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Exam Lifehacks 18 Unexpected Tipsfor a Higher Score

presents

Try out these simple tips and tricks to give yourself an edge on test day When added to good old-fashioned studying

a higher score Good luck and happy studying from Magoosh

How much time do you have left before the big test

Music is Instrumental Distraction Apps

Get a Sugar Rush

The Seinfeld X Technique Light Exercise

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-bine with your book learninrsquo

treadmill stationary bike chair squats

abdominal lifts trapezius squeeze bicep curls

Eat Protein

Your brain communicates with itself with 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)

BaconEggs

Oatmeal

Cottage cheese

1 slice1 egg1 cup

frac12 cupOatmeal + milk frac12 cup milk

4-5gproteinquantityfood

6g6g

16g10g

By now everybody has probably told you to sleep well Thatrsquos great advice

Sleeping increases alertness and reduces stress It also improves mood memory and cognitive function Get your eight hours

Sleep on It

Itrsquos every studentrsquos nightmare somehow your 700 am alarm changes to pm leav-ing you to snooze through one of the most important tests of your life Thankfully this can be easily avoided

Backup 1 multiple phone alarmsBackup 2 external alarm clock

Get AlarmedDonrsquot Bother Cramming

The last thing you should do is try to cram a bunch of studying in at the last minute Yoursquoll do better if yoursquore rested alert and confident

You can try a few quick practice problems the morning of the test but thatrsquos it Let your brain rest

Pay less and score higherSourceshttpbeatrixappcomblog50-amazing-lifehacks-for-productivityhtmlhttpmashablecom20120103block-internet-distractions-appshttphuntingtonhelpscomresourceprep-for-acing-satU3qLDPRdXAYhttpmagooshcomsat201410-things-that-are-ruining-your-sat-practicehttplifehackercom281626jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secrethttpserendipbrynmawredubbneuroneuro05web2mmcgovernhtmlhttpwellblogsnytimescom20130807how-exercise-can-help-us-learnhttpwwwwiredcom201111the-cognitive-benefits-of-chewing-gumhttpmagooshcomsat2014twenty-ways-to-destroy-stress-for-the-stress-destroyedhttpwwwplosoneorgarticleinfo3Adoi2F1013712Fjournalpone0046362 Onl ine Tes t Prep

Make a Checklist

Preparing all of your necessary items beforehand is a good insurance policy against the unexpected

Test center addressClothes2 pencilsCalculatorWatchSnacks

If you have one month left

Come up with your own answer before reading your choices

Guessing wonrsquot guard against wrong answers but it will help you speed up your process

Predict the Future

If you have one day left

During the test

Sit amp Stand Up Straight

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Watch Cute Videos

Images of adorable animals can improve your ability to focus They make tasks seem more approachable and make view-ers more attentive

In a recent Japanese study participants who viewed cute images improved their abilities to perform fine motor dexterity-based tasks

For maximum cuteness search for

ldquoSneezing baby pandardquo ldquoScottie pinwheelrdquo ldquoHamster eating a tiny burritordquo

Before you enter the the test room start writing Jot down anything that comes to mind This will keep information fresh and clear mental clutter

Do a Brain Dump Chew Gum

Gum can act as a mild stimulant Studies have shown that chewing gum improves accuracy and reaction time

Anything from Big League Chew to Orbit should do the trickmdashflavoring and sugar content donrsquot matter

Pomodoro Technique

2525

Change of Scenery

In an experiment led by cognitive psycholo-gist Robert Bjork college students who reviewed vocabulary in two different rooms recalled 20 more words

Warning avoid comfortable furniture Beds couches and bean bag chairs are your enemiesmdashyou will get sleepy and distracted

Breathe Deeply

Stand confidently as long as you can before your test When you sit down take up space A recent study at Harvard Business School indicated that how you sit or stand can drastically affect your confidence

More confidence = less test anxiety

Avoid chocolate Fat will pre-vent the glucose boost

Bite-sized candies are best Eat small servings to avoid a crash

s

The brain runs off glucose Eat something with sugar content for a glucose jump-start during your breaks

SelfControl blocks specific web-sites for up to 24 hours

Cold Turkey blocks specific web-sites at scheduled times

Freedom prevents you from using the internet at all$

Consider any one of these restriction apps to regulate your social media intake

Turn on your headphones to make all that time spent sitting still a little more pleasant

Stay away from anything that you can sing along tomdashevery word you hear is a mental distraction Try genres like

instumental hip-hop videogame soundtracks movie scores deep house

downtempo post rock ambient classical

Work for 25 minutes without interruption and then take 5 to relax

Each 25-minute period = one ldquopomodorordquo(Pomodoro is Italian for tomato The creator originally used a tomato shaped timer)

For every 4 pomodoros take a 15-minute break This breaks down the daunting task of studying into approachable chunks

exhale(8-12 seconds)

inhale(3-5 seconds)

Relax your mind by switching to long slow deep breaths This tip works due to deep breathingrsquos connection to the para-sympathetic nervous system which scientists call the ldquorelaxation responserdquo

The average person draws 15 breaths a minute In order to engage the PSNS try to get down to 6 breaths a minute

Jerry Seinfeld used to force himself to write jokes on a daily basis using these tools a wall calendar and a big red marker

6 7 8 9 10

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 build a study habit Donrsquot break the chain

Warning Recycle your paper once yoursquore done Some exam centers wonrsquot let you review in the room