Learn New Things -
Keep practicing what you know and love, and try something new. The farther afield from what you already know, the better.
Listen to Music -
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, listening to music—especially music you haven’t heard before—provides the brain with a “total workout.”
Visit a Museum -
Much like new music, unfamiliar visual art has the ability to exercise our brains and extend the limits of our imaginations.
Play Chess -
Chess is a complex game that entails concentration, attention to various moving pieces with various abilities, and long-term strategizing.
Sudoku -
Much like chess, Sudoku trains your memories and forces us to think at least three or four steps ahead.
Socialize, both within and beyond your clique -
Encountering others and negotiating their emotions and knowledge is an important way to not only improve our minds but to help us feel at home in the world. In short, friendships make us smarter and better people.
Sleep more -
Your memory can’t function properly without sleep. So study hard, but get your rest. And if you need more time, get up early and pick up where you left off.
Play Scrabble -
Play enough Scrabble and you just might fundamentally change the way you use your brain.
Think before Googling -
For brain function, and for living a meaningful life, it’s important that we not outsource our memories and experiences to our screens.
Get some exercise -
If you’re cramming or stressed about grades, it may be tempting to spend as much time as possible sitting down with your laptop, eating whatever’s easiest to get you through the next hour.