Study breaks are VERY GOOD for you because 1) you have the time to do it, and 2) they will keep your fresh, energized, and efficient. Here are 15 ways you can take a 15 minute break to reenergize your body, mind, and spirit.

(1) Walk/Jog in the park

Even taking a short, 15 minute walk may be the best thing you do all day. Not only will taking a break clear up your mind, but walking allows you to keep the blood flowing. Also, being in the park changes your surroundings, giving you new, fresh energy. And being in nature will connect you with your natural environment. Studies show nature walking can make you more successful than city walking.

(2) Walk your dog

Taking your pet out for a nice walk or run will keep the blood flowing, give you fresh energy, change up the scene, and provide some companionship and connection.

(3) Read your favorite book

What?! More reading? Yes! Dive into your favorite fantasy novel, war story, or brain book. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel tired or drained when I did additional, outside reading. Rather, it was a great way for me to disconnect from the bar, keep my mind in the ‘reading’ zone, and learn something new. Curling up with your favorite book for 15 minutes to end each night is a great de-stresser.

(4) Play video games

Without a doubt, this was one of my most utilized and best study breaks! It was easy, games were short, and I didn’t even have to get up from the library or wherever I was studying. It’s also very fun, makes you happy, and allows for a complete disconnect – all the things you need to do on a break before you hit the studying again! In case you’re wondering, my game of choice was Command & Conquer: Zero Hour for PC.

(5) Youtube

Enter ‘funny videos’ on youtube and you’ll be off to a great, entertaining, and fun break from your studies. Keeping yourself laughing and smiling is one of the best things you can do.

(6) Push-Ups

Need a quick de-stress? Drop down and give yourself 20 push-ups. If you feel embarrased, do it in the corner of the room or next to your desk so people don’t see you. This is a great way to get the blood flowing in the brain again.

(7) Meditate

Finding a nice quiet park bench, closing your eyes, and letting all your thoughts seep out into the ether is a very relaxing way to de-steam and collect yourself.

(8) Pray

Meditation if the art of listening. Prayer is the art of asking. Putting yourself in a peaceful mind and ask the divine creator for assistance in helping you pass the bar exam just might be the best 20 minutes you spend the entire two months.

(9) Simple stretching

If you don’t have time to go to a yoga class, just walk outside and do some simple stretches. Put your feet together and try to touch your toes, holding for at least 20 seconds. Then go two shoulder widths apart, take your right arm and put it over your head, feeling the stretch on your side, and switch sides. Stretch your arms out and move them in circular motion. Do a slow hula hoop movement to stretch out your hips. Do whatever other stretch you feel you need. Stretching is a great way to keep your body and mind from getting too tight.

(10) Call mom, dad, sibling, best friend

Need a positive, encouraging boost? Don’t we all. Make sure you take the time to get it. Call up your most positive, supportive fans and have a conversation. Just hearing their voice for 15 minutes can do wonders. Hopefully, they’ll drop a few, encouraging remarks, “You can do this. Hang in there.” If not, ask them to give you these remarks. Just hearing it will help, even if you told them to say it!

(11) Take a power nap

Naps allow your mind to absorb and process all the information you have been putting into it. A quick 15 to 30 minute power nap can help you get ready for another essay run. Just don’t oversleep during the day. If you go over 45 minutes, you’ll become drowsy, and it might take you a while to get back up and at it!

(12) Eat a snack

If you’re hungry, why wait? Grab a ‘snackers.’ Giving yourself a few minutes away from the book, while feeding your mind with a stimulating and healthy snack is a perfect way to take a break.

(13) Brain games

These are a great, fun way to take a break and strengthen your mind. Think your mind is already being tested enough? These brain games can actually be a great compliment in strengthening your analytical thinking, significantly assisting you for the bar exam. You can get brain game books for cheap at a bookstore or find them online.

(14) Look at your visual/goal for passing the bar

Sometimes, when you need a break, it is simply your mind telling you to remember what you’re here to do. Looking at a goal you wrote, a visual you created, or the reasons you want to pass the bar exam can be a beautiful way for helping you refocus again.

(15) Sing to yourself

You know you sing to yourself when you’re alone in the shower or driving. It’s ok, we all do it. Sometimes you may just want to yell at the top of your lungs. Instead, turn that rage into a nice, sweet melody. Just sing it loudly so you feel like you’re still satisfying that rage feeling.

I hope you enjoyed these great ways to take a 15 minute break. Make sure you take several breaks every day throughout your study period.

As always, good luck in passing your bar exam!

At the beginning signs of a migraine, taking a ½ to 1 tsp of ginger in warm or room temperature water, can greatly reduce or even eliminate the pain. It has a strong peppery taste but is not intolerable. For those that are allergic to aspirin or who don’t want to take drugs for every little pain, ginger may be able to help you.

