This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Arizona chapter.
With the semester nearing the end, for us college students that can only mean one thing: Finals. With the excitement of the holidays beginning to take residence in our minds it’s sometimes hard to focus on that tough week right before winter break. You know, that one week where you feel like your brain might explode or that your brain ‘hurts’ from all the studying? First, you are not alone. We are right there with you going through the routine coffee runs, late nights, and endless notes you can barely read because you took them back in August. However, you should know your brain is a fascinating organ that deserves some serious credit. Here are 5 weird facts about that intricate mush in your head responsible for everything you do:
- The brain does not feel pain. Though you might feel a headache or two from going over 50 slides of art history, the brain itself does not feel the impulse of pain, even though the brain processes pain signals to the body.
- The brain is made up of 80 percent water. All that nagging by your parents to stay hydrated was for a good purpose. The brain is composed of 80 percent water rather than the assumption of being solid. So drink water for the sake of your mind, literally.
- The brain changes shape during puberty. Squeaky voices, unwanted hair and serious hormones are not the only change a teenager goes through. The structure of the brain changes during adolescence, which affects impulses, that relate to risky behavior.
- Your brain likes to play at night. Though an almost backwards fact, it is true that the brain is more active when the rest of the body is not. The brain is most active during sleep. This occurrence can sometimes cause the best ideas, or ‘AH HA’ moments to happen right before you head to bed.
- Your brain travels information at different speeds. Isn’t it crazy how you can remember the lyrics to that random song on the radio but you can’t seem to recall the math formula for your test? This is because information that travels via neurons is trekking at different rates. Sometimes the brain allows you to recall something immediately, other times it takes a little longer.