Keeping Hydrated During Exam Season

There are myriad ways to excel your performance and stay calm before an exam. Focusing on your health and well-being throughout this pressured time is important inside the exam hall and outside of it.

1. Get enough sleep

Although you might be tempted to pull an 'all-nighter' to cram the night before, doing so can harm your performance. Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep to support cognitive performance and avoid drowsiness during the exam. One study found that students who prioritised a good night's sleep a month leading up to their exam achieved better grades than those who didn’t. Additionally, this research found that students achieved a 25% increase in academic grades.

2. Eat nutritious meals

Dr Adam Colin’s from the Department of Nutritional Sciences encourages students to eat slow-release carbohydrates to fuel revision. In the morning, you can opt for a tasty breakfast like porridge, granola or toast, served with the helping of your choice. Incorporating leafy greens into your pre-exam meal is particularly beneficial. Meals containing broccoli, kale and spinach are rich in vitamin K and are considered the best foods to eat before an exam. These help with mental focus and memory.

3. Stay hydrated

Water is our bodies' most basic need; exam season is no different. Keeping hydrated can help keep your mind sharp and improve memory and alertness. Anna Killen, Education Officer at NI Water, says, “Even slight dehydration can cause feelings of tiredness and reduced alertness, which will affect a child's interest in being active, therefore impacting on their overall wellbeing. We should all be aiming for 6-8 glasses of water a day. Water is essential to everyone’s health- so let’s make sure we are drinking plenty of it!  Schools should ensure that water dispensers are readily available throughout their facilities. Having water dispensers strategically placed allows students to easily refill their glasses or bottles, particularly during study sessions.

4. Limit caffeine

Although keeping hydrated is important, not all beverages will help. A 2016 study found that 86% of students consumed caffeinated drinks and the majority were unaware of the amount of caffeine these drinks contained. This interfered with sleep and increased stress levels. Caffeine is also classified as a diuretic, which means it can cause dehydration when consumed in large amounts.

5. Exercise regularly

Take a break from your desk and embrace the outdoors. A simple brisk walk in the fresh air can get those creative juices flowing again. Dr. Chong Chen, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Yamaguchi University, Japan explains, “even a single, brief bout of aerobic exercise can ignite creative thinking.” So, whether you prefer an intense gym workout or gentle stretches, exercise is a great way to revive when studying.

6. Practice Relaxation techniques

For some, exams can activate the stress response in our brains, which can be overpowering when trying to concentrate. However, there are ways to combat feelings of stress and instead welcome feelings of relaxation. These easy tricks include:

• Focusing on the breath: Take long, deep breaths, breathing through your nose and out through your mouth. You can even place a hand on your chest to notice the rise and fall as you inhale and exhale.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique involves tensing and relaxing different body parts and paying attention to how you feel when you release that tension.
• Mindfulness meditation: Being mindful is all about embracing the present and not worrying about the future. Mindfulness meditation is especially beneficial the evening before an exam as it helps you focus on the present moment, alleviating worries about the upcoming test.