ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => Topic started by: Ichigo_Kurosaki on October 14, 2008, 07:05:13 pm
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I have a few practice exams coming up and I'm interested to know if people think drinking coffee will be much help. I have heard that drinking cups of coffee can increase concentration, memory and general well-being when drunk in the right amounts. But is this really wise? I have heard that drinking coffee can increase energy levels for a while but then causes it to go crashing downwards later. Would you drink coffee (one that contains caffeine and very high in sugar) before a VCE exam? Is it wise and more importantly worth the risk?
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hmmm I'm not too sure, and have heard conflicting reports
i certainly wouldn't have anything "very high in sugar" [also, look to drink coffee good enough so that adding sugar isn't neccesary ;)] before any big event requiring concentration
you could try it out with a prac exam, although don't change your routine too near an exam
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I've done it before and it hasn't worked. It actually seemed to make me more agitated. I would say just get a good nights sleep and another very important thing is to have a good breakfast. Something healthy like fruit or something like that.
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I thought coffee increases heart rate and makes you likely to feel more nervous.
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I thought coffee increases heart rate and makes you likely to feel more nervous.
That's my experience with it.
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I thought coffee increases heart rate and makes you likely to feel more nervous.
That's my experience with it.
Yeah same, but apparently for people who are used to it the effects aren't so bad.
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It may have different effects on many people but if it's something real important like a year 12 SAC or Exam then why risk it unless you have done it before with success.
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It's also a diuretic looool. :D
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It's also a diuretic looool. :D
Yeah, another reason not to take it. Imagine someone having like 2-4 cups of strong coffee before an English Exam! LOL
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Ahmad had one of those energy drinks before some of his exams, and proceeded to ace them :D (forgot what one)
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I've downed energy drinks (V, usually) and coffee before SACs and non important exams but I don't see it affecting me in any way. Caffeine is a stimulant so it speeds up the action of your brain and also makes you more alert.
If you do plan on using caffeine before an exam, time it correctly. I think it takes ~30 minutes to absorb the caffeine so don't down a bottle of energy drink 30 minutes prior or you will do the exam all jittery, with your hands cold and muscles tensed up.
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I believe the best thing to do is work on your diet... If you eat right, get lots of sleep... There is no reason why you should feel tired in the morning, and hence, caffeine is not needed. Besides, apples are much better at keeping you stimulated than coffee is... Proven fact! I will eat 3 apples for breakfast the day of the English exam! :)
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I've downed energy drinks (V, usually) and coffee before SACs and non important exams but I don't see it affecting me in any way. Caffeine is a stimulant so it speeds up the action of your brain and also makes you more alert.
If you do plan on using caffeine before an exam, time it correctly. I think it takes ~30 minutes to absorb the caffeine so don't down a bottle of energy drink 30 minutes prior or you will do the exam all jittery, with your hands cold and muscles tensed up.
What about the people who drink coffee because of the taste? :| lol
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Hot chocolate FTW.
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nothing beats a good night's sleep
[natural or induced]
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mao, don't take sleeping pills o_O
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nothing beats a good night's sleep
[natural or induced]
In that, it is also very important to get into a good sleeping pattern. If you normally go to sleep at 11pm and wake up at 7am and then the day before your SAC or Exam you go to sleep at 9:30-10pm you will have interrupted sleep or will wake up at 4am which is almost as bad.
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Yeah get enough sleep. And don't overdo the coffee...or whatever else you're on XD
My English Language tutor told me about an exam paper he marked a few years ago, which he was certain was the work of someone who had overdosed on coffee, Red Bull and god knows what else. The guy wrote what was equivalent to an 8 page essay, but he wrote everything on the one page, i.e. he got to the bottom of the page, and started at the top of the same page again, over and over, until the page was just a mass of scribbles. My tutor thinks he must have gone insane from a lack of sleep because of whatever he was on.
