What You Should Do The Night Before An Exam
Exam season is stressful overall, that’s no secret. Studying and trying to memorize as much information as you possibly can, writing what feels like never-ending notes… It can be very overwhelming. Well, we’re going to be talking about the night before an exam: what should you do? It can be tempting to go to extremes and try to absorb as much information as possible. Not to mention, there are plenty of people who tend to get very anxious before exams, which could make things much worse. However, we’re here to tell you about the ways you can reduce this anxiety and help you get a better grade.
Don’t Pull An All-Nighter
If you only decide to do one thing the night before a test, get enough sleep. You’ve probably heard this many times before, but sleep is absolutely crucial! When you’re asleep, the brain is making new connections between cells to create memories and new information. Without enough sleep, you’ll have a hard time remembering things overall, let alone the information you need for an exam. Your best bet is getting a full eight hours before a test. Of course, on days you spend a lot of time studying, it’s best to get a lot of sleep afterward to retain the information you absorbed.
Avoid Caffeine
If you tend to have caffeine every day, then it can help improve your focus and productivity. However, if you don’t normally drink caffeine, doing so on the day of a test is not a good idea – it might just make you nervous and jittery. Not to mention, drinking caffeine the night before will impact your quality of sleep in a negative way.
Eat A Good Meal
We all know how important it is to eat healthily and get all the nutrients we need on a regular basis. What you eat can have a direct effect on many things, one of which is your energy levels. Because of that, it’s best that you eat a healthy meal the night before a test. Avoid things like pizza and soda. Instead, opt for grilled fish with some steamed vegetables on the side. Maybe even have some mixed fruits for dessert. Heavy and greasy food will just make you feel more tired and sluggish the next morning.
Get Everything Ready
The night before the test, make sure you have everything you’ll need for the next morning. Any materials you might have to take with, prepare them the night before so you don’t forget anything. Pack your bag before you go to bed.
Drink Water
It’s easy to forget to drink water when you’re stressed. On top of that, caffeine can be dehydrating, which makes it even more important to drink enough. Even when you’re slightly dehydrated, it can affect your alertness and worsen your concentration. To make sure you’re drinking enough, keep a bottle of water on your desk or near you to remind yourself to drink.
Review
If you find that this helps you, schedule a question-answer review with a friend in the evening before the test – make sure it’s early in the evening so you have time to unwind. This way, you’ll be able to test your knowledge and improve your confidence in the subject.
