Listen to Mozart:
Why Mozart? Well, you don’t have to listen to him in particular, but music compositions that follow a 60 bpm pattern. Studies have shown that type of music activates both the right and your left sections of your brain. Since both sides are stimulated, this can help increase the amount of information you absorb to use later on.
Skip the energy drinks:
Stay hydrated with something that won’t make you crash later: water and fruit. Blueberries and apples have been linked to improve memory function. You can also treat yourself to small pieces of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has a small amount of caffeine, and increases blood flow to your heart, and brain. Increased blood flow to the brain means you will be more alert.
Be a good Vancouverite, exercise, practice yoga, and breathe:
I don’t need to tell you this, but 20 minutes of cardio can help improve your long-term memory skills as well as make you feel rejuvenated. You can reap similar benefits by doing 20 minutes of yoga at home.
Let a whiteboard be your BFF:
A whiteboard is a sign of collaboration and brainstorming. A good way to study is to write down everything you know, and questions you may have about concepts you’re unsure about. Bonus points if you doodle some of your ideas for you visual learners, and if you work the whiteboard with people from your class.
Teach your stuffed animals what you know, they’re very curious about business too:
Lay them out on your bed or your desk like a class, and teach them what you’ve learned. It’ll help you realize what you understand and what you still need to brush up on. Bonus points if you use your whiteboard (remember that?)
Get the most bang for your buck: invest in flashcards:
Flashcards let you cram a lot of information such as key words, questions, ideas, people, etc efficiently. They are a lot more customizable than other study materials (play around with drawings, colours, acronyms, and anything else that will help you remember and understand).
Catch up on enough Zzzzs the night before
:
There’s no point in cramming all night before your exams, you’ll only wake up tired and unable to recount everything you tried to learn. You might even fall asleep during your exam, and who wants that?
Good luck everyone, may your finals be ever in your favour!
Jordana Fridman is a 4th year Communication and Digital Publishing student completing her 3rd co-op working for the Beedie Marketing Communications. Here, she monitors and regularly posts on all the SFU Beedie social media channels. She is passionate about italian cooking, an avid sushi eater, and is looking forward to an upcoming summer full of travels. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and connect with her on LinkedIn.