Can you believe final exam season is approaching?! With a few weeks to go, we want to make sure you are well rested and prepared to finish the semester off on a strong note. Keep reading for common challenges students face during exam time and advice on how to improve your exam game.
Missing out on sleep? The recommended amount of for adults needed is 7-9 hours per night. Though there are various factors that affect our sleeping patters such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle. Therefore, sleep needs may vary as there can be considerable differences between individuals. Since no one knows your body better than you, aim to get the amount of sleep that keeps you feeling your most energetic best self! Remember that getting a good night’s sleep can support and improve memory retention, mood, and focus needed to push through those final assignments and exams. Try reducing your caffeine consumption later in the day, establish a regular sleeping schedule, and say goodnight to technology 30 minutes before bedtime.
Wanting to prioritize self-care? Self-care is often one of the things that gets put on the backburner when finals season comes around. Yet, it is important to take care of yourself mentally and physically to ensure you don’t burnout in the process or preparing for exams. Try setting aside 15-30 minutes to move your body daily, dedicate 10 minutes of your time to get outside for fresh air after reviewing a chapter of material, or grab a bite to eat with friends at your favourite spot.
Reaching for another cup of joe to get through your studies? Consuming too much caffeine can lead to headaches, insomnia, irritability, and nervousness (coffee jitters). It is recommended that healthy adults consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day. What does that look like? Approximately 3 cups of brewed coffee contains 400 mg of caffeine – so to be safe, avoid reaching for that fourth cup. Though, did you know that caffeine is also found in tea, chocolate, carbonated soft drinks, and energy drinks. To inform your intake regarding these additional sources, Health Canada has a list of caffeine reference values found in certain beverages and food products that contain caffeine so you can safely monitor your intake. Lastly, it is important to keep in mind that some individuals may be highly sensitive to caffeine and experience such effects with lower levels of caffeine intake – listen to your body and know your limits to avoid negative effects that may impede your learning.
Refer to our Top Tips for Eating During Exam Time blog post for additional exam time nutrition advice!
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