Takeing a bottle of water into the exam hall could help students boost their grades, researchers claim.
A study of university students found that those who brought drinks, especially water, with them as they
sat their exams performed up to 10 percent better than those who did not.
Psychologists said it was unclear why drinking water would improve your performance but said that being
better hydrated could have a helpful impact on the brain, and knowing you had a bottle with you might make
you feel more reassured.
The researchers studied hundreds of university students in their first and second years of degree courses
and at pre-degree "foundation" level and observed what drinks, if any, they brought into exam halls with them.
Their study, presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in London on Wednesday, found
that those who brought drinks in with them averaged five per cent better in exams.
The students' coursework and predicted grades were considered in the calculations to ensure it was not simply
the case that more intelligent students were more likely to bring drinks with them.
For students at foundation level, grades improved by 10 per cent while there was no significant benefit for
those at second year level.
Mark Gardner of Westminster University, one of the collaborating researchers, said: "If it turns out to be
that the effect is indeed larger for younger students we think it could be important – those students could be more
anxious and the water is having an effect on exam anxiety, perhaps through beliefs about the positive effects of water.
"Or it could be that the younger students might not eat as healthily, have possibly been out late the night
before, and might need to drink more water to stop them being dehydrated."
//英国研究人员声称，带瓶水进考场能帮助提高考生成绩。
//这项针对大学生的研究表明，把饮品尤其是水带入考场考试的同学，比没带的考生成绩要好，最高能达到10%。
//心理学家表示，现在并不清楚为什么喝水能提高成绩，但是多喝水确实对大脑有益，考生知道自己随身带瓶水可能会感觉比较安心。
//研究人员针对几百名大学生，对他们大一和大二的学位课课程考试和预科班入门级课程考试进行了研究，并观察他们随身带入考场的饮品。
//这项研究在本周三伦敦英国心理协会年会上进行了介绍，研究结果表明携带饮品进入考场的学生平均成绩要高5%。
//考生的作业和估计分数在计算中考虑在内，来保证结果不会因越聪明的学生越有可能把饮品带入考场这一可能而出现偏差。
//在预科班的考生中，携带饮品进考场的考生比不带饮品的考生分数要高10%，而大二考生的这一差别并不明显。
//威斯敏斯特大学的老师马克·加德纳参与了该项研究。他说：“如果事实证明，年龄较小的考生这一效果更加明显，
//那我们认为这项研究非常重要——那些学生可能更加焦虑，水能帮他们减轻考试时的压力，也许是因为他们坚信水会对他们有益，所以结果才会这样。”
//“也有可能是年龄较小的考生饮食并不健康，考试前晚很可能熬夜，所以需要饮用一些水来防止自己脱水。”