PHOTO: Dan Saelinger/Collegian
Steve Ravert (sophomore-painting) sleeps on top of his books with hopes that the material will seep into his brain.

By Ari Pinkus
Collegian Staff Writer

An unsuspecting freshman is told that acing an exam requires waking up at 4 a.m., ingesting loads of caffeine and studying until exam time.

Most students can 'fess up to believing some study myths.

Listening to a tape recorder while sleeping, dreaming about facts you studied, drinking milk and coffee, and listening to classical music are just some of the tips students learn to study smart.

Myths come about because students believe there is a sure-fire, short-cut way to study smart. "People say it works every time when it only works in 20 percent of the situations," said Sean Coffron, a learning skills consultant with the University Learning Resource Center. "Any generalization is a myth."

"I've tried sleeping on a book for an exam," said Ankit Patel (sophomore-international business operations and information systems management). "It doesn't work."

It's time to dispel those myths and learn some study truths, according to some students.

Noise can be distracting, said Rich Brungard, a tutor coordinator with the learning center. "A majority of people do better in a quiet room," Brungard said.

The noise in many rooms often comes from the television, which Scott Wilezol (senior-business logistics and international business) calls an interference to his studies.

On the other hand, it's true that classical music can help a student concentrate. "People tend to sing along to music with lyrics so the words in the song can be distracting. So listening to instruments without words helps, Coffron said.

"But if you don't like classical music, it will put you to sleep."

Although caffeine will definitely not put students to sleep, it does not a guarantee of strong test performance.

"Caffeine is false energy. It hinders what you do on test day because it distracts you to the little things going on around you," Coffron said. "It works for 1 percent of the population."

Another myth involves listening to notes on a recording or repeating facts aloud in order to remember them.

However, awake or asleep, audible repetition can create problems during an exam.

Chanting to remember ideas in a sequence can lead to confusion, Coffron said.

"You write slower than you talk so you wind up tripping yourself up," he said.

There also is no research to support that playing recorded notes while sleeping works, Brungard said.

People do not usually dream about what they study, he added.

Along with various study habits, the location at which a student chooses to study is also important. But according to Coffron, there is no one best place to study.

"It's wherever you're able to relax. Some people get intimidated by the library."

And although some students tend to study in bed, it can quickly make them drowsy.

"If you're afraid of that, don't get under the covers," Coffron said.

Wherever one chooses to work, eating is a must.

And eating right should be an even higher priority.

"Have something healthy like milk or orange juice. Anything with vitamin C," Coffron said.

Keeping your energy up is key to a productive study session. "If the drink is cold, it might help you stay awake," he said.

Studying with others can be productive — or not, in some cases. "Group work is very sketchy," Coffron said. "People study in groups not because it will help them but because they're all friends. They spend an hour covering 15 minutes of material."

It makes for better studying if you and your partners are not close friends, he said.

Wilezol agrees group work is not sufficient.

"Group work is more garbage than work. But quizzing a partner works really well."

There are ways to maximize the time spent studying.

For instance, Brungard suggests setting forth a specific plan of action.

"Sit down and plan. Set goals for what you want to accomplish," Brungard said.

Sometimes students try to reread everything for the class right before the exam and even memorize pages, but they don't get as much out of the reading as the time they put in to doing it.

"Repetition only works in small doses," Coffron said. Instead, he says to pay careful attention to lists in the text.

However, it is also myth that taking short cuts like reading the first paragraph of every section works.

"Teachers tend to test on the details rather than the main ideas," Coffron said.

Relying on note-taking services during the crunch before exams is not a wise decision, Coffron said.

"Professors often make up tests with the discrepancies found in Nittany Notes," Coffron said. "They are not meant to replace class, but they are a wonderful resource if you use it as a supplement."

Smart note taking serves students well when they prepare to study for major exams."You should rewrite your notes preferably one hour after the lecture because then you can embellish them," Brungard. "If you wait till weeks later you forget."

By the time the final rolls around, students should just review the notes they already have. "Review your exams," Coffron said. "Check out old finals from the library."

Time management is essential to successful studying. Cramming for exams does not work. "It's important to prioritize," Coffron said. "No one wants to stay up six hours. They are forced to do it because they forgot to plan ahead."

The best way to do well is to begin studying a week ahead of the exam, Coffron said.

Despite these warnings some students still study under great pressure. "Unfortunately, I always cram the night before," Patel said. He admits he has horrible time- management skills.

Wilezol cautions that studying too early can also be a major problem. "If you study too much in advance you lose it anyway."

Keeping yourself in tip-top physical shape is important. "I see a lot of kids really sick during finals because they are not taking care of themselves, Brungard said. "You need to eat right and get a good nights sleep and exercise."

Exercising allows students to take a break and clear their heads so they stay focused.

Studying in moderation is key to benefit from studying. "Many students say they will spend eight hours studying. It's not going to happen. You need some R & R," Brungard said.

The only sure-fire way to ace the exam is to stay physically fit and do some good old-fashioned hard work, Bundgard said.