As Exams Loom, Students Find Hope in...( Cornell University Class Tests B...),Health

Cornell University Class Tests Benefits of Chewing Gum During Exam

CHICAGO, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Midterm and final exams can be particularly stressful on college students as they struggle to balance their homework load with a flurry of tests.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071101/AQTH193)

"It's common practice for students to try to catch up on neglected reading and pull all-nighters in preparation for exams," says Adrinda Kelly, senior editor of The Princeton Review, a leading provider of test preparation, educational support, and college admissions services. "However, uncovering ways to study and take tests more effectively can help students finish the semester on a positive note."

Finding a test-taking edge may be as easy as reaching for a stick of gum, according to students in an introductory marketing class at Cornell University who were given Wrigley's 5(TM) gum by their professor. A non-scientific survey of the class after taking the exam showed that students who chewed 5 gum prior to, and during, test-taking had better scores on the exam than those who didn't chew gum at all. Students who reported chewing gum during the exam received a mean score of 90; students who chewed the whole pack of 5 gum before the exam received a mean score of 86; while those who chewed no gum at all received a mean score of 60.

"When we announced the findings of the informal survey, you could literally hear a gasp from the class," said Professor Edward McLaughlin, who conducted the test among 591 students in the university's Department of Applied Economics and Management (AEM), home to Cornell's undergraduate business program. "While what we found is anecdotal rather than scientific, I have no doubt that some of these students are going to start chewing gum during every exam."

"It's great to see real-life experiences like this as
'/>"/>