What Happens When….You Forget To Study?

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We’ve all had that moment of horrid realization when you’re doing something and the thought of that test you’re taking the next day pops in your head. The heart acceleration usually means that you forgot about it completely, and then the panic sets in and you drop everything you’re doing to rush to your room and plop down in front of a book. But then you look at the book, skim the pages of a couple of chapters and wonder where to start when you look at the clock and see that you have very little time to study. The question is, what happens when you forget to study? What do you do?

Cramming is bad!

If you try to study for it all the night before, chances are that you won’t remember much. Turns out, it takes a full 24 hours for you memory to settle, so make sure to space out what you’re studying for!

Take small breaks.

Believe it or not, taking breaks really does help with your studying. Especially when you’re taking snack breaks because when you study, your brain consumes glucose. Eating a healthy snack every hour like yogurt, fruit or almonds will help you study. Also, cocoa is considered a superfood when it’s not hydrogenated and made into cocoa mix from the grocery store. Get some Organic cocoa powder, stir into hot milk of your choice, and add cinnamon, espresso or cayenne pepper for even more energy.

A good night’s sleep is the best thing you can do!

Sleep is a key to remembering things. If you’re tired, you really can’t think much. That means that a good eight hours of sleep is very beneficial to test-taking. It might be tempting to stay up studying into the night, but you’re not going to learn much else because of the way your memory works. Remember, it takes 24 hours for things to settle into your memory.

Clarification from your teacher.

If you’re confused about anything you’re learning, asking your teacher for help will also help you. Most teachers will be happy to discuss the curriculum you’re learning about and while you’re there, you can ask them where to point your studying towards. Their answers may be vague, but you’ll eventually figure out where to focus on more if you ask.

Find how you study!

Everyone has their technique, whether it be color-coded notes, flash cards, or reading a textbook back through again. Find out how you study best and don’t stray from your technique!

I hope this helps with what the test season will inevitably bring. I just went through this about an hour ago, and this is just my snack break. It definitely works though, so don’t stress too much about it. However, if you can, study ahead of time. It helps a whole lot.

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April 14, 2014