It’s that time of year again: everyone at school is stressing about exam schedules, worrying about their averages and cramming for exams. Every year is pretty much the same, except this year I’m in Grade 12, and the stress level of my peers is definitely skyrocketing. Diploma prep. University applications. Making the grade. These are all pretty common things to hear in a typical Grade 12 class as the semester comes to close and with it, the all too short 12 year wait for the much anticipated (and dreaded) diploma exams.
Oftentimes during these precious few days/weeks until it’s time to write the exam I find my peers loading their brain chock full of information, cramming it to overflow if you will, all the while…
a) Depriving their bodies of much needed sleep. I know it may sound like a good idea to study an extra four hours and cut down on the time you spend sleeping before finals but the truth is your brain and body need that sleep to function at their highest capacity. Whats the use of studying all night long when on the day of the exam you’re so bleary-eyed you can barely focus? Whats more, the fact of the matter remains most teens are unaware of just exactly how much sleep they need. An eye opening trip to the doctor revealed to me that the average teen needs nine OR MORE hours of sleep a night, and ok, I’m going to be real with you here, I don’t always do that either – most people don’t. But aiming for around eight hours a night is a really great start and should leave you feeling refreshed and energized in the morning. So if it’s getting late and your eyelids are drooping, pack the notes and textbooks away and look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.
b) Not getting enough regular exercise. Honestly I have friends who haven’t exercised in… they don’t remember how long. Yes, exercising your brain is fantastic, but how can you expect to function at your best when your body isn’t getting the attention it needs? Regular exercise is not only good for staying healthy and fit, but it also improves clarity and focus. It is recommended that the average person gets at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. This doesn’t mean you have to go out and sign up for a gym membership today, simply going for a walk in your community can do the trick, and the time to think as well as the fresh air should improve thinking as well. So even though exercise does take away from studying, think of it as a part of preparation for the exam, and when you’re beginning to loose focus and need a break anyway is a great time to fit it in.
c) Eating tremendously poorly. To be honest here, this is what this post was originally intended to be about, but there are so many unhealthy practices occurring as a part of student life, and especially around exam time, that really do influence academic performance. People always ask me how I have so much time to study, because they assume I do well because I am studying all the time. But the truth is while it is important to look after your schoolwork it is also vital to look after yourself, I think that’s really key and it’s something very often overlooked or under accounted for. As for eating, I find during exams my peers load themselves up with coffee and energy drinks that will “supply energy” as well as eating quick to prepare and sugary junk foods designed to do the same. Eating poorly and wondering why you aren’t preforming as well as you’d hoped is like putting regular gas in a car that needs premium and wondering why it isn’t performing as well. It’s like the cliche, “you are what you eat,” seriously, I know it’s cheesy but really think about that. Instead of grabbing fast food because its quick and easy, why not make a quick salad? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3: spinach (a study conducted at the University of Florida discovered that rats fed a diet plentiful in spinach preformed “far better on a memory and learning test”), walnuts (high in omega-3s=good for your brain-which FYI loves fatty acids), and dressing. It’ll only take five minutes tops to prepare, I promise.
For more on eating for exams check out my upcoming blog post “Exam Foods, Fuel Your Brain for Success!”