It's no secret that sitting your exams can be one of the most stressful times in our lives and that pretty much applies to whatever level of education you are dealing with. Let's face it, you've worked your socks off all year and now is the time that really matters. To make things even trickier, so many students out there are putting their health and their academic future at risk because they are just not preparing properly for these milestone events. Here we discuss exactly why hydration should be right up there with revision as far as getting yourself ready for your exams are concerned. Fatigue and stress Okay, those hours and hours of heavy revision will inevitably have some influence on how you are feeling but that doesn't mean that your results need to be affected. Taking care of your health and your hydration levels is the best way to give yourself the very best chance of hitting those targets. When we suffer from dehydration out concentration levels really do take a massive tumble. Ask yourself: ‘who needs that extra set of issues right now?' Also your motor skills will be severely affected and your cognitive abilities suffer in a similar fashion. Not all liquids help That regular hit of caffeine may feel as if it is working wonders for your concentration but that just isn't the case. Coffee will dehydrate your system faster than you would imagine and your blood sugar levels will alter in a way that soon makes you feel more exhausted and mood swings will not be far behind. The same goes for sugary cold drinks that seem to be everywhere at a time like this. You may feel a jolt when that sugar hit first does its' trick but it will not last very long. Here's the good news! Just take a step back and look into your drinking habits and you'll soon see a window for improvement. We've got some sure fire tips that will make you feel better about yourself and your chances in those exams:
  • Stick to water and avoid sugary drinks
  • Bring a refillable water bottle into your exam centre
  • Always drink before you start to feel thirsty, that's the best way to combat dehydration
  • Drink around 250 ml of water every hour or two
  • Add some fresh fruit to the water to make it a little more fun
  • When studying in a library make sure you're close to a water cooler or water fountain.
Obviously you will also need to meet your revision requirements; water is good but not a miracle worker in this case. If you enjoy listening to music whilst studying, try to take a mouthful of water between each track. Good luck and we do hope these tips give you the very best chance of getting the results that you deserve!