How to Optimize Your Study Sessions During Exam Week

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Exam week sees many university and college students spending endless hours in the library. With no sleep and excessive amounts of caffeine, students power through the week, hoping to get the grades they need to maintain their GPA. Although minimal sleep and maximum sugar intake are the common habits of many college kids, they are not necessarily the right ingredients in a recipe for success.

This year, take control of your grades by optimizing your health to retain more information.  In this article, we will share a few ways that you can optimize your study sessions during the busiest week of the year.  

1. Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps promote cognitive function in people of all ages. Simply being outdoors and breathing in the fresh air helps reduce brain fog. With more clarity, you can focus on and memorize the knowledge you need for your upcoming tests. Take breaks throughout your study sessions to inhale fresh air and release the tensions that you are holding onto.

2. Eat Small, Nourishing Meals

Unfortunately, many students choose to eat sugary foods during exam week. Although these foods give you a burst of energy for a moment, they cause you to crash later on. To avoid the inevitable sugar crash, eat small and nourishing meals throughout the day. These small meals will help you sustain energy throughout the day so that you can focus on learning the information that you need to excel.

3. Maintain Your Activity Levels

Instead of buckling down in one chair for 12 hours straight, take frequent breaks to stretch your legs. When you move your body, you will release endorphins that help restore your brain power. In addition, your body feels strengthened when you exercise. Whether you go for a power walk or hit the gym, integrate movement throughout the day to keep your brain poised.

4. Get Adequate Rest

Although it is tempting to sacrifice sleep for studying, it is not beneficial. When you do not get the proper rest, you will suffer in a variety of different ways. A lack of sleep causes difficulty focusing, making it difficult to memorize information. When you cannot focus or retain information, your time spent studying will be unproductive

5. Find a Friend

Likely, there are other friends that have exams that fall at a similar time frame of yours. When you have friends that are studying at the same time, you will be able to hold one another accountable. When you have a friend that is taking the same exam as you, you can ask one another questions and complete study guides together prior to the testing date.

Endnote

Do not fall prey to ineffective means of studying. Schools across the country launch exams during a similar time of year. Whether you attend a state university or a high quality school that was discovered through BestValueSchools.org, you will likely have exams that you are anxiously preparing for. Staying up all night and living on coffee will not optimize your brain power. Instead of wasting away in the library, fuel your brain for success by getting the proper nutrients, moving your body, and getting the adequate amount of sleep needed to thrive.