With finals quickly approaching, it’s essential to remember to take care of yourself. With these tips, you should be able to get through finals week in a breeze.
1. Get a good night’s sleep
It’s no surprise that you need sleep to function. You’re in college, and I’m sure you want to do what’s best for your grades, so why miss out on something as essential as sleep? St. Lawrence University did a study a couple of years ago which displayed that, “… students who never stayed up all night to study had an average GPA of 3.1, while those who regularly relied on the strategy only averaged a 2.9 GPA.” I understand that many students may only be pulling allnighters when they have exams or during finals week, but that still factors into sleep deprivation. I’m not going say you have to get 8 hours of sleep every night, but REM sleep, one of the four stages of sleep, is essential to cognitive development and memories. When you go into REM sleep, your brain releases neurotransmitters that help with memory storage, so sleeping after a long night of studying is definitely beneficial.
2. Stay hydrated
Spoiler alert! You need water to survive. There have been many studies on the effects that water has on our bodies. Research has found that when dehydrated, “…we have more difficulty keeping our attention focused. [It] can impair short-term memory function and the recall of long-term memory” as well. So remember to drink plenty of water when studying for your finals, especially if you’re drinking coffee as that will dehydrate your body.
3. Snack well
You may be tempted to eat junk food and ice cream when studying because it’s easier (I know I do it), but it’s truly not the best idea. You and I both know that snacking on air popped popcorn, fruit and veggies, or yogurt is a lot more beneficial to your body than any fast food or junk food that you eat. Your body will thank you later.
Here are some ideas of healthy study snacks.
4. Change your scenery.
Studies have shown that a change of scenery will help when recalling information. For example, if you’re studying for professor Lishak’s Survey of Life final, study units 10, 11, 12, and 16 at Mama Mocha’s then walk over to The Bean to review the previous units. I can say from personal experience that this works; I’ve recalled information I’ve studied by the location I studied it in. I know that this may not be ideal for some people, but I do encourage you to try this method.
Good luck and happy studying!
Sources:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201010/why-your-bra…