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October 10th, 2005

When long study sessions require that you stay alert and pay attention, drinking that third cup of coffee isn’t going to give you the long term energy you need. The foods we eat do not just affect our bodies, they also affect our minds as well. It is important for the brain to get the nutrients it needs to keep things like memory, alertness, and mood at optimal levels. Good fats like those found in omega-3 fatty acids help the brain with intellectual performance. This is because they are important to the development of the outer membrane of brain cells through which nerve signals must pass. Since these cell membranes need a continuous supply of fatty acids, it is important to incorporate plenty into your diet. Nutrients that precede brain neurotransmitters, like those found in B-vitamins, can also help boost alertness, memory, and stress resistance. The B-vitamin choline has been found to enhance memory in people and decrease fatigue.

Physically active students tend to perform better academically, according to a 2008 study by the American College of Sports Medicine. This is likely due to the fact that physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, increases endorphins, and improves mood. When you feel as if you are mentally exhausted, exercising your body rather than your mind can actually give it the rest it needs so that it can reenergize itself. It’s important for college students to find time in between classes to get their bodies moving through exercise machines, aerobics classes, or recreational sports. To boost your brain power, try to be physically active for at least 30 minutes on at least three days of the week.

If you are under the impression that pulling all-nighters during finals week will help your grades, you are wrong. In a Fall 2009 study by the American College Health Association, 20 percent of students reported that sleep difficulties within the last 12 months had interfered with their academic performance and caused them to receive a lower grade on an exam or project, receive a lower grade in a course, caused them to receive an incomplete or drop the course completely, or experienced a significant disruption in a thesis, dissertation, research, or practicum work. The brain processes information at night by relocating information that is absorbed during the day to permanent storage areas. During each stage of sleep, information is processed differently, so it’s important that you get from six to eight hours of sleep each night so you can go through each one.

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