Galway Advertiser 1984/1984_05_17/GA_17051984_E1_003.pdf 

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Today's students a r e u n d e r a great deal of p r e s s u r e to get good results in their e x a m inations. T h e points system in p a r t i c u l a r puts e n o r m o u s strain on Leaving Certificate s t u d e n t s , m a n y of w h o m w o r k so h a r d t o get t h e n e c e s s a r y p o i n t s for a p l a c e in t h i r d level e d u c a t i o n t h a t t h e y h a v e l i t t l e t i m e f o r social life, a n d t h e i r a n x i e t y c a u s e s s t r e s s in the family h o m e . S t u d e n t counsellors a n d m e d i c a l e x p e r t s a r e u n a n i m o u s in t h e i r view, however, t h a t the physical p r e p a r a t i o n for e x a m i n a t i o n s is just as i m p o r t a n t as t h e intellectual. S t u d y t i m e should b e balanced by time for exercise a n d relaxation. A d e q u a t e sleep and sensible eating a r e also vitally i m p o r t a n t . T h i s week, in conjunction w i t h the N A T I O N A L D A I R Y C O U N C I L -- w h o p r o d u c e d q u i t e e x c e l l e n t l e a f l e t s o n h e a l t h a n d d i e t m a t t e r s -- t h e Galway Advertiser begins a two week series on a sensible way to p r e p a r e for a n d i m p r o v e y o u r e x a m i n a t i o n performance. eating liver, heart or kidney once a week. 7. Have a small glass of fruit juice, or half an orange, with your iron-rich food. The orange allows your body to absorb up to twice as much iron. Red meat, egg yolk and wholegrain cereal also supply some 3. As far as possible try to avoid any sudden alteration in your activity pattern at examination time. Any drastic change may upset the metabolism. If you are actually involved in sport, reduce your involvement gradually over a period of 6 to 12 weeks. Be especially careful to avoid any activity where injury is likely. During study breaks, take a short walk outside instead of another cup of black coffee. Coffee contains a stimulant called caffeine, and some experts believe that an excess may damage your health. A breath of fresh air on the other hand will keep you refreshed until the next break. After two or three hours on a hard chair on examination day. a stroll in the open air is good for the circulation. But if this does not appeal do whatever you feel will help you relax. Avoid any form of activity which will cause tension or frustration, but try to spend some time in the open air. Don't forget to train your hand to cope with 2 or 3-hour stints of pen work or you will hit the "writing wall" halfway through the paper. Use more than one pen. with widely different barrel widths, to strain and the possibility of cramp.

Diet
WEEK ONE :
Good nutrition is important at all stages of life, but especially during preparation for examinations, when stress and anxiety can lead to a lack of appetite. Poor eating habits cause students to be run-down and incapable of giving of their best. You can avoid these problems by adhering to the following ground rules of good nutrition:

Preparing Examinations
NEXT W E E K : Examination and a Study

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8. Regular, small, frequent meals are better than a long period of starvation followed by a heavy meal. 9. Vigorous exercise, or intensive study, should be avoided immediately after a meal. 10. Foods that you know give you indigestion, such as reheated meats, over-fresh bread or over-seasoned dishes, should be avoided.

4. 6.

1. Start the day with a nourishing breakfast consisting of cereal and milk, or an egg, plus wholemeal bread and tea or coffee. This will help improve morning productivity. Techniques Timetable. 2. At lunch time, have a meat, fish, cheese or egg sandwich and some fresh fruit or yogurt. A large, stodgy meal at mid-day will only make you feel lazy during the afternoon and reduce your concentration. 3. In the evening have a substantial dinner, meat, fish or poultry, lots of vegetables, 1/2 potatoes and fruit or light dessert. Avoid heavy meals as they impair productivity.

6. 11. Meals should be in a relaxed atmosphere and should not be hurried.

Exercise
Muscles were made to be used and in use they assist circulation. Study, on the other hand, imposes long periods of immobilisation. It is necessary, therefore, to break up study with periods of exercise and. in addition, during actual study to change posture at regular intervals. 1 If you are used to taking regular exercise, and find it assists in releasing tension, an hour or so of enjoyable physical activity every day may-help you study more effectively. 7.

4. Avoid crash diets at any time, but particularly at exam time. They are bad for your health and will only make you feel weak and listless. 5. Ensure that you are getting a wellbalanced diet by eating a wide variety of foods including liver, heart or kidney, and oily fish once a week. Take lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread and cereals and have one pint of milk daily. 6. Iron is particularly important for female students. If you are not getting sufficient iron you will feel tired and lethargic and will not function at your best. Ensure that you get this iron by

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2. If you are unfit and don't enjoy sport, examination time is not the time to worry about this. But after two or three hours of study or examinations, try at least to take a brisk walk in the open air for 30 minutes.

Exercise brings a healthy tiredness which will help you get at least the 8 hours sleep you need every night. A tired mind, however brilliant it might be, cannot give of its best, so the importance of adequate sleep, particularly in relation to effective exam preparation cannot be overstrened.