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Finals cause students to lose sleep
RYAN GU LA
science editor
As the year winds down to
a close, and the winter weath
er becomes an everyday
sight, students everywhere
begin their annual routine of
cramming for finals.
So just how should we
spend what little time we have
and what is the best way to
retain the most knowledge?
First, it's important that
we plan out and know exactly
when our final is. It doesn't
make sense to study first for
a final on Friday rather than
the one on Monday.
Once we know when our
finals are, we have to focus
on what information we need
for each final. Not all classes
have cumulative finals, so it's
best to know as much about
what the teacher expects the
student to know.
Next, we have to develop a
plan of attack, ranking what
we need to work on the most
after considering our current
average in a class and how
much the final is worth, tak
ing into consideration when
each final will be held.
Then comes the obvious
part, studying. Contrary to
common belief, it's best to
avoid cramming the night be
fore a test.
Most of the information
we review isn't retained and
we are simply wasting time
that could be spent resting.
Try and study in advance,
sticking to a schedule and
covering the most important
points.
Many times, teachers are
unable to go into a lot of de
- . . 4.44, •
Beacon
Science Staff
Ryan Gula
SCIENCE EDITOR
Elizabeth Masteller
BIOLOGY MAJOR
Morgan Meacock
PHYSICS MAJOR
Amanda Snyder
BIOLOGY MAJOR
tail simply because they don't
have time. This is especially
true when it comes to cumu
lative finals, as there is too
much information to cover in
depth.
Also, try some caffeinated
beverages and use them as a
last resort. Although they can
help us stay awake a little lon
ger, they are often associated
with a crash later on that can
leave us with much less en
ergy.
A bottle of water is the best
beverage we can have near us
and a little snack high in pro
tein can also help us stay fo
cused and allow us to master
the most material.
Avoid overeating, as we
will get tired once the body
begins the digestion process.
After many hours of solid
studying, it's extremely ben
eficial to get away from the
books and exercise.
Even a simple walk after
dinner followed by a movie
is enough to give the mind a
break. It also helps the infor
mation sort out in the brain,
so that it's ready when we get
the test.
room 15 minutes early and
pick a seat that you will be
comfortable in. Look around
for any vents that may make
you too warm or cold and
avoid sitting near the door,
which may be a bit noisy as
students finish their exams.
Take extra writing instru
ments and something to wear
in case it gets too cold. If
you will be using a calcula
tor, ensure that the batteries
are new and have plenty of
charge to last the exam.
After getting your exam,
put your name on it. Ev
ery year, thousands forget
that simple task, which can
be very costly in terms of swer.
points and the time it takes Never leave them blank. A
19ri
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Obama awards medal to PSU professor
After we've studied every
thing that we'll need for the
big day, we should get six to
eight hours of rest the night
before. If we can, try and get
up at least an hour and a half
before the final.
This time shouldn't be
used for studying, but for get
ting ready and eating a good
breakfast. Even though we
may not be hungry, a bowl of
cereal and a piece of fruit can
go a long way when it comes
time to take the test.
Arrive at the assigned test
ELIZABETH MASTELLER
Science Writer
In a ceremony at the White
House, President Barack
Obama presented the Nation
al Medal of science to ten in
dividuals on November 17th.
Among those honored was
Penn State's Stephen J. Ben
kovic, an Evan Pugh profes
sor of Chemistry.
Benkovic was recognized
because of his extensive re
search in the field of bioor
ganic chemistry, enhancing
our kniowlege of enzyme
function and further devel
oping strategies for drug de
sign.
During the ceremony,
Obama praised the recipients
for their contributions to sci
ence and all of humanity.
"It's no exaggeration to
say that the scientists and in
novators in this room have
saved lives, improved our
Students are beginning to prepare for their finals that are coming up this week
health and well-being, helped
unleash whole new industries
and millions of jobs, trans
formed the way we work and
learn and communicate," said
President Obama in a state
ment on the Penn State's
Eberly College School of Sci
ence's website.
"And this incredible con
tribution serves as proof not
only of their incredible cre
ativity and skill but of the
promise of science itself."
Also honored at the cer
emony was Penn State gradu
ate Warren Washington, who
received his doctorate in me
teorology from Penn State.
Washington, a senior sci
entist at the National Center
for Atmospheric Research in
Boulder, Colorado.
He received the award for
his development and use of
global climate models to un
derstand climate and explain
the role of human activities
the teacher to figure out who
took the nameless exam.
Next, page through and
quickly determine what to
work on first, paying atten
tion to what you know best
and what is worth the most in
terms of points. Then, get to
work, following your sched
ule.
If you get stuck on a ques
tion, move on and coma back
if you have time. Also, if you
won't receive a point deduc
tion for wrong answers on
multiple choice questions,
eliminate as many choices
as possible and guess if you
can't determine the best an-
and natural processes in the
Earth's climate system.
He has worked to support a
diverse science and engineer
ing workforce," said Obama
on the Eberly College's web
site.
Warren and Benkovic now
join a host of Penn Staters
who previously received the
award for various other scien
tific accomplishments.
This award is given to hon
or the lifetime achievements
to those dedicating their time
to the field of science.
It is the nation's highest
honor for the field. Since its
creation in 1962, the award
has been given out to 441
people.
The information used for
this article is based off of the
Penn State Eberly College of
Science's website. It can be
found at www.science.psu.
edu
lucky guess could give you a
few extra points that might
make a difference in your
grade
After you've done your
best and turned it in, move
on to studying for your other
finals. Students often think
about their exam after they
have already taken it, caus
ing undue stress and wast
ing time from preparation for
other exams.
If you do get overwhelmed,
talk to someone in the per
sonal counseling office.
They can help guide you in
the right direction and elimi
nate worries you might have
about school and finals.