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^
Wow... That's practically how I wrote all the time! ;)
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Ahmad had one of those energy drinks before some of his exams, and proceeded to ace them :D (forgot what one)
I think there's an extraneous variable there ;)
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Yeah get enough sleep. And don't overdo the coffee...or whatever else you're on XD
My English Language tutor told me about an exam paper he marked a few years ago, which he was certain was the work of someone who had overdosed on coffee, Red Bull and god knows what else. The guy wrote what was equivalent to an 8 page essay, but he wrote everything on the one page, i.e. he got to the bottom of the page, and started at the top of the same page again, over and over, until the page was just a mass of scribbles. My tutor thinks he must have gone insane from a lack of sleep because of whatever he was on.
That sounds insane. I don't think sleep deprivation was the only factor to his essay. Maybe Dr Albert Hoffman was partly responsible for this.
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Yeah get enough sleep. And don't overdo the coffee...or whatever else you're on XD
My English Language tutor told me about an exam paper he marked a few years ago, which he was certain was the work of someone who had overdosed on coffee, Red Bull and god knows what else. The guy wrote what was equivalent to an 8 page essay, but he wrote everything on the one page, i.e. he got to the bottom of the page, and started at the top of the same page again, over and over, until the page was just a mass of scribbles. My tutor thinks he must have gone insane from a lack of sleep because of whatever he was on.
heh wow :o I might drink lots of coffee tommorow to see if there are any cool effects
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There's a nice bit on Wikipedia on caffeine and its effects to memory and learning. A cut down version by me :P :
Researchers have found that long-term consumption of low dose caffeine slowed hippocampus-dependent learning and impaired long-term memory.....
....increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe, where a part of the working memory network is located, and The caffeinated subjects also performed better on the memory tasks.....
In essence, caffeine consumption increases mental performance related to focused thought while it may decrease broad-range thinking abilities.
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Oooh wow
that might explain why it doesn't have much effect on me :D
(all it does is wake me up a bit which is probably caused by all the sugar I shove in there)
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Oooh wow
that might explain why it doesn't have much effect on me :D
(all it does is wake me up a bit which is probably caused by all the sugar I shove in there)
o.O what does that explain?
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How about coffee-flavoured drink, like nippy's :P?
(http://www.juicyisle.com.au/productimages/thumbnails/42507.jpg)
I usually drink it before SACs cuz it gives me a little boost but doesn't go over the top
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Oooh wow
that might explain why it doesn't have much effect on me :D
(all it does is wake me up a bit which is probably caused by all the sugar I shove in there)
o.O what does that explain?
because it's supposed to increase what is already working very hard for me :p
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I wouldn't change any of your habits too close to exams. Coffee is pretty darned awesome, but if your not used to it it's probably not a smart choice on the morning before a long exam.
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I wouldn't change any of your habits too close to exams. Coffee is pretty darned awesome, but if your not used to it it's probably not a smart choice on the morning before a long exam.
Yeah, definitely. Some individuals react to coffee in different ways and have different tolerance ranges. I definitely wouldn't experiment a few days before exams/ day before exam.
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How about coffee-flavoured drink, like nippy's :P?
(http://www.juicyisle.com.au/productimages/thumbnails/42507.jpg)
I usually drink it before SACs cuz it gives me a little boost but doesn't go over the top
OMG! I love this drink! I remember drinking it in when I was like, 9 or something! They still haven't changed the packaging ever since then. Memories :smitten:
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tl;dr.
Don't change ur eating/drinking/sleeping habits right b4 exams.
If u drink coffee regularly, then drink coffee.
Otherwise, don't.
4 ppl who don't drink coffee, the caffeine hit mite b a bit excessive and induce jitters/nerves.
The adrenaline from the stress of the exam will b more than enuf 2 keep u alert, if that's wot u're worried bout.
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Get some caffeine in ya before your exams, i recall reading a study that it helps. i remember drinking a bottle of v before every exam
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i usually drink V to help me concentrate when i do homework...i believe it helps :S when I don't have it my mind seems to wander a lot more :P
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I like V and coffee together. Keeps me up all night.
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I like V and coffee together. Keeps me up all night.
recipe for disaster.
enough said =P
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Downing a no-doz with Red Bull is worse. Did that for the chem midyear and I was pretty shaky during the exam. But then again, I finished it unlike alot of people, and 20 minutes early actually, so perhaps it was all worth it =P