At some schools and universities, it’s allowed to eat during tests and exams. Especially if the exam takes three hours or more, it may be convenient to bring some snacks with you. Still, if food is not allowed during the exam, you could eat a snack before you start the exam. This way, you don’t feel very hungry while answering those difficult questions. We listed all the do’s and don’ts about food and exams for you down below.
Do's
First, if your exam is in the morning, eat some breakfast before you leave home. Even if you're normally not a morning person, eating something beforehand helps you to think. You're giving your body and especially your brains enough energy to be able to handle the exam. Even so, make sure that you eat a light meal beforehand. This way, your body won't be busy digesting your food, but instead, you can use the energy to think about how to best answer the questions in front of you. In other words, you want to avoid an after-dinner-dip! Keep it small and simple. For breakfast, you can drink a breakfast smoothie, have some porridge, or some fruit. In the day, you could eat some soup, a salad or a sandwich.
During exams, it is often very nice to have a bottle of water. Even though you probably will survive three hours without water, it helps you to concentrate if you don't go thirsty. Also, it may be nice to have a snack, for example, if you need a small break, or think about how to phrase the right answer. Be sure to check beforehand whether this is allowed at your university. You could bring something small, such as cucumbers, small tomatoes or a banana. Alternatively, you could go with a candy bar if you usually crave something sugary when thinking.
If you're not allowed to bring food to an exam, chewing gum may be a good alternative. Chewing gum helps you to stay focused. Several studies have been done on the effects of chewing gum on concentration and it helps you to stay focused for longer. You can also bring a snack for after an exam. Since you will use up energy, you will likely be hungry or tired after taking an exam.
In short, food provides you the necessary energy to stay focused and answer exam questions. It is wise to always bring a small snack; either for during an exam or to eat afterward. Or, you could go with a bottle of water and chewing gum, if that's more your style. It is important to not get distracted and perform optimally.
Don’ts
You are likely to sit in a room with your fellow-students when taking an exam. It thus makes sense to take this into account when bringing a snack to your exam. Noisy food such as crisps, crackers, and apples are potentially disturbing to your fellow students. It may be very annoying if you are trying to focus and the person next to you is making a lot of noise. Also be sure to chew with your mouth closed, when you have chewing gum to concentrate better. If you are one of those persons who can't handle eating noise during exams, consider bringing earplugs, since there will always be someone who forgot these do's and don'ts!
Often, food has a delicious smell. If you are in your grandmother's kitchen who is making her home-made tomato soup with fresh garlic bread, it is mouth-watering. Yet, an examination room is not the right place for eating smells. Try to avoid bringing snacks that smell of onions, garlic, cheese, fish or other strong scents. A horrible smell can be very distracting for some people when they need to focus on the exam. Keep this in mind when you pick a snack!
In conclusion, when picking a snack, try to be nice to your fellow students. They will definitely appreciate it if you try to keep the sounds and smells to a minimum, so everyone in the room can concentrate on the exam. With these tips, you are set to be able to concentrate on your exam without going hungry or thirsty.