<p>What do you guys do to have more energy throughout the day to study and such?</p>
<p>I took a practice SAT three days ago and did ok, but then yesterday I took another practice SAT and I felt a total lack of energy and a load of mental fatigue which undermined my performance by almost 100% from the day before (missed nearly twice as much). </p>
<p>Some people say drinking coffee and such is bad for energy as it has long term effects. I've heard of students taking "AM Awake" pills to help them study longer when needed (usually for procrastination situations lol). What are your guys' thoughts on this?</p>
<p>you start out by studying a little, then you build your study load more and more. Eventually you can study for like, 3 hrs straight w/o a break no problem. Take a 10 min break, and then go for another 3 hrs. Not that I have nothing better to do than study, whenever I do need to pull an all-nighter, add a little caffeine to the mix and it's full speed ahead.</p>
<p>I think it's the same thing with test endurance: students who have taken like, 15 practice SATs are probably less likely to get their brains fried on the real thing b/c they're used to it already.</p>
<ol>
<li>Sleep more - 8 or more Hours</li>
<li>Exercise</li>
<li>Eat the right foods</li>
<li>Meditate</li>
</ol>
<p>I should elaborate on 3 & 4. In terms of eating right, you should eat foods that provide steady and stable energy for longer amounts of time. Whole foods like fruits, whole grains (whole wheat, whole oats, brown rice, etc.), and vegetables accomplish this very well. Whole grains are usually the best though. Processed foods and foods high in sugar (not the sort of sugar you find in fruits) burn up really quickly and leave you with little energy afterwards. White bread would be considered a processed food. </p>
<p>As for meditating, I know it sounds kind of wierd and quirky, but it is something that has been found to seriously improve mental functioning. For centuries, it's been known to relax the mind and help you concentrate. There are a lot of studies on meditating and its beneficial effects on cognition. </p>
<p>Finally, my own really unorthodox method of waking myself up is to hit myself. I'm not kidding. When you hit yourself, I mean really hit yourself, you can sometimes stimulate your nervous system enough to release some adrenaline.</p>
<p>meditating is good like harri said, but don't meditate when it's late at night and when you are really sleepy.. because you'll fall asleep.</p>
<p>And what College<em>Here</em>I_Come! said is very true. When I started my studying cycle, I could only concentrate for 35min. Now, I can go 2.5hrs with full on concentration. I'm hoping to get it to 4 hrs in 2 months lol</p>
<p>...i have energy. its the loss of motivation that gets me...especially on a summer break. </p>
<p>Exercising... getting your heart pumping... would probably be the best.</p>
<p>I workout in the gym every now and then late in the afternoon and it does help me concentrate on my work in the evening since im pretty much a night person.</p>
<p>When talking about getting tired while studying will depend on how much sleep you need. Personally I can't sleep more then about 6 hours, and generally feel fine on 4 hours. If I tried to sleep for 8 or plus hours, I'd spend a good deal of time laying in bed awake. :)</p>
<p>i wish i was like that... if i never alarm my clock i can sleep a whole 12 hours =_= so thats pretty much a half day used up for sleeping. </p>
<p>yes coffee helps... but for some reason it would give me headaches sometimes... so i never drink them unless i really need it to be alert for the day.</p>
<p>If you're not into caffiene, then the best method is a cold, wet face towel. Cold water in your face or on your chest/back is a great way to wake up stay awake.</p>
<p>I really liked College<em>Here</em>I_Come's method and think I'm going to try that. </p>
<p>I also really agree with Harri's post... mt. dew, coffee, caffine pills all work well for the night, but the next day you feel miserable and that feeling usually just makes you more stressed and less able to concentrate. try and do natural stuff. shoot for 8 hours of sleep, which can easily be done if you manage your time well.</p>
<p>Caffeine ruins you attention span, as do ephedrine and various other chemical stimuli...they'll keep you awake, but they're not good study aids. Working out an hour or 2 every other day works wonders, as does a healthy intake of carbs. Eat a little bit about 2 hours before studying (the hour immediately after you eat you'll tire way too easily while reading) Just take everything one step at a time...study about an hour or an hour and a half straight, take a 15 minute break and get back to it...also...try studying the hours RIGHT BEFORE you go to bed....you remember more, because your brain reorganizes what you've taken in during the night.</p>
<p>Which reminds me, there's nothing more refreshing than putting in a brand-new set of contacts. Every three weeks I have the pleasure, and it feels great. </p>
<p>I've never heard before that caffiene harms your attention span. It usually works for me.</p>