Anything for an
From superstitions to science students try anything to perform better on exams By Samia Khan, Jayplay w
Photo by Joshua Kendall
Chancellor Ernest Lindley's nose has been repaired approximately seven times because of students on this campus. For almost eight decades students have stopped to rub the nose on a bronze bust of Chancellor Lindley in Lindley Hall before their exams. These students have been banking on the legend that anyone who rubs the nose before an exam will get an A.
In the high-pressure college environment, how a student
performs in college has long-term implications on career and income. The anxiety to perform can drive people to try anything for success. Some students might try anything: pray, wear a lucky shirt, sleep on top of their books, sacrifice their roommate on an altar. Usually, it is the students who put effort into studying who employ these bonus test-taking rituals. It's the extra edge to long nights of hard work. Students tend to employ two types of test tricks. One is steeped in superstition. The other has some sort of science to it, or at least it does in the minds of the students.
least it does in the mind of others.
If you sit next to Shaun Peterson during a test you might not want to know his biggest good luck superstition. Part of his routine is using the same pencil on every test. But more importantly, the Wichita senior doesn't wear any underwear when he goes to take a test. He says a few years ago he didn't wear underwear one day on a whim. He took a test that day and it was the best he'd ever done on a test. Nothing about his studying was different. So going
commando stuck as his good luck routine. "I feel if my penis is free, then my mind is free," he says.
free," he says.
Before every test Chris Bowman listens to Final Countdown by Europe for good luck. "That routine helps me feel like I can kick some butt on tests," the Leavenworth senior says.
Sometimes student's studying techniques and habits may actually have some scientific efficacy. After hearing somewhere about the science of sleep hypnosis, Bowman tried to hypnotize himself for a French test. After studying the night before his test, he went to bed listening to his French instructional CD. The disc was on repeat all night and Bowman expected, in theory at least, he would awaken the next morning as a master of the French la
Nicole Madril uses peppermint gum. The Topeka sophomore chews peppermint gum while studying for tests and while taking the test. It helps her remember the information, she says. Madril heard the technique was scientifically proven. "But that might just be someone telling you it works, so you think it does," she says.
master of the Professio language. The theory failed. He was no master.
College of the weird
she says. That someone might be steering her correctly. In March 2002, British psychologists released a study, which showed that chewing gum can improve memory. In the study, the gum-chewers' ability to recall words increased by as much as 35 percent. They also performed better on spatial
Universities across the nation have their own exam superstitions
universities their own exam superstitions *
*At Ball State university in Muncie, Ind.,*
*students rub the nose of Frog Baby, a*
*statue on campus of a gift holding a frog*
*in each hand.
in each hall. At the University of Maryland in Col-
lege Park, MD., students rub the head of a statue of Testudo, the school's terrapin mossoc.
memory tests. Psychologist Andrew Scholey, who conducted the study, offered a few explanations for the findings. One is that chewing gum triggers the production of insulin, which stimulates brain activity involved with memory. Another explanation is chewing gum
pin maps
• On the Sunday before finals at 9 p.m.
• At Northwestern University in Evanston, ill, open their windows and scream as loud as they can.
scream as sources
* At Notre Dame University in Notre
Dame, ind., students can light candles
at the grotto on campus for good luck
and prayers during the week of finals.
Source: Collage Press Service
raises the heart beat, allowraises the heart beat, allowing more oxygen to flow to the brain, which helps enhance cognitive activity.
Even simple factors, such as colors, smells and sounds, can affect test performance. In addition to his Final Countdown ritual, Bowman says he ties to listen to non-lyrical music, such as techno music, while he is studying so he doesn't get distracted.
In September of this year, Thomson Peterson's, a test preparation
son's, a test preparation company, released a list of helpful hints on nontraditional methods of improving test performance. The advice was aimed at creating the proper physical responses in test-taking and studying. The company's research found that citrus smells help energize while studying late and the morning of the exam. Coriander helps improve circulation, preventing discomfort from uncomfortable studying positions: the standard numb butt and back pain issues. It also recommends avoiding studying a red room.
red room. The research also found that music with repeating patterns and slow rhythms help in relieving stress while studying. It also found familiar music and childhood favorites can create calmness and reinvigorate the mind. So if the '80s hair metal stylings of songs such as Final Countdown lulled you to sleep as a child, it might help you on your calculus test tomorrow.
you on your calculus test. It's all about comfort. The students who have a good-luck routine or have tried a scientifically founded tip say these habits and tricks provide comfort. This sense of ease helps decrease anxiety and provide confidence. They will try anything that will help them feel like they have an edge on a test.
test.
For decades to come, nothing will stop students from hoping a bit of luck will come from giving Chancellor Lindley's nose a rub. Thanks to thousands of superstitious college students, the often-replaced nose on Lindley's bust doesn't match the rest of the sculpture standing in a corner of a long hallway. The plaque is faded and the head is a dull charcoal, but the nose is an unworn gold that shines, reflecting the promise of an aced test. As long as students' hopes for success never change, his nose will never age.
Use your senses
These are additional nontraditional tips for test performance from Thomson Peterson's Fragrance Tips
• Lavender oil helps clear the mind.
• In addition to citrus scents, ginger and lavender also have an energizing effect.
• Spearmint smells are soothing and can help eliminate test anxiety.
Color Tips
Color Tips
* Pale apricot tones and the colors of natural wood or mica can produce a tranquil effect, which helps reduce the pressure of a test.
* Study in enough natural or artificial light.
Music Tips
Music Tips
• Listen to music with a slow rhythm for stress relief.
- Listen to music when with relief.
· Music you are familiar with helps breed calmness and reinvigorates the mind.
· Listening to sounds of nature can reduce stress.
Source: PR Newswire
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Jayplay 11.4.04