If you’re that student who has difficulty concentrating and has been wondering how to get a hefty test score, look no further! Here are science-based tips to get your brain fit and fresh for your exam!

Begin studying a week before your exam
Getting high scores are positively correlated with the amount of time you’ve spent on studying for your test, scientists say. This is because you’re allowing different parts of your brain to have more time to process information and turn them into a memory.

Never cram before your test. Cramming only makes you have those “I know this,” or “I’ve read this” moments during your test, but you never actually recall the information you have studied.

Write down notes
According to a study published by Pam Mueller of Princeton University and Daniel Oppenheimer of the University of California, note-taking by hand allows students to learn more efficiently. There are two ways in which learning can be done through note-taking. One, information is processed as the student writes. And second, the student learns by looking back at the notes he has written.

Use Practice Exercises
Practicing through old exercises can help you enhance your understanding of the concepts and apply them in real life situations. Moreover, an important note to remember is that Accounting tests seldom ask definitions or descriptions. Oftentimes, tests ask you to create financial statements and compute for problem-solving questions, which will be difficult for you if you didn’t practice beforehand.

Take 17-minute breaks
If you pull an all-nighter just for studying, you’ll be burning yourself out more than preparing for the big test. According to the Draugiem Group’s study, human brains aren’t wired for full-time work, so it’s important to give ourselves time to rest. Their experiment showed that employees become more productive when they take 17 minutes of rest for every 52 minutes of work. This means that the secret to productivity isn’t working longer – it’s working with small breaks.

Remember with mental associations
A popular trick to improve memory is visualizing or making mental associations. By associating Asset with an image of a big, red letter ‘A’ or utilities expense with your unpaid electricity bill, you are creating mental hooks that can make the retrieval of information easier.

Get enough sleep
Most students think that pulling all-nighters will help them to prepare for their exams. A study from Ghent University and KU Leuven University begs to disagree. Researchers found that students who slept for seven hours during the exam period scored 10 percent higher than those with who slept less than 7 hours.

Eat a healthy breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make it count! Eat go foods such as oats and eggs to give you energy, and choline-rich foods to improve your memory. Avoid sweets as they will give you a temporary sugar fix followed by a nasty case of fatigue. 

References: 

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140917-the-worst-way-to-learn
http://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away
https://www.fastcompany.com/3035605/the-exact-amount-of-time-you-should-work-every-day
http://www.memory-improvement-tips.com/best-memory-trick.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/22/sleep-hours-exam-performance_n_5516643.html
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/eating-exams

Contributed by: Allison Julianne Macasaet
She is a freelance writer on the side, a student of international relations on the other. Interests include fantasy books, international relations, and lifestyle.