With the last few days of the semester just around the corner, students start to become stressed as they try to cram as much information into their brain for the most dreaded tests of all: semester tests. While some students are naturally gifted when it comes to test taking, others are not, so here are some helpful tips on how to be a successful test taker.

•         Study. Make sure that you are taking time each night to go over any information that you are not comfortable with. Do not wait until the last minute to study. Do your semester review packets and make sure you understand them.
•         Chew gum. According to livescience.com, chewing gum warms up your brain and improves your memory.
•         Get a good night of sleep. It is important that you get eight to nine hours of sleep the night before a test. Do not stay up all night trying to cram last minute information.
•         Get a good breakfast. If you are hungry during your test, chances are you are not going to perform well because you are focusing on food. Plus, studies show that getting a nutritious breakfast the day of a test will improve your test score because it gives you energy.
•         Relax. Do not stress too much. Staying relaxed will help reduce any “blanking” when you are taking your tests.
•         Ask questions. If you are confused with how a question is worded, ask your teacher. That is what they are there for.
•         Do not spend too much time on one question. If you get stuck on a question, mark it and come back to it later. The answer may come to you otherwise you could use the process of elimination.
•         Read over your answers. If you finish your test early, go back and look over your answers for silly mistakes.

Whether you are a freshman or sophomore trying to get open lunch or just a student trying to maintain a certain grade, semester tests always seem to stress students out, especially after coming back from a long Christmas break. However, if you stay true to these simple rules, you should do just fine.

Photo provided by Molly Faris