It’s the first day of your last ever school holidays – you’re studying for HSC, right? Right? Wrong. Year 12 students, it’s totally normal (and well within your rights) to kick back and enjoy the last few weeks of freedom before the intellectual massacre final exams arrive. However, these last few weeks are vital in a different kinda way – they’re a time to recuperate, plan ahead, and set yourself up for the breeziest HSC period on the planet. Here are some tried and tested prep tips from a seasoned exam-er:
- Dat sleeping pattern. Get it in order, stat. We know HSC often turns into a comp to see who can function on the least amount of sleep, but those people often crash and burn and are more likely to work at carwashes in the long run. Eye bags are not designer, and seven to eight hours of shut-eye a night in the weeks before exams will make you brighter, bushier-tailed and a shit-tonne smarter*
- Get your notes in order well before the exam day. That means that you can spend the rest of your holidays chillin’, and all the legwork is done for that inevitable pre-exam cram.
- Eat it. Eat it real good. This means cutting back on the sugar, the fats, the extra salt on dem hot chips, the works. Healthy(er) body equals healthy(er) brain – we’re not saying you need to go all Zzyz on us, but making small swaps in your eating habits has major pay-off when it comes to attention span, energy levels, memory… Pretty much everything. Plus, who doesn’t want a bangin’ bod for post-HSC shenanigans? No one, that’s who.
- Cram sessions are all well and good, but pay special attention to what your using to keep your energy levels in check. The energy source du jour is the little bullet can of wonder – the cafffeinated energy drink. While these seem like a good idea at the time, we guarantee that the cocktail of caffeine, sugar, taurine, ginseng, guarana and chemical XYZ will spike you for ten minutes before you come crashing headfirst back to earth. And by earth, we mean waking up on a pile of textbooks with no recollection how you got there. Cray, right? If you do find yourself sniffing around for an energy fix after the sun goes down, try swapping that energy drink for a cup of green tea, nutrient-packed fruits like apples and bananas, or home-brewed coffee. These sources pack an energy punch without many of the nasties found in energy drinks. Score.
CAN THE CAN 