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and ideas to scramble and anxiety to increase.
3. Maintain a normal schedule. Eat and sleep the way you normally do.
Do not stay up all night studying or worrying.
The Day of the Exam
1. Eat a hearty breakfast.
2. Get to your exam early if possible. Make sure you have functioning
pens, pencils, and books or notes (if they are allowed).
3. Sit where you usually sit. Studies have shown that this can improve your
ability to recall information from that class.
4. Keep your distance from other students. Last-minute discussion of exam
material can heighten anxiety and scramble facts.
During the Exam
1. Read the directions. Read the directions. Breathe. Read the directions
again.
2. Do the easiest questions first.
3. If you have to guess, stick with the first answer that comes to you.
Most importandy, don't expect to know all the answers.
Food For Thought
Your parents had a reason for yelling, "Eat your breakfast!" as you ran out the
door in the morning on your way to school. Arguably the most important meal
of the day, breakfast is literally fuel for the body and the brain. A recent study
reported by CNN shows that the timing of your first meal may be equally impor
tant. This study of 500 Israeli students shows that those who ate breakfast closer
to test time (just Vi hour before) scored significantly higher than those who ate
breakfast at home two hours earlier or those who didn't eat at all.
How to Survive Exams
Tips for survival and success provided by the
Academic Skills Center
Preparation
1. Set up a review schedule and stick to it.
2. DO NOT CRAM. Last minute studying
can actually impair your memory, causing facts
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STRESS MANAGEMENT
To do your best when exams roll around it's important to manage your stress. Here c
1. Plan each day to include a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise. You ma;
form of exercise is essential for stress reduction.
2. Try to get a minimum of 6 hours of sleep per night.
3. Eat healthy! Try to eat 3 balanced meals a day during times of stress. Ma
intake.
4. Avoid alcohol and drugs as these substances can cause headaches, depres
5. Take a break from studying when you realize that you are feeling burne
meditation or visualization, or take an "ice cream" break.
6. Take a warm bath or shower to relieve tight muscles or insomnia.
Do's and Don't for Midterm Munching
DO:
Eat plenty of carbohydrates. Carbs are your body's basic energy
source. A recent study by the University of Toronto found that eat
ing common carbohydrates, like mashed potatoes, might improve
memory for up to an hour after ingestion.
Fillet a fish. Fish and other foods rich in DHA
(dehydroepiandroseterone acetate) may boost your brainpower ac
cording to a 2002 article from Psychology Today. Fish is packed with
► protein and omega-3 fatty acids which will keep you mentally alert
and focused.
Indulge in naturally fatty foods! Naturally fatty foods contain
choline which may improve memory according to a recent study pub
lished in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Some foods
with significant amounts of choline are milk, liver, eggs, and peanuts.
Eat Five-a-day. Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and
minerals to your diet such as vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, and hun
| dreds of phytochemicals, all of which are essential to keeping your
body going according to WebMD (www.webmd.com).
■ Drink yourself into oblivion. Water that is. You should drink 8
eight-ounce glasses of water every day. Don't wait until you are thirsty
to drink water- by then you are already dehydrated. Dehydration can
lead to a host of problems you do not need during midterms includ
ing fatigue, fever, diarrhea, and lightheadedness.
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October 4, 2002
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