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This article has been syndicated from Uniquely Mickie, an InfluenceHer Collective Member. Read the full post here.

When it comes time to study for an exam, most college students are huge procrastinators and will try to cram the night before the exam. But that isn’t what you should be doing––which we all know. The night before an exam is the perfect time to calm down your nerves, get a ton of rest, and the time to do things that work for you.

Here are some things that you should do the before an exam:

Go to bed early to get enough sleep

It may seem worth it to just stay up and study as much of the material that you can, but in the long run, you won’t actually remember much of what you learned. When you sleep, your body naturally moves the information from the day into short-term memory and long-term memory. So, when you stay up all night, your body doesn’t get the chance to store the information for later so you’re less likely to remember for the test.

Eat a protein-fill breakfast in the morning 

Your brain needs proteins and other healthy material to be able to function on a day-to-day basis so don’t skip out on a meal before your test. Your brain needs the energy to work hard.

Alternate different studying spots

Studying in different locations and with different people can immensely improve your studying ability. You’re less likely to become bored or distracted when you study in different places. I typically like to study in my apartment, at the library, or at a friend’s apartment who’s in the same class as me.

Minimize distractions

It feels like we tend to always have their phone in their hands or have earbuds permanently attached to their ears. But when you’re studying, it’s best to put those distractions away and try to only focus on your coursework. The reason why this will increase the amount of material that you will remember is that you’ll be in the same environment during the test as when you studied the material. During an exam, you’re not able to listen to music or play on your phone so studying in a quiet location is the best possible option.

Read the full post here