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4. Keep the weight off
As the number on the scale creeps upward, it's hard to imagine that anything's getting smaller, but extra pounds can actually shrink your brain. In a 2009 study, brain scans of older adults revealed that overweight individuals had an average of 4 percent less brain tissue than normal-weight folks. And in obese people the loss of tissue was so significant that their brains appeared 16 years older than those of thinner people.

"By eating more calories, you're also consuming more fat," says study author Paul Thompson, PhD, a neurology professor at UCLA School of Medicine. "The fat clogs arteries that feed the brain, which in turn causes brain cells to wither." That loss can impair memory, mood, movement, speech, and more.

Though the first priority is getting down to a healthier weight, you can also focus on strengthening the brain cells you've got. Aerobic activity will not only help you shed pounds but increase the amount of blood, oxygen, and nutrients flowing north to your neurons. And more nourishment means a faster processor.

5. Wiggle your eyes
Can't remember where you stashed your glasses? Try looking from side to side. Rapid horizontal eye movements cause the brain's two hemispheres to interact with each other more efficiently, explains memory researcher Andrew Parker, PhD. In moments of temporary amnesia, that action may help you pull up information.

6. Take a snooze
In a University of California, Berkeley, study, participants improved their scores on a memory test by 10 percent when they repeated the test after catching some z' s. (Nonnappers saw a 10 percent decline in their scores the second time they took the quiz.) Here's why: New facts enter your brain like e-mails arriving in your in-box. And as your in-box can overflow over the course of a day, so can your brain. During sleep, your brain shuffles recently received data into storage, creating space for fresh info.

7. Eat brain foods-rich in B12, antioxidants, or essential fatty acid

Next: Watch out for these memory stealers

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11 Empowering Ways to Strengthen Your Brain

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4. Keep the weight off As the number on the scale creeps upward, it's hard to imagine that anything's getting smaller, but extra pounds can actually shrink your brain. In a 2009 study, brain scans of older adults revealed that overweight individuals had an average of 4 percent less brain tissue than normal-weight folks.

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9 Things To Do The Night Before A Big Test | GradePower Learning

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Wondering how to prepare for a test the night before? We've got 9 tips to help you study for tomorrow's test the proper way. Find out what do to the night before an exam (plus what mistakes to avoid) so you're ready to ace your next test!

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When I was a student and teachers would say, "Study for your math test!" I would think, "How do I study for a math test?"

I now realize that study is the wrong verb. You really need to 'practice' for a math test.

You not only need to KNOW material for a math test. You must know HOW TO DO something with that material. It requires a shift in preparation. Also, there is no way to prepare for a math test the night before. At that point, you either know the material or you don't. There is no faking.
First, it's important to understand common reasons students lose points on math tests...
5 Top Reasons Students Lose Points on Math Tests

1. They didn't follow directions! This is a big one! Always read the directions.

2. Sloppy writing. Perhaps you wrote a "9," but later read the digit as a "4." That will obviously lead to a mistake. Most commonly, students misalign digits; for example, a digit that should be in the tens place gets added to the hundreds column.

3. They are confused by math vocabulary. If you're not sure what the difference is between a "sum" and a "product," you'll have trouble.

4. Not doing homework regularly. Homework is your #1 study tool for math!

5. Making errors on basic math facts. It helps to be fluent with your basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. (NOTE: People with learning disabilities often struggle with "basic" facts. In that case, take your time to calculate facts carefully.)

Simple awareness of these factors can have a positive impact on your grade! But, as you might guess, there is more you can do...

Math Test Study Plan

Step 1: Know your basic math facts! There are hundreds of math games on the internet to help you practice your facts. They are the foundation of math and will continue to hold you back if you cannot answer each of them (0-10) in a split-second. (Again, people with learning disabilities might never master basic math facts. If that's the case, just take your time as you do math problems.)

Step 2: View homework as a "study guide." Circle all problems that you do not know how to do and ask for help in class the next day. As you correct your homework in class, circle all problems you did wrong and take notes about how to do them correctly.

IMPORTANT TIME LIMIT: Don't spend more than 60 minutes/night working on math homework. If you can't finish the assignment in this amount of time, talk to your teacher. After 60 minutes, your brain will have exhausted it's capacity for learning anything new. From there, you'll most likely step into a tail-spin of confusion that will only escalate over time. You will be far more productive in the long-term if you stick to a time-limit.

Step 3: Know your math vocabulary. (See our video, " How to Study Vocabulary " for a painless way to learn math vocab.)
Step 4: Follow the "3-2-1" approach to study for your test:

3 days before your test, study the math vocabulary (as described above). Also, do several practice problems; use the problems you originally got wrong on your homework. (Time limit: 60 minutes.)

2 days before your test, review the vocabulary quickly. Do another 10-15 practice problems; use the problems you originally got wrong on your homework. (Time limit: 50 minutes.)

1 day before your test, review those lovely vocabulary words and do one problem from each night's homework. (Time limit: 30 minutes.)

Step 5: When you first receive the test, write down any formulas or definitions you had to memorize. This will immediately free up some brain power for the rest of your test.
Step 6: Read the directions! Twice.
Step 7: Write neatly. Keep your numbers in the correct place-value!

Step 8: When you are stuck, do as much as you can (you may get partial credit). Then, skip the problem and move on. Come back to it if you have time.

Step 9: After your test is graded, make sure you understand how to correct any mistakes you made. If you do not understand the material now, you will continue to have problems in following chapters.

Math can be challenging because everything you learn builds on knowledge you should have learned before. If you miss something, it will catch up with you. However, if you:

Learn your math facts,

Treat your homework like it is "test practice" (and learn from your mistakes)

learn math vocabulary (see simple video here)
-and-

Read the directions on the test...

...it will not be long before your math test scores will SOAR!

Get more easy-to-implement study and test-taking tips: For educators, click here. For parents, click here.

Good luck!

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When I was a student and teachers would say, "Study for your math test!" I would think, "How do I study for a math test?" I now realize that study is the wrong verb. You really need to 'practice' for a math test. You not only need to KNOW material for a math test.

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Test your knowledge of the skills in this course. Have a test coming up? The Course challenge can help you understand what you need to review. Start Course challenge

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked. To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

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Algebra has a reputation for being difficult, but Math Games makes struggling with it a thing of the past. Kids can use our free, exciting games to play and compete with their friends as they progress in this subject!

Algebra concepts that pupils can work on here include:

Solving and writing variable equations to find answers to real-world problems

Writing, simplifying and evaluating variable expressions to figure out patterns and rules

Solving linear equations and inequalities

Finding the slopes of graphs, and graphing proportional relationships and equations

Completing and writing rules for function tables

With Math Games, students can work at a suitable level for their individual abilities, in a format that's simple to use and lots of fun to engage with! They can also use our digital textbook, game applications or PDF worksheets. Choose a skill to start playing.

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math games practice algebra free math games practice common core standards

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Find Math games to practice every skill.

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How to Solve an Algebraic Expression: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

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An algebraic expression is a mathematical phrase that contains numbers and/or variables. Though it cannot be solved because it does not contain an equals sign (=), it can be simplified. You can, however, solve algebraic equations, which…

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Basic Algebra Solving One-Step Equations

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Pre-Algebra giving you a hard time? Shmoop's free Basic Algebra Guide has all the explanations, examples, and exercises you've been craving.