I always hated hearing about people who stayed up all night to study for an exam. I honestly never understood why people do that. My dad always told me that getting a good nights sleep is the best thing to do before an exam. I always tell my friends this and do it myself, and it's true! Sleeping allows your body and mind to rest, it lets your head relax and settle in all of the information that you took in that day. Popping an adderall and staying up till 6 am won't do you any good.
I heard from a teacher of mine that you actually can only study for a few hours in one sitting, I think he said 4 or something. Meaning, that your brain can only retain so much information and actually learn things in one sitting. If you're studying for 7 hours straight, a few of those hours will consist of just reading and studying, but not retaining anything. I know that I have spent many hours studying, and there comes a time when I actually feel delusional and I can't learn anymore, so I really believed my teacher when he told us this.
So, the night before a big test, study for a while with breaks in between, but most importantly get sleep at a reasonable time. Waking up early and studying is the best thing too! I know that when I do that, I feel the most focused.
Sleep is not only great for school, but for everything else in your life. It can even help when it comes to fighting with friends or family. I learned in one of my classes this year that when you are arguing with someone and you are really heated, the only way to really resolve the issue is to take your own time. Meaning, stepping away and not saying anything. Sometimes I would have arguments at night or during the day and I got so mad and would say things I didn't mean. When I woke up the next day, I would sometimes regret things and I would have a totally new perspective on the situation. I know it can be difficult to sleep after a fight, but even just closing your eyes and calming yourself down will help.
Getting a good nights sleep will not only help your mind but also your body. After a long day at school or a weekend or sports practice, whatever it is that you do, your body needs time to rest and relax. You will wake up feeling great and ready for a new day.
The point of this is, mainly to college students, sleep is so important and not many people realize it. The next time you have a big exam or are feeling stressed about things in life, get a good nights sleep and you will wake up the next day feeling, well tired of course (who isn't tired 24/7 in college even if you do sleep a lot), but so much better.
