Editor’s Note: This column is a part of a series called “I’m hyperfocusing on…”.

I’d like to consider myself an expert procrastinator. I’ve earned a reputation with my friends for the phrase “It isn’t due tonight.” Before them, my entire high school knew that if someone were stuck with me for a group project, they’d only see my work just a few minutes before the deadline.

Here I am again. I’ve got five exams in the next week, three of them in classes that I haven’t even started. And I know I’m not the only one in this situation. I’ve heard classmates, friends and even strangers on campus casually joking about their procrastination to hide their abject stress.

I know that this isn’t the last time I’ll procrastinate and that I’m not alone. So while I’m hyperfocused, here are some tips for cramming for exams like a pro(crastinator)!

• Eat a light, healthy meal early in the night. My go-to for cramming is heavy in fruits and vegetables, and if I have meat, it’s going to be a small amount of poultry. My go-to is a little grilled chicken breast with roasted cauliflower, a handful of strawberries and a glass of water. You’ll need to have fuel in your body for a cram session, but a heavy meal will tire you out. Digesting carbs can cause your body to produce serotonin, meaning it’ll be even harder to make it through a long night.
• Once you start studying, try to use the Pomodoro Method! To do so, a Pomodoro is 25 minutes working on something specific, followed by 5 minutes of break time. After 4 Pomodoros, you’ve earned a 20-30 minute break! Avoid the vagueness of “studying” and instead use specific tasks that you can do, like “read chapter summaries,” “homework questions” or “outline essay.” The Pomodoro Method improves productivity and focus.
• Take breaks to get active. I enjoy doing yoga, and there are lots of guided yoga routines on YouTube, which makes it easier to take a full break while stretching. Be sure to look for a workout that fits within the amount of time you want to spend taking a break, or split it up throughout your night and do a few poses at a time. It’s also beneficial to get out of your study space for a little bit and take a walk and get some fresh air to keep crunching with a cleared headspace.

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drinking water will combat lethargy, fuel the brain and keep your metabolism up. The metabolism slows down when we sleep, so keeping it up will help you stay awake. Bonus points to you if the water is cold, as that will help break up the monotony and keep your system active.
• Hold off on caffeine for as long as possible. College students tend to rely on caffeine to keep us awake, but caffeine comes with a crash. That’ll ruin your cram, so be sure to wait as long as possible before you start consuming the caffeine. Once you make a move for caffeine, be committed to it, and be sure that you don’t come down from the high when you aren’t ready. I prefer cold coffee when I need the boost, and I even have a pitcher that I keep in my room to make cold brew before a late-night cram.
• Have snacks on hand to keep that brain going! I like clementines, almonds and mints. Citrus fruits can initiate a short-term glucose response, which gives a nice burst of energy without a big crash, and clementines are fantastic because they peel without a fuss. Almonds are a light source of protein that doesn’t contain tryptophan. Mints are great for stimulating the brain. Peppermint is excellent for focus and alertness, while spearmint improves memory.
• Get some sleep! Be sure to take some power naps. “Even a short sleep lasting 45 to 60 minutes produces a five-fold improvement in information retrieval from memory.” It’s essential to stay in NREM sleep so you don’t wake up drowsier than before, and time is the best way to ensure that. Stage 3 of NREM will help consolidate facts to memory, but don’t overdo your naps. You don’t want to cut into cramming time. 

We all know the best way to study for an exam is to break it up and do a little bit every day until the exam. It’s like the course material is second nature by then, whereas cramming doesn’t allow the brain to commit the information to long-term memory properly. Use these tips only when absolutely necessary, and always go back after the exam to keep up on the foundation material.