Get exam-ready with these surprising hacks

By MiNDFOOD

Group of high school students having test at classroom.
Group of high school students having test at classroom.

As approximately 70,000 students have begun their HSC exam across NSW, and other students start preparing for end-of-year exams, here are some not so common tips for making it across the finish line.

Chew Gum

Research from the British Psychological Society found that chewing gum can help you stay focused for longer on tasks that require continuous monitoring. Kate Morgan, lead author of the study says “It’s been well established by previous research that chewing gum can benefit some areas of cognition. In our study we focussed on an audio task that involved short-term memory recall to see if chewing gum would improve concentration; especially in the latter stages of the task. Interestingly participants who didn’t chew gum performed slightly better at the beginning of the task but were overtaken by the end. This suggests that chewing gum helps us focus on tasks that require continuous monitoring over a longer amount of time.”

Put your smartphone away

Research from the University of Texas has found that your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is within reach – even if it’s off. Assistant Professor Adrian Ward and co-authors conducted experiments with nearly 800 smartphone users in an attempt to measure how well people can complete tasks when they have their smartphones nearby even when they’re not using them. The researchers found that participants with their phones in another room significantly outperformed those with their phones on the desk, and they also slightly outperformed those participants who had kept their phones in a pocket or bag.

Don’t forget your water bottle

More research from the British Psychological Society found that students who bring water into exams may improve their grade by keeping hydrated. One of the researchers on the study Chris Pawson from the University of East London says: “The results imply that the simple act of bringing water into an exam was linked to an improvement in students’ grades”. He says there are several physiological and psychological reasons that might explain this improvement with water consumption such as the possibility that consuming water may alleviate anxiety.

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