Other benefits of ginger are;

- it stimulates the digestive system and can move undigested food and gas through the intestines (this is good news for seniors because they often have digestive difficulties that make them feel sluggish and tired).
- Japanese studies have indicated that ginger works very well for reducing the pain of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.
- can help in the healing of stomach ulcers.
- can aid in reducing nausea, particularly helpful for chemotherapy patients.
- reduces platelets in blood vessels and thins the blood to reduce the chances of having a stroke or heart attack.
- helps to sooth menstrual cramps.
- Is very helpful in minimizing the effects of colds or the flu

If you are not familiar with how to buy fresh ginger at your supermarket, look for a firm root that does not have any discoloration in the flesh. If you see browning in the flesh or cracks and splits, then it is on its way out. It is interesting to note that the ginger you buy in most supermarkets has a dry brown skin that is hard to peel. Fresh ginger just pulled out of the ground does not have dry skin at all and is very easy to peel, but, it’s difficult to find that kind of freshness at any grocery store.

Fresh ginger is best, but powdered will work if that is all you have on hand. To keep fresh ginger readily available, one of my favorite chefs had a great tip. Peel off the skin of firm fresh ginger, place it in a freezer bag and freeze, and it will be ready to grate anytime you need it. Frozen ginger is also much easier to grate than fresh.

There are many great recipes but here are a couple of simple ones to start with, especially if you are trying to stave off a headache or quell nausea etc.

Recipe for ginger tea;

Add one oz of grated fresh ginger (or 1 tsp of ground) to 1 cup of boiling water and steep for 5 to 6 mins, then strain. Add the juice of ½ a lemon and 2 tsps of Blue Agave (A low glycemic syrup) or sweetener of your choice. Enjoy!

Quick and easy homemade ginger ale;

Place ½ tsp of ginger and 2 tsps of Blue Agave (or sweetener of your choice) in a glass. Slowly add carbonated water to ¾ of a glass. Add lemon juice and stir. Enjoy! Note: make this only when you are going to drink it right away because ginger will reduce the carbonation level of the water.

There are many recipes online if you want to incorporate ginger into your diet on a regular basis. Find out what you and your family like and enjoy!

The United States Distance Learning Association states that, “Distance learning encompasses all technologies and supports the pursuit of lifelong learning for all.” No matter what phase of your life you are in, distance learning gives you the opportunity to further your education. If you are still undecided about distance learning, consider the following 10 great reasons to study online:

• Distance learning allows people to live anywhere while pursuing the education of their choice. Whether a person lives in the same city as the school or in another country, people can attend the learning institution of their choice through distance education opportunities. If a person resides in another country, distance learning saves the trouble of applying for a student visa.
• Distance learning saves time and money on transportation and room and board at a school. Distance learning opportunities allow people to work and live in an affordable manner at the location of their choice.
• Distance learning offers students current course material. Online learning opportunities give students the chance to learn fresh, new material all the time.
• Distance learning gives students the chance to study anywhere. Since most distance learning programs are offered online, students have the flexibility to learn wherever they can find an Internet connection, even if they are on vacation or staying with family.
• Distance learning students can spend necessary time at work or home. If students have a full-time job or raising a family, it is easier to balance those responsibilities with higher education through distance learning programs.
• Distance learning students have the opportunity for higher education when they are injured, elderly or handicapped. Distance learning programs give people with limited mobility the chance to further their education.
• Distance learning students can learn at their own pace. Most distance learning programs are based on students working at their own pace and level of motivation, making them tailored to suit individual needs for maximum academic success.
• Distance learning gives students a variety of choices. Students can choose from a variety of subjects and course offerings because they can virtually study almost anywhere.
• Distance learning students have constant access to course materials. Online learning programs have chat rooms, bulletin boards, email contacts and course materials readily available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year for the convenience of distance learning students.
• Distance learning is a respected, valid way to further education. Over 80 percent of the academic leaders at the largest schools agree that the outcome of online learning is equal to if not better than learning in a traditional school environment.

Consider that according to Sloan Consortium’s Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006, there were 3.2 million students learning online during the 2005 Fall semester. More people are realizing their dreams of attaining a higher education through the myriad of opportunities available through distance learning.

If you’re like most students, you put off studying until the very last minute. The night before the exam, you’ll stay up all night cramming, getting little or no sleep. In the morning, you’ll drag yourself out of bed, psych yourself up with lots of coffee and some cigarettes, and go into the exam feeling exhausted, drained and jittery all at the same time. You’ll find it hard to focus or think, and you’ll be cursing yourself for not starting to study sooner.

And not surprisingly, unless you’re blessed with natural brilliance, or you happen to know the subject matter extremely well, you’ll probably do terribly on the test.

