blog by zahra

Midterm season has arrived!  Tis the season for caffeine-driven all-nighters filled with cramming equations, concepts, and definitions into our brains.  But is that really the smart way to take on exams?  Okay, so maybe cramming will get you through that one chemistry midterm…but will you remember it for the final?

From experience of NOT participating in unhealthy habits AND succeeding in my exams, here are a few tips to get you through the next few weeks:

1. Sleep continues to be essential!  Despite having too-much-to-do-and-not-enough-time-to-do-it, sleep deprivation is not going to help you perform your best on the exam.  I hear you – you need the time to cram!  Onto #2…
2. Inevitable cramming: So we didn’t keep on top of our pre-readings during the first month of school.  Now what?  Be efficient with your time.  Don’t log into Facebook or Twitter when you’re ‘taking a break’ from studying.  We all know it takes up more time than intended.  Yes, you’ll lose some sleep from studying, but you won’t lose as much as if you tended to your social life at the same time.
3. Don’t forget to eat healthy! Stress and a lack of time doesn’t help us to make the healthiest choices in the other domains of our life.  Firstly, don’t forget to eat regular meals, and eat them before everyone in the library knows your stomach’s growling.  Secondly, continue to make healthy food choices.  A nutritious meal is a great way to get your brain engines in top-notch condition for the exam.