I’m starting to think that there is some truth to the rule, “You are what you eat.” I think my muffintop would attest to that statement. In general, I stick to a healthy diet (of cupcakes), but when it comes time to crack the books I know that my typical eating habits will affect my scholastic performance. While I usually opt for a bag of M&Ms at the library, I now know that a giant bag of sugar is not the best thing to get me through the hours of cramming.

In contrast, there are foods out there that have been shown to improve memory retention and attention span. Read: The foods I should be eating. I am one who will do anything to pass an exam, even if it means eating my way to better grades. Because what could be better?

Eat? For better grades? Grad school may be for me after all.

When it comes to the basics, we all know the rules: “Don’t skip breakfast,” “Drink lots of water,” “An apple a day…blah, blah, blah.”But when it comes to college life, we need more than just a healthy diet - we need to feed our brains. So I’ve compiled a list of some snack foods to help our neurons rock and roll. Read More »

(Last week one of our writers opened up about her personal use of Adderall. We have since received tons of feedback regarding Adderall and the many ways it is used. Here is another coed’s story…)

Sunday night at 3 a.m. again. The lines on the page have long since run together. I have written the same sentence three times. My roommate is blaring the television set that is constantly tuned to E!. I have seen all of the True Hollywood stories. Twice.

“Bailey*, can I have an Adderall?”
“Sure. You know where to find them.”

I rummaged around in the clutter of her desk drawer, and my fingertips having connected with the plastic of a prescription bottle, I tipped a tiny capsule into my palm.

Ah, yes, here was my chemical savior. Focus city, here I come.
This amphetamine derivative was going to help me get through my stack of reading and get that assignment down on paper.

I lay back down on my bed and set my alarm for 4 a.m. With Adderall in my system I would be able to get back up in just an hour and get back to work. And I did. Read More »

Okay so it’s finals week, and that = lots and lots of papers, lots of tests, and, of course, the perfect time for a major attack of Writer’s Block! (scary music) We’ve all been there– staring at a blank screen at 3:20am, wishing you were anywhere but here, surfing the web for flights to Romania and cool jobs that don’t require a college diploma. Here are a few more practical solutions:

1. Step Away from the Computer! Do something non-computer related (and non-TV related for best results) for 15-30 minutes– take a short walk, read a magazine, doodle a bit. Then go back to your paper.

2. Trying using paper and pen for awhile: I usually write my topic or thesis at the top of the page to get me started.

3. Switch up your playlist. My writing music ranges from Apocalyptica to Pink and MC Solaar to Röyksopp.

4. Change your font color and text style to something fun: it sounds crazy, I know, but just try it — it helps.

5. Call it a night. Seriously. Even if it means you have to get up at 5am the next morning to finish it, a few hours of sleep will drastically improve your writing ability.

[Got any other ways to battle writer’s block?? Let us know!]

This is supposed to be my Spring Break. I wasn’t going anywhere warm and tropical, no, but I came home, and I was excited to spend the time just lazing around. I missed doing boring things, like laying around all day with my pets and watching music videos or Animal Planet. I missed staying up all night, talking with old friends, going to bed at four in the morning and waking up at two in the afternoon.

As you can imagine, a break filled with reading, writing, and research is not something I’m really enjoying.

It’s not horrendous, all things considered. I’ve had some time to just laze around, so that’s good. Still, at this point in the academic year, it’s pretty much impossible to have a whole week where I’m not doing anything. And don’t lie to me; I know that, regardless if you’re doing it or not, you have work to do too.

So, in light of the fact that none of us are going to have a very enjoyable next six or seven weeks (at least, I’m not), here are a few tips that’ll hopefully make things a little easier:

Read More »

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it can take me a while to get into the academic-paper-writing mood of zen. A long while. Like…several months.

Since I don’t usually have that kind of luxury to juggle around class deadlines, I do fun writing exercises to help me get in the mood. They’re easy, short, and they really will help your writing skills get better, so you can snag the high grades you need. Try these, or make up your own.

• Journaling. I don’t mean the kind of journaling that your sixth-grade teacher made you do about your summer vacation. I mean real journaling about what you really care about. Write a page about how much of a douchebag your ex is, or a few paragraphs about your favorite kind of chocolate and why exactly you love it so much. Loosening your writing muscles will help you get better starts on your papers.

• Songwriting. Come on. We’ve all listened to a Backstreet Boys song or two and thought to ourselves, “My four-year-old cousin could write better lyrics than those.” So why not prove it? Rather than calling up your baby cousin, do it yourself. A quick exercise like scribbling down a song will give you more creative, open ideas about the content and outlets of your academic writing. Read More »

I was an English major during undergrad, and people often have the misconception that English majors enjoy writing papers. I enjoyed writing papers about as much as I enjoyed the stench of a pungent dorm lounge the day after a particularly disgusting kegger.

I did manage to ace out on most of those papers, though, and thus I am offering this sage list of do NOTs to others in the world of paper peril:

* Do NOT stay up all night writing a paper.
I know, I know, sometimes it just has to be done. But believe it or not, your brain will have time to energize and recharge and think of better ideas if you write your paper over a period long enough to allow for Sex in the City-watching, meal-munching, and beauty sleep.

* Do NOT write your paper via AIM or your cell’s text-message screen.
Yes, you should absolutely take breaks to spend time with your friends and get away from your paper. But texting away while you are actually writing will only lead your prof to knock a few points off your paper because it contains “OMG HAWT++!” somewhere in the middle. Read More »

A lot of people think sitting front and center at a lecture is lame. Lame and nerdy. And a lot more think having scintillating discussions with the professor after class is even lamer.

But I think it’s the smartest thing you can do.

Make no mistake about it, even if you go to a small liberal arts college where kids walk around without shoes and you know the name of everyone in your class, you’re still one of hundreds. One of the hundreds of students your professor has.

Just another face, another paper, to be graded quickly before Must See TV comes on at 9:00.

But what if you want to do extra well in the class?

What if you’re like me, and really anal about your reputation, and simply can’t deal with the fact that someone might think you’re not trying? What if you’re taking that required math course, and honestly can’t remember those 5th grade times tables?

You get to know your professor.

*Be Engaged: Sitting front and center, looking awake, keeping your body language open and available helps your professor see that you’re actually taking in what they’re saying. After staring into a sea of glazed-over eyes, finding yours open and watching will set that professor’s heart aflutter.

*Answer Questions: Nobody likes know-it-alls and morons who love the sound of their own voice, but raising your hand once a class will keep you on your professor’s radar. Just make sure you have something worthwhile to say, because believe it or not, professors hate idiots just as much as you do. Read More »

We’ve all been there. It’s a little past 2am and you’re 3 paragraphs into a paper due in a few hours, on a subject you only vaguely understand, for a class you go to only when it’s on the way to happy hour.You’ve typed every word that relates to your paper topic into Google, and you’ve come up with nary a Wikipedia entry.

So what’s the problem? Well, besides your knack for procrastination and admirable laziness, it could be your research skills.

Before you give up and accept defeat (and an F), pour yourself a hot cup of coffee and check out these research sites that have saved me more than once:

Spark Notes: You may not have used this site since high school, but I assure you, it’s even more useful now. From novel summaries that you’ve been using since 7th grade English class to summary-style subject reviews, you can find help for almost anything here, from Shakespeare to physics. I’ve gotten A’s on papers on books I didn’t read because of this site, and it saved my butt when I was cramming for a psychology final and couldn’t for the life of me, understand a specific topic. Their review for specific subject are great at explaining something simply and thoroughly. Read More »