Exam Lifehacks: 18 Unexpected Tips for a Higher Score

Magvsh presents: Exam Lifehacks: 18 Unexpected Tips for a Higher Score Try out these simple tips and tricks to give yourself an edge on test day! When added to good, old-fashioned studying, this advice can boost your confidence and help you achieve a higher score. Good luck and happy studying, from Magoosh! How much time do you have left before the big test? If you have one month left: Music is Instrumental Pomodoro Technique Distraction Apps Turn on your headphones to make all that time spent sitting still a little more pleasant. Work for 25 minutes without interruption and then take 5 to relax. Consider any one of these restriction apps to regulate your social media intake: Stay away from anything that you can sing along to-every word you hear is a mental distraction. Try genres like: Each 25-minute period = one "pomodoro". (Pomodoro is Italian for tomato. The creator SelfControl: blocks specific web- sites for up to 24 hours originally used a tomato shaped timer.) Cold Turkey: blocks specific web- sites at scheduled times • downtempo - instumental hip-hop post rock ambient · videogame soundtracks • movie scores · deep house Freedom: prevents you from $ using the internet at all For every 4 pomodoros, take a 15-minute break. This breaks down the daunting task of studying into approachable chunks. classical The Seinfeld X Technique Light Exercise Change of Scenery Jerry Seinfeld used to force himself to write jokes on a daily basis using these tools: a wall calendar and a big red marker. The key here is timing and intensity. Light-intensity exercise while studying has proven to help most with retention and recall. Look into these workouts to com- In an experiment led by cognitive psycholo- gist Robert Bjork, college students who reviewed vocabulary in two different rooms recalled 20% more words. 10 bine with your book learnin': Warning: avoid comfortable furniture! Beds, couches, and treadmill • stationary bike chair squats · abdominal lifts trapezius squeeze bicep curls bean bag chairs are your Each day that you do your task of study- ing, put an X over that date. The motiva- tion to keep that chain of Xs going will help enemies-you will get sleepy and distracted. build a study habit. Don't break the chain! If you have one day left: Watch Cute Videos Eat Protein Make a Checklist Images of adorable animals can improve your ability to focus. They make tasks Your brain communicates with itself with Preparing all of your necessary items beforehand is a good insurance policy against the unexpected. the help of amino acids, which come from the protein in your diet. Eating a breakfast full of protein will increase alertness and reduce levels of ghrelin (a hunger stimulat- ing hormone). seem more approachable and make view- ers more attentive. v Test center address v Clothes v #2 pencils v Calculator In a recent Japanese study, participants who viewed cute images improved their abilities to perform fine motor dexterity-based food quantity 1 slice 1 egg 1 cup protein v Watch v Snacks tasks. Bacon 4-5g For maximum cuteness, search for: Eggs 6g Oatmeal 6g "Sneezing baby panda" "Scottie pinwheel" . "Hamster eating a tiny burrito" Oatmeal + milk % cup milk 10g Cottage cheese 2 cup 16g Don't Bother Cramming Sleep on It Get Alarmed It's every student's nightmare: somehow your 7:00 a.m. alarm changes to p.m., leav- ing you to snooze through one of the most important tests of your life. Thankfully, this can be easily avoided. The last thing you should do is try to cram a bunch of studying in at the last minute. By now, everybody has probably told you to sleep well. That's great advice. You'll do better if you're rested, alert, and Sleeping increases alertness and reduces stress. It also improves mood, memory, and cognitive function. Get your eight confident. You can try a few quick practice problems the morning of the test, but that's it! hours! Backup 1: multiple phone alarms Backup 2: external alarm clock Let your brain rest! During the test: Do a Brain Dump Chew Gum Predict the Future Before you enter the the test room, start Gum can act as a mild stimulant. Studies Come up with your own answer before reading your choices. have shown that chewing gum improves writing. Jot down anything that comes to mind. This will keep information fresh, and clear mental clutter. accuracy and reaction time. Guessing won't guard against wrong answers, but it will help you speed up your Anything from Big League Chew to Orbit should do the trick-flavoring and sugar Warning: Recycle your process. paper once you're done! Some exam centers won't content don't matter. let you review in the room. Sit & Stand Up Straight Get a Sugar Rush Breathe Deeply The brain runs off glucose. Eat something with sugar content for a glucose jump-start during your breaks. Stand confidently as long as you can before Relax your mind by switching to long, slow, deep breaths. This tip works due to your test. When you sit down, take up deep breathing's connection to the para- sympathetic nervous system, which scientists call the "relaxation response". space. A recent study at Harvard Business School indicated that how you sit or stand Bite-sized candies are best. can drastically affect your confidence. Eat small servings to avoid a crash. inhale exhale Avoid chocolate! Fat will pre- (3-5 seconds) (8-12 seconds) The average person draws 15 breaths a minute. In order to engage the PSNS, try to get down to 6 breaths a minute. vent the glucose boost. More confidence = less test anxiety Sources Pay less and score higher. http://beatrixapp.com/blog/50-amazing-lifehacks-for-productivity.html http://mashable.com/2012/01/03/block-internet-distractions-apps/ http://huntingtonhelps.com/resource/prep-for-acing-sat/#.U3QLDPRDXAY http://magoosh.com/sat/2014/10-things-that-are-ruining-your-sat-practice/ http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/mmcgovern.html http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/OB/07/how-exercise-can-help-us-learn/ http://www.wired.com/2011/11/the-cognitive-benefits-of-chewing-gum/ http://magoosh.com/sat/2014/twenty-ways-to-destroy-stress-for-the-stress-destroyed/ http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.13/1%2Fjournal.pone.0046362 Magvsh Online Test Prep