If this is your typical method of studying, you already know it doesn’t work. Every time you go through this ritual, you tell yourself that you’re going to smarten up the next time you face a big exam. Next time you’ll start to study weeks in advance, you say. But instead, you keep repeating this crazy pattern. Why does this keep happening? And what should you be doing instead if you want to get better marks?

A big problem for most people, especially those who are young students, is that life gets in the way. If you’re a student, you probably have a part time job, and like most young people, you also want to have a social life.

Studying can seem very boring compared to all the exciting temptations just outside your door. Or the games on your computer. Even watching old reruns of Sesame Street can seem more interesting than the biology text your teacher is expecting you to master!

One reason we often don’t start studying until the last possible minute is that we have misjudged how long it will actually take us to absorb and understand the material. If your mid-term is still six weeks away, that might seem like plenty of time left before you need to get around to studying. You might find however, that the subject matter is a lot harder to understand than you thought it would be, and all of a sudden there’s no time left to ask someone to explain it to you.

Another reason we often put off starting to study is that we are too overwhelmed with how big the project actually seems to be. Somehow we convince ourselves that putting off a tough study project can be the best way to avoid feeling overwhelmed by it.

And that is important if you will face a test, try to prepare ahead of time, so you do not need to be confused for overtime all night studying. Because if this happens, I guarantee you will face early test of time, your body will feel unfit, and this will greatly affect the results of your exam.

When we are faced with a study project that seems exceptionally difficult and overwhelming, it can be to maintain a high level of interest and motivation for the duration of the learning process.

If you have been guilty of all these bad study habits, it’s not too late to learn some other habits that will work better for you.

First, remind yourself why you want to do better in your studies. Maybe you need a good mark to get into a good college. Maybe you want a chance at a career that will pay you well. Always keep your end goal in mind.

You can put little cards up around your room with inspirational messages, and attractive photographs that will remind you why you want to do well in school.

If you feel very overwhelmed, you can improve your motivation and your performance by breaking up the project into smaller sections, or “chunks”. Each time you accomplish one little bit successfully, give yourself a meaningful reward.

If you have a deadline looming, decide how much of the project you need to tackle at one time.

Let’s say you have six weeks to master the content of a difficult biology text. Looking through the book you realize that if you study one chapter each night, you can get through the book in 28 days, leaving two weeks in which you can again review the material.

With this knowledge you can pace yourself. You know what your assignment is. You know how much you need to read every night. Concentrate on the immediate task at hand. You don’t need to feel overwhelmed by the entire book at one time. Next, work out a system of rewards for yourself. Give yourself a series of small rewards each time you master one chapter, and a larger reward for completing the entire book.

For rewards to work they must be immediate, and personally meaningful to you. There is no point in rewarding yourself with a new fishing rod if you hate fishing.

Rewards don’t need to be material objects if there is something else that would really motivate and inspire you. How about attending a special concert, or taking a special trip? You decide. Get creative and think of something that will spur you to take action.

It’s very important that the reward take place soon after the work has been accomplished. This creates a sense of positive reinforcement. Give yourself a small reward every time you finish a small part of the job, and a bigger reward when the project is completed. If there is too long a gap between the activity and the reward, it will not have the effect of reinforcing the desired activity.

Besides motivating yourself with a series of external rewards, learn to motivate yourself internally. Tell yourself you’re a good learner. Tell yourself you enjoy learning. Tell yourself you enjoy giving your brain a good work out. Congratulate yourself for your efforts. Tell yourself you love acquiring new knowledge, and let yourself feel a joy in learning. Be proud of yourself for the work you do to gain more knowledge.

For information to sink into your brain and be accessible to you, you need to review it several times, and your brain needs to sleep properly for the memories to be encoded in your neurons. You need to reduce your mental stress. Your brain needs good nutrition and it needs to be in a peaceful, confident state. Drugs and alcohol don’t help the process of learning.

Write out what you are learning in your own words, and find a learning buddy. Practice explaining to someone else what you have learned. This will increase the likelihood that your brain will remember it.

If you start to cram the night before, you are putting your brain at a big disadvantage.

You’re increasing your physical and mental stress, and you’re not giving yourself time to review the material several times. By cutting back on your sleep, you’re not giving your brain a chance to put the information you’ve been studying into the hard drive storage of your brain.

By starting your studies early, and reviewing what you’ve learned, you have a much better chance of remembering and understanding what you need to know when you face a big exam.

Another option is illustrating what you have read in a diagram or table. In case you forget on the material, the diagram will remind you instead of reading the thick book once more. Highlighting the important points is highly recommended. In addition, you are supposed to study at the place which is comfortable for you. It can be your bedroom, living room, library, kitchen, or other places. When you feel relax and comfy, it creates higher possibility for you to memorize. The location should be free from any small distraction to keep your concentration. This is an important memory improvement technique because it gives you the proper mindset and tone as you approach your studies.