Study Smarter, Not Longer – Blog 7 of 7: Go to bed!

Getting enough sleep is a challenge for many people and particularly college students.  There are always things going on and multiple fun reasons to stay up.  Add to that the pressure of earning good grades which causes stress as well as the temptation to stay up all night studying before an exam.

Your brain needs sleep to give the information you are learning time to consolidate in your long-term memory.   What happens when you study all night before an exam is that the information stays in your short-term memory and then you cannot retrieve it during the exam.

Of course, the other problem with being tired is that you cannot concentrate in class and you do not record the information you need to learn in the first place!

Here are two tips:

1.       Try to keep on a regular schedule.  Go to bed and get up at about the same time – at least during the week.

2.       If there is something you are struggling with learning (after you have achieved understanding!) try reviewing it right before you go to sleep. 

3.       Naps are good, but the best length of time for a nap is about 20 minutes.   If you put on your PJs and get under the covers, you have gone back to bed!  You do not want to get into a deep sleep, then you just wake up groggy and feel worse.

One more blog this year – how to react to your semester grades, both good and bad grades!

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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.