Imagine you're taking an exam, obviously, not your favorite activity of the day. As you struggle through the difficult questions, you run your hands through your hair in frustration. Not only are you frustrated because of the exam's difficulty, but you hear the loud sounds of chewing and opening wrappers.

You look around to see who it is and to lay down the death stare to put these shenanigans to a stop. You see the test-taker downing a jar of nuts and a few Larabars. Oh, and he's taking a Biology exam. "Who is this kid?" you wonder.

Hey, that's me. I have five more bars for this exam, so get ready...

"Why," you ask yourself. "Why me?!"

Food for Thought

Did you know that our brains are mostly composed of fat? That's right. You're not fat, your brain is.

And since this organ is composed of fat, it requires fat to physically function (aka jars of mixed nuts). So when I take a test, my brain craves nuts, similar to how an intoxicated student craves pizza.

According to, these unsaturated fats can help produce a chemical called acetylcholine (there you go STEM majors). This neurotransmitter assists your brain with learning new topics and recalling stored information.

Also, your brain accounts for an entire fifth of your metabolism. As your brain aches and works nonstop during the exam, it burns tons of calories. You need to replenish this lost energy with the much needed unsaturated fat-filled snacks.

More excuses to down more food. Yay!

So, when you see me downing an entire jar of nuts, maybe its not a bad idea. Maybe, you'll ask for some. Maybe you'll go get some of your own.

Something to Take the Edge Off

milk, coffee, tea
Morgan Lucey

You guys get nervous when a big test comes up, right? That's alright, we all do, especially me.

If I'm taking an exam and I don't know the material, then my brain and body enter a state known as the "panic mode." In this mode, I start sweating profusely and working as fast as possible.

Working rapidly with beads of sweat on my face, my brain craves as much food as possible, and my level of anxiety is increased tenfold.

What better way to release some anxiety than to fuel your body with food. Foods full of good fats will fuel your brain and rid your brain of the dreaded "test anxiety."

This eases my stress, while enabling me to recall information at a higher rate.

There are definitely situations that are way more stressful than exam season, in this case snacking is not always the answer. When life gets tough, talking to a trusted friend, family member or professional is the best option.

I Got an A?

nut, almond, walnut, apricot pits, hazelnut
Torey Walsh

When you see me eating two meals worth of nuts and bars, did you ever think about my grade on said exam? 

When I got the ingenious idea of consuming large quantities of food while testing, I wondered how it had affected my grades. The tests that I "prepared" for scored a B+ to an A, while the normal tests (where I didn't eat) received a grade of B- at best.

The rapid recall of information boosted my grade, while providing me a new excuse to eat. Of all the excuses to consume food, this one is definitely the most rewarding.

Last time I did this though, the proctor scolded me for eating while others are testing, so I'm not exactly so sure this kind of activity is encouraged.

So, when you see me stuffing my face in the testing center, don't judge a book by its cover (AKA don't judge me). Instead, think about why I'm making a scene with loud wrapper noises in one of the most quiet places in all of Penn State.