What do you do to enhance your brain activity?

herbal remedies arent going to help...sounds like you're just stressed. Try to relax and see what happens. All that Ginko or Factor crap is exactly that in my opinion...crap. Sounds like you just need to break up the monotony. Try to put something fun in your routine, or something to take your mind off everything...go workout, take some time during your day and just do nothing...if you keep up that pace while studying for your DAT..your brain will be fried and you will bomb. You need to manage your time so that you can put something entertaining into your schedule.

 

Relax. Stress = kills.

 

Sometimes I get to thinking about the application process, classes, getting in, etc...But you have to learn to just let what happens happen. The only thing you can do is try your best, if you do that then everything will work out in the end, cause it always does.

 

Drink tons of coffee, if you don't like coffee drink espresso.

 

I agree there is so much stuff out there, my husband recently ordered that focus factor stuff, and he's in med school studying for a big test right now, I'll let you know if it helped, lol

 

I think its a fair assumption to say that most people in this situation feel the same way... I'm in exactely the same boat as you... I don't have a life whatsoever, but you dont nessesarily need to go out and party to take your mind off of things, infact what I think is much better and also I what I do to stay sharp and focus is working out, seriosly... study for however long until you feel that you arent absorbing anything then go work out for like an hour, take a shower and go back to studying, you will find you feel energized and ready to attack. Also eat food that's healthy, no sugary crap that will leave you drained. Make sure your lifestyle is as healthy as possible and find 20 minutes out of your day to sit down and just relax, its mandatory, do yoga, meditate, or just sit down quietly and try to think about something other than academics. You may feel like "I could be studying" in the time you alot yourself to relax, but 2 hours of constructive studying is a million times better than 9 hours of tired studying where you are absorbing anything

hope that helps!!

 

Sounds like you needs some St. John's Wort, it will help you be less depressed anyway.

 

.I’ve had the same problem before and there are a few things you can do to improve the overall quality of your life. For one, there are simply not enough hours in the day, so learn to be as time efficient as possible. I did this by cutting out all the random crap in my day and using the extra time I’m not studying for something I actually enjoy doing such as hanging out with friends, working out, or playing ball. This meant not spending 2-3 hours a day watching TV or napping. Also try to make your meals in advance, or order out because you do not want to waste time during the week preparing food. Next always have a positive attitude, some people that are over worked start feeling bad for themselves and having a negative attitude, and I assure you that this will not help with your studying. If you are time efficient, eat right, keep a positive attitude, and study hard; only good things will follow. In terms of supplements, I would recommend using caffeine when you study whether it be in the form of coffee, pill, or energy drink. Caffeine will not only energize you but it will help you focus since it is a stimulant.
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I feel that way about 80% of my time lol ESSPECIALLY before a big exam.

Honestly, the thing that REALLY helps me is working out and sleeping ATLEAST 8 hrs per night. If I don't get 8hr sleep, I can't study for sh!t.

 

I can’t really think clearly and can’t solve simplest math problems! I am trying so hard to do well in my cal class, but my brain won’t go along with it. I am so frustrated and worried.
One more thing has anyone ever tried the vitamins “Factor” or “Ginko” (the name is something like that)? Thanks
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haha, calculus will do that to you for sure! I can remember taking calculus, then trying to solve a simple mathematic equation...like helping my wife's sister in high school math and it never worked! I don't know what it is about calc, but I wasn't the only one this happened to either. So now guess what I get to do...start ALL over at the beginning with fractions, laws of operations and many many more! Thing is, now I can't remember anything from calc either...so now I am doubly screwed! Atleast there is no calc on the DAT.

As far as the gingko goes, I tried it for a while and I never noticed a difference. St. John's Wort might work for ya...I don't know, if I have been on antidepressants, I have been on the synthetic ones. My wife bought me a bottle of this stuff called 5-HTP. It says it is a calming neuro-nutrient, enhances mood, and promotes sleep. I haven't opened it yet because I am actually stopping all SSRI meds and trying to see if I can handle it without em...as I have been on SSRI's for 5 years and gained ~ 50lbs as well. Anyways, this 5-HTP claims to increase Serotonin Levels....

Beware, when you search online for "natural" remedies, the majority of the sites you will find are promoting the remedy itself, so it is very biased.

