As college students we always need an energy boost. You don’t have to rely on unhealthy energy drinks!

Change your socks for refreshment.
Have a piece of chocolate.
Wake up at the same time everyday.
Avoid energy drinks.
Sniff some citrus.

See more ideas for more energy at Zenhabits: 55 Ways to Get More Energy. Also, check out the U of I Oasis on campus and in the Illini Union.

Photo by Łukasz Strachanowski.

Studying is a numbers game – you have a certain amount of time which you devote to studying, and you want to maximize your returns by learning as much useful information in that time as possible.

Over the past few years I’ve participated in many study groups. One thing I have learned is that the size of your study group really does matter.

If you have too many people, there is too much noise, and a higher chance that there will be an outlier person who is consistently holding the group back (“Wait can you please explain that again?!”). You may be tempted to think that the more people at the study session, the better chance that there will be an expert in a particular subject present. That may be true, but in my experience the friction of too many diverse knowledge levels is far greater than the possible speed-ups of having more people present.

Alternatively, If you have too few people there is a high chance that there will be topics that nobody in your group understands the material. For example, if you’re studying for that big Chemistry exam and noone knows how to balance chemical equations, it will take much more time for everyone to look it up in the book than for a single expert (that is, the “expert” of your group being the person with the most knowledge on the subject) to explain it quickly and concisely to everyone at the study session.

For more information there is an interesting article about Effects of Group Size on Problem Solving, and computer security expert Bruce Schneier has some interesting observations about group dynamics as well.

The size of your study group does matter. The optimal size may be different based on class, personalities, etc. – just be sure to think about it when you’re planning your exam study groups.

Photo by Valley Library

Here it is again. We’ve worked for the last five months and just before we can finish this thing off, we have to hold for 24 hours. There is to be no work done today, it is reading day.

So what are you going to do today? Study? I don’t think so. Just for you, I’ve busted into The Quad Vault and found the top ten list for reading day… enjoy.

Top Ten Things to do on Reading Day:
10. Study for Finals
9. Go outside and enjoy the weather
8. Go home and skip finals
7. Come back to campus when your parents find out you’re skipping finals
6. Return your stolen cafeteria items to the “amnesty box”
5. Recycle all your notes (or toss them into a [safe and contained] fire)
4. Browse Facebook (all day)
3. Go to your normal Thursday classes and wonder where everyone is
2. Sleep
1. Read!?! (It is reading day.)

Good luck on finals!

Flash Card Machine is a simple, easy-to-use online flash card system. You put in your information, then can test yourself – with many of the features you would use while using actual flash cards. Check it out while you’re studying for exams.

flashcardmachine.com

What does science have to say?

Contamination, Reinforcement, Simmer, Story Time – It’s just that easy!

For many classes, midterm exams will begin in a few weeks. Don’t forget to do some preemptive studying so that you’ll be ready when the exams come up!

Here’s a huge list of study tips, with some of our favorites below.
Productivity 501: Study Tips

• Try not to study in your dorm room. That annoying student down the hall that likes to play his/her music at maximum volume might decide to do so while you are trying to study.
• Staying hydrated and getting plenty of rest during the night both help studying go better.
• Get outside and exercise, if you can. Some studies show that moderate exercise has very positive effects on studying and mental processes in general.
• Make up silly songs using important course information or concepts as the lyrics. It sounds weird, but most people actually find things set to music easier to remember.

“The piece of advice I hear most often from past students is to read the book before you come to class,” one of my professors said today. “It helps you get introduced to the topic so you can learn and understand the topic during lecture.”

Today was the first day of instruction here at the University of Illinois. Today you are not behind in any of your classes. Isn’t it funny how we all know that we should stay ahead in our classes, but we always seem to get behind on our work? This semester, our advice for success is to do a little bit of work to read before going to class and finishing homework early. You will learn better and faster because of it.

Here’s to a great semester!

Well, the semester is officially over. Classes are finished and all that’s left is final exams. Today is Reading Day. It’s been in debate for years as to what the purpose of this day really is. Do they expect us to read all day? I think it is meant to be a day off, after class and before exams. To those of you who have exams on Friday, today would probably be a great day to study. For those of you who have nothing to study for, or are just too lazy, here are some ideas to fill your day: