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Not Again, Midterms | Ali Youel
Not Again, Midterms
by Ali Youel
You can taste spring break; the binge-watching, traveling, and especially, the beach. We are at the light at the end of the tunnel, but before we can reach this ever so beautiful academically relieving week, we have to go through demon crawling, monster haunting, coffee fueled, torturous all-nighters. Midterms. Here are some study tricks to save you some time and some points on your exams.
DO NOT PULL AN ALL NIGHTER! I REPEAT DO NOT DO IT! Your body needs sleep in order to properly function. Pulling an all-nighter may seem as though you will learn much more, but you will forget much of it and suffer throughout the coming days.
Stop cramming! This is obvious, and I’m sure you’ve told this to yourself numerous times and have been told this as well. In a study at UCLA, it was proven that cramming or getting inadequate amounts of sleep before a test is counterproductive and hurts much more than it helps. Create study habits and routine throughout the days before your big test. You can get good sleep, have less stress, and be better prepared. Triple win!
Eat ‘brain food.’ Here are some good foods to increase your focus and help you conquer the demons of chemistry. – Leafy greens (spinach isn’t just good for your biceps, it’s also great for your brain) – Coffee: It makes you more alert but not if you drink it late in the day because you won’t be able to sleep when it comes time for bed. – Whole grains – Blueberries – Fish – Tomatoes – Nuts
Exercise! I know midterms make you want to cram into a little ball and eat chocolate and never move while the pain of your borderline grade slaps you across your face, but it is important to get your blood pumping and your body moving. Bodily movements positively affect cognitive functions, so don’t think that midterms give you an excuse to wear the same Star Wars pajamas for a week while you sit at your desk memorizing vocab. Move! Dance! PARTY! I’m kidding, don’t party. You should be working.
Turn off your phone. Don’t put it on the corner of your desk on “do not disturb.” You will know it’s there and you will face the agony of it being near you, but you knowing it’s a bad idea. Just put it in a different room or a drawer. Out of sight, out of mind.
I wish you well on your quest for either keeping your grade or moving up. Good luck, take a deep breath, and relax. And have fun on spring break, it’s always darkest before the dawn.