Get some rest, take a day off from studying...I came to the realization that if I study all the time, I drive myself nuts, so I have to take a break here and there. Get a favorite TV show...mine are Lost and Grey's Anatomy...other than that, I don't watch much TV at all.

Are you able to get a dog? If you live in the dorms no, but if not...try it. My dogs keep me pretty good company when the wife is gone....

Good luck and make some time for yourself...

 

IDK about enhance, but when I feel I'm not being productive enough I might tackle a tough Sudoku or a crossword puzzle or do my Rubik's cube in a different way (though if you don't know how to solve one it just might frustrate you).

I wouldn't trust any of those pills they advertise.

If you just have lots of stress I would strongly recommend working out. Lift weights and/or run.

 

drink grape juice

 

Drink vitamin water!

 

When I absolutely positively have to get something done I get a 4pack of Red Bull, after my second one I get in the zone and use the other two to get me through the next day.

 

Worst advice so far.

 

Your brain is similar to your muscles - it can get overworked and needs rest to recover. From what you've posted, the best thing for you right now is to find a way to relax, get plenty of rest, and eat a well-balanced diet. You know, all the things your parents told you to do as a kid.

Whatever you do, don't turn to drugs, alcohol, or pills. They are only temporary and will hurt you in the long run.

 

Coffee makes me too antsy when I am nervous. I get even more stressed.
Classical music is suppose to stimulate your brain. Mozart, Beethoven and the really complex stuff.

 

lol, I am just saying what I do...........

 

I second the coffee. I bought an espresso machine and now even roast my own coffee beans, it couldn't be any fresher then if I got it from Juan Valdez himself!

However, I usually limit myself to just one cup in the morning, and then green tea throughout the day. I found more coffee made me go crazy, screwed up my sleep schedule and made it even harder to concentrate

However I've found naps are the best option when I'm tired and trying to concentrate. A 30 min nap will do wonders vs. trying to massively wake myself up with caffeine, which just leads me to be very jittery.

Other then that I agree with everyone else's advice about taking care of yourself. Eat a balanced diet, exercise, sleep 8 hours a night. If you start messing up with those, then you start stressing your body out which ultimately will affect your mental functionality.

 

give your gerkin ah jerkin

 

This will work!
queeze 1 hr in your schedule to workout. Do cardio..ex: swimming, running, kung fu D weeeehh yah!)...uhmm..i would stick with running or swimming if you're not into that stuff. Trust me on this one, cardio workout will refresh your mind and help you relieve stress so you can jump back to your work. Secondly, take multivitamin (Centrum), it'll shield you a bit from sickness plus it'll give you some vitamins for your brain. Thirdly, have an organized schedule for your day. Good luck on reaching your destination.

 

Dont take Centrum, its mostly fillers and binders and useless crap. Take a multivitamin,just not that one. Working out(cardio) helps. Obviously the kind of foods you eat are important too..eating crap day and night is going to make you 1)sick and 2)give you sugar highs that will just wear off. Complex carbs are good, refined sugars and white foods are not. Eat stuff with a low GI, drink half your weight(in ounces) of H20 per day, and get a good amount of uninterrupted sleep when possible(I realize that you cannot sleep 6-8 hrs every night but if all you can manage is 4 or 5, its better than nothing). Everyone is different, and some people perform better at different times than others-I was always a night owl, I'm pretty much useless during the day. Try to restructure your schedule of activities/studying around when you think/know you will be the most focused-no amount of vitamins,minerals,etc will help until you organize yourself correctly. There is time in your day for everything you need to get done, you just need to figure out how to schedule it in.

PS:Try an early-morning yoga class.It works wonders.

 

Whenever I'm looking for inspiration while studying, I put on the Rocky soundtrack and have a drink. You will be surprised how much a little (keyword: little) alcohol can improve your creative abilities...especially when it comes to writing papers. There's a reason that most of the 20th centuries greatest writers were alcoholics. It works.

 

Haha, past the "little" you will start coming up with great ideas. However, look at it tommorow morning and you will think, WTF?

 

Not a bad way to hammer out a rough draft though

 

exercise at least 25 min each day
get enough sleep: cutting sleep to study only hurts your brain's ability to function and recall

 

Sleep is essential for a clear mind. work out and yoga should help in your case. You probably can't fall asleep easily because you aren't physically tired enough but your brain is. Exercise also gives you serotonin, which makes you happy and gives you a sense of wellness.

