Study Prof

Take a look at this spiffy infographic to see oh-how-many-ways sleeping more can make you into the man, woman, or non-gender specific being you you always knew you could be!   Sleep Infographic

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Cody Blair has spent over a decade helping students and teachers discover the secrets that make learning simple! His ebook, Secrets Smart Students Know, reveals how the best students use powerful study skills, maximize their memory, avoid procrastination, and maximize their focus to achieve fantastic grades with much less work! Click now to find out more about simple methods to maximize your study skills.

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Yup. You read right. Research (and experience) shows that napping is the way to make your brain and your body work better, but napping at the wrong time of day or for too long can be counter-productive. Take a look at this napping cheat sheet courtesy of the Boston Globe to get it right. How to nap – Boston.com.

“Evidence is mounting that sleep — even a nap — appears to enhance information processing and learning.”

via SleepEducation.com.

Jeffrey Ellenbogen, a sleep research fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston, found that those who studied and then slept on it did much better on a test the next day than those who didn’t sleep. In fact, sleepers got an average score 76% correct while the all-night crowd got only 32% correct! Find the full story here.

When I was a kid I mowed lawns for extra money during the summers. Sure, it’s hot, sweaty work–especially in West Texas where chickens actually lay hard-boiled eggs–but mowing lawns is great. How else could a twelve-year old make twenty dollars an hour?

One thing I quickly learned was that taking care of your lawn mower makes the work go much more smoothly. Making sure the blade is sharp, the oil is changed regularly, and the air filter is clean can save you hours a day.

I heard of one idiot who failed to check the oil, like, EVER causing the engine to seize-up altogether and transmogrifying the mower into a very large, grass-covered paper weight. My dad was NOT happy.

Your brain is the tool you work with as a student, so take care of it! If you don’t you end up working much harder for poorer results. I’ve seen poorly maintained brains seize up during finals, burst into flames, and significantly char previously quite serviceable head wear.

So avoid trouble and save yourself time and effort by taking care of your gray matter. Here are some tips to on how to keep your noggin humming along. The links give more info and prove that I’m not just making this stuff up. Real scientists–and sometimes video footage–show I’m for real. So there.

1. Get plenty of sleep … http://www.livescience.com/health/071115-sleep-memories.html
2. Exercise regularly … http://www.livescience.com/health/080806-brain-exercise.html
3. Britney Spears kills brain cells … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLUVNRLZzLE&feature=related
4. Eat right … http://www.livescience.com/health/080709-food-brain.html
5. Stay socially engaged … http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029172856.htm
6. Avoid bull riding unless absolutely necessary … [warning; not for the faint of heart] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uHIQwzHwe4&feature=related
7. Manage your stress … http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/24620.php

I hope you’ve benefitted from the Top Five Ways College Students Work Too Hard. Be sure to let me know in the comments of any other ways you’ve found to get better grades with less work.

Top Five Ways College Students Work Too Hard

1. Cramming
2. Taking too many notes on the wrong stuff
3. Reading more than you need to
4. Studying the wrong way
5. Not taking care of your brain

There's nothing like a good night's sleep to put you in top form for the big exam.  Check out these helpful tips for getting more from your snoozing over at Lifehacker.