So, you studying for that last final?
Trying to push your way to the end?
Wondering what the hell you are supposed to do about this giant blue book exam now that you have successfully skipped every class the entire semester?

You might be totally screwed, but you also may have a chance to pull a Mine That Bird (that’s a Kentucky Derby reference) and come up from behind! And you can win a $100 Amazon gift card just for trying!

“But fantabulous CollegeCandy editors, how would I ever be able to do that!?”

I’m glad you asked, dear reader. Let me introduce you to Shmoop.

Shmoop is the only other website you need in life besides CollegeCandy (and maybe TFLN). It is a site made for you, chock full of the study guides and aids you will need to succeed in those college classes. Ok, not all of them, but the ones that have all those ridiculous reading assignments that you would never be able to complete, even if you didn’t choose The Gauntlet on MTV over Hamlet.

We recently teamed up with the Shmoopies to reward all of your hard work by giving away three (3) $100 Amazon gift cards. All you have to do is visit Shmoop.com, find something on there that really helped you in your quest for blue book domination, and paste the link in the comments section below. Give us a short explanation of how that helped you and you are entered to win a gift card.

Yes, it’s that easy. Learn a little, win a little.

You have until Monday, May 11th at 5pm to get your entries in. We will randomly choose 3 winners and announce them on Tuesday, May 12th. Each of those Shmoop-worms (it’s like a book worm…without the book) will get $100 to spend any way they want on Amazon.com. Sure, you should probably spend it on books, but we won’t tell anyone if you put it towards the entire Saved By the Bell series on DVD.

So get Shmooping. And good luck on those exams – as much fun as college is, you really don’t want to have to re-take that class.

[Photo courtesy of icfusemag on Flickr.]

I’m starting to think that there is some truth to the rule, “You are what you eat.” I think my muffin top would attest to that statement. In general, I stick to a healthy diet (of cupcakes), but when it comes time to crack the books I know that my typical eating habits will affect my scholastic performance. While I usually opt for a bag of M&Ms at the library, I now know that a giant bag of sugar is not the best thing to get me through the hours of cramming.

In contrast, there are foods out there that have been shown to improve memory retention and attention span. Read: The foods I should be eating. I am one who will do anything to pass an exam, even if it means eating my way to better grades. Because what could be better?

Eat? For better grades? Grad school may be for me after all.

When it comes to the basics, we all know the rules: “Don’t skip breakfast,” “Drink lots of water,” “An apple a day…blah, blah, blah.”But when it comes to college life, we need more than just a healthy diet – we need to feed our brains. So I’ve compiled a list of some snack foods to help our neurons rock and roll.

While there are a plethora of foods out there to give your brain a boost, not all are study-friendly. Salmon and eggs, for example, are great brain foods, but being the “smelly kid” has never been cool, so it’s not realistic to brown bag these snacks to munch on in your study groups. (However, these are fine foods to eat for breakfast or lunch before a big exam…alone in your apartment.)

A personal favorite study snack (which is perfect for winter exams) is hot chocolate. But not any hot chocolate: DARK hot chocolate. It is lower in calories than its milky brother, and has a moderate amount of caffeine to boot. Dark chocolate also has a suspiciously high amount of antioxidants (chocolate? good for you? I know!) and natural neural stimulants that increase blood flow and enhance your mood! This warm bevy will keep you alert and in a good mood, no matter how late you have to be in the ‘brary.

Speaking of drinks, green tea is known for being fabulous for our brain and body. My tastebuds never quite agreed (green tea tastes like dirt) until Arizona Tea came out with Blueberry Diet Green Tea. I’m not a fan of drinking my calories (unless the drink rhymes with “odka”), so I stick to this diet version (10 cals per serving). I bring one of these with me to the computer lab whenever I go and it definitely keeps my brain turned on. If Starbucks is more your style, try mixing 2 tea bags (like Orange & Spice with Green Tea) for a tasty brain beverage.

Perhaps you don’t believe me on the Blueberry Green Tea, but I think we all know that blueberries themselves are hella good. They are in season right now and are great for snacking (and dieting, if that’s your thing). Ounce for ounce, blueberries actually have a greater antioxidant capacity than most any other fruits or vegetables and contain 5 grams of fiber per cup! These are also perfect for eating in the library (some rules were just meant to be broken) – no one can hear you munch on them.

Note: If blueberries are not too accessible, Craisins are a good substitute. Dried berries last a long, long time (becuase, seriously, who has time to go to the freakin’ market?), so load up, refrigerate, and grab em whenever you need a little brain boost.

From my own experience, however, the olympian of brain-boosting foods are nuts. Almonds, in particular, are great for your general health, but cashews and walnuts are where I get my fix. Not only do these jewels contain healthy fats that stabalize your blood-sugar for hours, but nuts have been shown in recent studies to be associated with better memory retention and mood. Both very important things for a super long study sesh.

Truth be told, keeping your glucose levels afloat will have a similar affect on your GPA. Happy snacking!

If you’re in college, chances are you’ve run across those infamous peach pills at some point. I’m talking about Adderall. These little orange suckers are everywhere, from the library to the lecture hall…to your local sketchy party.

Adderall is designed to be used as study tool for students diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, but you don’t need to have either diagnosis to feel the desired effects of this drug. It’s an amphetamine, so it enhances your attention span and wakes you up, thus helping you pull all-nighters during finals week and just have more stamina for academia in general.

Basically, it’s like Red Bull. On cocaine. With five iced lattes.

But, Adderall is not always used for it’s intended medical purpose (shocker!). These pills can also aid in weight loss, making it popular with girls looking for an easy way to shed the pounds. Not only that, but it’s used to help people party more effectively. Adderall keeps you awake and sharpens your mind, both allowing you to keep that party goin’ a little longer.

As a prescribed user of Adderall, I have used the drug for all of the above reasons. I’ve taken Adderall to help me write twenty pagers, to drop some of my winter weight, and to party.

My Adderall partying usage has ranged from popping half a pill to invigorate bar-hopping to snorting mass quantities of the stuff with a small group of friends. (The latter is not so fun. Putting anything up your nose is foolish, and Adderall is no exception.) At first it was exciting; your heart beats a million miles a minute and you can’t stop talking. Anyone you’re having a conversation with instantly becomes your best friend. You get them; they get you. Best of all: it doesn’t give you the munchies, and due to the sharpening of the mind, you can drink like a sailor and still keep your composure.

However, four hours later, you start to become sick to your stomach. The happy high wears off and all you want to do is hide for days. After a particularly intense binge I remember my crash more distinctly than the high because it was that terrible. Not to mention, this binge did some serious damage on my immune system and didn’t help my mono. Even worse, the people I did it with that time just talked about Seinfeld. All night. At a lightning fast pace. Then we ended up watching Fight Club, and I couldn’t even appreciate Brad Pitt’s hotness because you know what else Adderall does? Takes all the blood away from your downtown area and rushes it to your brain.

No sex drive, yippee!

Even after the lame experiences of partying with it, I still take Adderall for classes and my studies. I’ve learned to use it in moderation and only when necessary. Most importantly, I refuse to give it to people, especially friends. When people know you have it, it’s difficult to know whether they want to see you for you, or for your orange bottle.

What are your thoughts? Any experiences with the peach stuff, good or bad?