Take it easy on volunteering and shadowing. These activities are rather laid-back. Use them as your study breaks. You may wanna take some time off to travel out of town before you start preparing for the DAT. Look at your daily schedule and think if there's anything you could do to improve your time management. Priortize things on your to-do list instead of trying to get everything done all at once. Find something to do that can de-stress you. For me it's humming random songs . Beware of signs of depression--look for help if necessary.

 

I can't take naps, I end up feeling worse after a nap then if I didn't take one at all.

I am a fan of exercise, or at least getting my heart rate up.

 

really? Centrum helps me to think a bit better in the morning (or maybe it's a psychological thing). The Yoga part...I have no idea how to put my left foot over my neck. How do you breath when you stand on your toes?.....maybe women are more flexible.

 

don't forget to take some time for yourself, no matter what it is you do. take some time to do something that lets you escape from your daily pressures. listen to an album all the way through. run on a tredmill. hit a punching bag with a baseball bat. as long as it's something that you don't have to do, and isn't an effort towards procrastination. remember this time is yours, and that there is no connection between it and the rest of your life. and if anyone f#cks with your time, they should know that they will regret it because it belongs to you.

or if you don't even have the time for something like that (seriously though if you don't you need to evaluate your schedule and make some improvements)... just remember to live in the now. stop worrying about what's going to happen or anything else that might cause anxiety. take a look at everything around you and take a deep breath. relax, nothing is really a big deal. everything is probably going to be fine.

or if you don't like those ideas go with a sudoku puzzle like streetwolf said. those puzzles are a de-light.

 

if you practice,you can hold the positions for longer and strengthen your core muscles etc etc. its fun being gumby-ish

 

have you considered a transplant?

 

Here in Miami we have Cuban coffee, served in tiny cups(the cups are similar in size to cold/cough medicine cups). Just a little bit and it will have you climbing walls. My Biochem professor suggest drinking Cuban coffee when studying for his class.

 

Oh snap.

 

listen to me first of all and forget all the nonsense about redbulls and relaxing. Take Omega 3 fatty oil pills every morning. They are fish oil pills and enhance your brain function and memory....look it up if u dont believe me.

 

lol...i love the internet!

 

Watch the GSN (Game show network) and play trivia in bars!

 

Just to reiterate what has been said:

Work out (at least 20 minutes three times a week). At least enough to have a little difficulty talking. Your brain needs circulation, and studies have shown that those who excercise increase their brain function as well.

Stimulants??? Only very carefully if your body works well with it. Sleeping on a normal schedule is more important. Your short term memory is transfered into your long term memory during your sleep thanks to your hippocampus. If you are having trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine, especially in the afternoon and evening. So this also means, if you really want to remember something, put it in your short term memory right before you get to bed. Look at it in the morning, and it is like magic. (No science, but I swear it works, at least for one concept at a time.)

And a natural food substance you want to make sure you are not deficient in is omega-3 fatty acids. Good sources are salmon, walnuts, flax seeds or oil, or fish oil supplements. The exact mechanism is not known, but we do know that a lot of brain matter is made out of these, so it is logical that if you don't have any in your diet, it is not good. They have also been shown to lower LDL and increase HDL cholesterol, along with whole host of other good things. Just make sure it is part of a balanced diet.

 

Ya, working out really helps and listening to awesome music while studying...whenever I listen to music i consider cool, I always become smarter..but that's just me.

Try to avoid chocolates too because it'll make you feel like not working out...your body will be like "just sleep today and workout tomorrow" but as that continues to happen you'll become lazier.


Hope I helped!

 

Stay off SDN

 

The Omega 3, is a smarter choice for the long term, but you just can't overlook the reliable standby caffiene inhibitor of cAMP-phosphodiesterase.

 

AHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!

 

You really need to take it easy. Take a break and go out for a while whether it be fishing, to a club, bowling, etc. You don't want to overload yourself.

I was in Iraq when that happened to me. It was my senior year of undergrad. Try completing a research paper while your camp is being hit with mortar and RPGs throughout the night. Now that's stress!!!

 

smoke pot

 

hold on a second....is this what I think it is??????? Good lord man!
I bet you just love stress!