by Samara Alpern
Daily Lobo columnist
Last week, students in South Korea held an anti-exam festival.
Among the protest activities was a theater performance of students in black outfits emblazoned with their crimes, such as "guilty of sleeping when you felt like it."
If you, too, are "guilty of sleeping when you felt like it," you might be feeling a sickening panic now that finals are just around the corner. There's not much you can do to compensate for bad study habits over the semester, but you can do a few things to maximize your test-taking performance.
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Ginkgo - Ginkgo is commonly prescribed throughout Asia and Europe, mostly to treat vascular conditions. Ginkgo has many physiological effects on the body, and current topics of research include treatment for impotence and Alzheimer's.
Speaking of impaired cognitive ability, it seems ginkgo may also be effective in improving your test performance. A few small-scale studies have shown that taking ginkgo several hours before a test can speed short-term memory processing and improve concentration. Note that these positive effects were significant, but slight. Since side effects are mild and uncommon, seeing if ginkgo gives you an edge will probably be a safe endeavor.
Keep in mind, ginkgo supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so check the Web site consumerlabs.com to ensure that you pick a brand that contains what the label claims. A dose of 360 milligrams of standardized extract should do the trick.
Caffeine - In appropriate amounts, caffeine has been shown to improve concentration, alertness and performance. However, the positive effects of caffeine are limited to a one-cup dose. It's tempting to believe more caffeinated energy will somehow morph into the will to study, but studies suggest after the first cup of coffee, all you'll be doing is jangling your nerves. If you aren't accustomed to caffeine, half a cup should be fine - or it might be best to skip the coffee strategy altogether.
Not everyone gets positive results from caffeine, so if you aren't familiar with your body's reaction, exam period probably isn't the best time to find out. Even if you're veteran coffee drinker, don't forget that overdoing the caffeine might impair your test performance by disrupting your sleep cycle.
Sleep - Well-rested people perform better than sleep-deprived people. Arranging to get good, quality sleep should be as much of a priority as jamming a semester's worth of material into your brain. If you take a test when you are alert, you will be less likely to make mistakes like misreading questions. You will also be better equipped to guess on those questions you don't know the answer to.
Exercise - Physical activity is a great way to clear your mind and prepare yourself for an exam. If you are in the habit of exercising, working out at a moderate intensity for the duration of finals will help alleviate stress, clear your mind, bring blood to the brain and keep you feeling alert. Include brisk walks as part of your study breaks.
If you are not in the habit of exercising, just walking for half an hour can still benefit you. Don't exercise to the point of exhaustion before a test, however. You don't want to rob your body of energy before the main event.
Diet - There's a lot of debate about how diet can affect test performance. Some studies indicate that a little blast of sugar will improve your scores, while other studies indicate the opposite. Again, this point in the semester is not the best time to turn yourself into a human guinea pig. Just as with sleep and exercise, your diet should be designed to keep you feeling as balanced as possible.
Many doctors recommend people eat whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables. They also warn against eating heavy, fatty foods, as these dishes can cause you to feel sluggish. And, by all means, don't skip breakfast.
I hope these tools give you an edge on your final exams.
Samara Alpern is a nutrition major at UNM. You can send your health and nutrition questions to opinion@unm.edu or lobonews@unm.edu.
