Studying superstitions: are they silly or strategic?

Light a candle, locate your lucky socks, and stop by Folsom Stadium to give Ralphie’s horns a good rub because finals are upon us yet again. But what if Stevie Wonder was correct in saying, “Superstition ain’t the way”?

According to a 2007 study from Kent Sate University, students develop superstitious rituals because they believe that they are actually doing something that will improve their performance on exam. They do not believe that a certain object or action has magical powers.

In fact, modern day superstition has very little to do with social institutions at all. This means that a person’s tendency to engage in superstitious activities before an exam has little to do with their religion, race, gender, class, or even their final grade.

The Kent State study concluded that the only thing that is really affected by a student’s superstitious rituals is a person’s confidence during the test.

This could be a good or a bad thing. If someone relies too heavily on their superstitious object or ritual, they may be too confident and fail to prepare adequately for their exam. On the other hand, if a superstitious person studies a good amount and believes it is their special ritual that allows them to get good grades, they are likely to enter the test both prepared and confident.

There are also test-taking rituals that have nothing to do with superstition. They include:

Extracting distractions. Study in a place where you are comfortable, but are free of distractions as well. One strategy is asking a trust-worthy friend to change your Facebook password until you are done studying for your exam.

Taste the rainbow. Bring healthy snacks with you to study. You know that you’re eating your vitamins when you munch on fruits and veggies that are naturally a variety of colors.

Move to your own groove. Take a break to get some exercise, but be sure it’s an activity that you enjoy. Stepping away from your studying will allow you to collect your thoughts and exercise will boost your energy.

Hit the hay. Sleep is not easy to come by during finals week. Ironically, it’s also one of the most vital parts of the studying routine. Giving your brain a rest can help it retain all of the information better, so it’s worth cutting the cram session short in order to saw some Z’s.