Vital tips for students

The nationwide College Scholastic Ability Test took place, Thursday, and will determine which students get to attend schools of their choice. By applying health sciences to their lifestyles, students can pull up the efficiency of their studying on top of maintaining good condition until the day they get admissions. Professor Lee Jung-kwon and Professor Yoo Jun-hyun at Samsung Medical Center offered some health tips for them.

Sleep at least six to eight hours

To maintain health, one needs adequate rest and sleep, appropriate exercise, and balanced nutrition. The doctors recommend that they sleep between six to eight hours to activate brain cells. Many students sleep for too short a time, but they should know that the human brain needs sleep. What they have studied is organized and memorized in the brain while they are asleep. Sleeping is not wasting time.

If they don’t sleep enough, they can have problems like headaches, dizziness or fatigue. These symptoms can ruin their exam taking. Hence, they shouldn’t study overnight, especially during the exam season. Even if they feel sleepless, they should make the room dark at night and brighten it for the day. Taking a bath and drinking hot milk will help them have a good sleep.

Take a walk or light exercise

Many students may frown at the idea of taking physical exercise as they always feel that they are short of time for studying. However, exercise is effective not only for physical health but also for activating the brain. Among the sensory impulses that the brain senses, the biggest come from the leg muscles, which awaken the brain.

However, they should also avoid sudden and excessive exercise as they can damage muscle and joints on top of tiring themselves too much. Doctors recommend going outdoors and taking a walk or go jogging.

If this isn’t easy for them, stretching indoors can relieve tiredness.

Don’t miss breakfast

Doctors stress that students shouldn’t skip breakfast as it provides fuel for the brain. If they miss breakfast, it means their stomach is empty for over 12 hours. As a result, sympathetic nerves will be activated, making them extremely tense. That will worsen fatigue and make people feel tired, lowering down efficiency.

Hence, those who used to skip breakfast should start having it at least from a week before the exam day as they need time for adjustment. However, they shouldn’t overeat as it would cause blood to head to the stomach from brain, making one over-relaxed and sleepy. They should stop eating when they feel 80 percent full, so as not to weigh on the stomach while helping the brain to be agile.

The diet should be balanced as too much meat won’t help. Vegetarians, meanwhile, should include beans or tofu in their diet and have eggs or milk to avoid deficiencies in essential amino acids.

Handle the stress

Anxiety and stress increase greatly especially ahead of the test. Many people complain of depression, fatigue, tiredness, dizziness, headache and stomachache. They should seek psychological stableness through meditation, deep breathing, or gradual relaxation of the muscles.

Sitting comfortably in a quiet and pleasant place, one can try abdominal breathing deep and slow while closing their eyes. Repeating this for five minutes twice a day will help them relax.

Most headaches come from stress and stiff muscles following excessive tension.Massaging with a steam towel or taking a bath can help.

Rubbing between the eyes or watching the sky or gazing into the distance will also help prevent headaches. When they get extremely stressed, lying down while closing their eyes and stretching may help.

If the headache worsens day by day and is limited to certain area, they should consult a doctor. Brain tumors are rare, but symptoms include a chronic headache and vomiting.

Close your eyes from time to time

The visual organs are the most abused parts in the body while a person is awake as they have to react to the light that continues coming in while the eyes are open. Doctors recommend closing the eyes from time to time. It is the best present a person can offer their eyes. During the night, people may look at the stars in the sky, thinking of their plans for the future.