat when you study intensely, set alarms for every four hours to remind yourself to snack. Brain power comes directly from what you eat – keep that in mind.
Don’t overload yourself
If you study in increments, you’re a lot more likely to retain what you learned rather than trying to cram an insane amount of information at once. It helps to have a few days or week planned where you study one section of text at a time, and then review the day before the test. You’ll be amazed what you’re able to retain if you give your brain small bites of academia at one time.
Come in at your best
Try your best to get a full eight hours of sleep and eat a healthy, filling nutritious meal. A good choice would be things such as eggs or oatmeal, as they’re relatively quick to prepare. Be cautious of how much caffeine you ingest before the test, as too much can make you jittery and then it becomes hard to focus. It can also perpetuate test induced anxiety.
It’s no secret either that coffee will make you run to the bathroom. Instead of coffee, try green tea/matcha if you can stomach it. The L-Theanine in the tea will give you the focus and energy you need without making you jittery or anxious.
And again – do not forget to drink water. A hydrated brain is a happy brain.