Before going into “finals mode” and bombarding your mind and body with stress, consider these actions and their risks if you fail to do them during Double Instruction Period:
- Get some sleep. Pulling an ‘all-nighter’ is a bad idea. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), staying awake for 24 hours impairs performance to the equivalent of having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent. This is equivalent to having two to three beers in an hour, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and is characterized by a slower reaction time, difficulty concentrating and lower proficiency at performing tasks. Sophomore computer science major, Braydon Rekart, commented that after staying up all night “doing math or anything except simple reading becomes more and more of a chore.”
- Eat healthy. Instead of opting for a candy bar or snack cake, try to eat plenty of fresh produce from your local supermarket. A 2015 study conducted at Oregon State University suggests that a poor diet affects short-term and long-term memory. Diets high in fat and sugar disrupt the community of bacteria in the digestive system that have been correlated with a decrease in cognitive performance.
- Remain active. Sitting down for long periods of time is harmful to your health and learning. A body that is inactive burns about one calorie per minute, according to the Mayo Clinic. Aside from the increased risk for weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and chronic back pain, brain function suffers as well. Your brain needs oxygen to function properly, and when you sit for hours, blood flow slows and so does the amount of oxygen to the brain. Blackburn physical education professor Tena Krause agreed and stated that physical activity helps students with “being more alert,” so they can perform “better in classes, academically.” According to a 2015 study from Texas A&M University, students that used standing desks as opposed to sitting desks performed better academically.
- Silence your cell phone. According to a study at Kent State University, cellphone use has a negative impact on student grade point averages. In another study conducted by Dr. Chris Bjornsen, a psychology professor at Longwood University in Virginia, suggested that cell phone use during class is correlated with lower test scores.