Study links water consumption to higher grades

MANILA, Philippines – All ears, students. Bringing in and consuming water while taking an exam may lead to getting a higher grade, a new study suggests.

In a study published by the British Psychological Society, behaviors of 447 students were recorded while they were taking exams, in relation to whether they had brought in water – and presumably consumed it – during the test.

The research team, headed by Dr. Chris Pawson from the University of East London, also considered the previous grades of the surveyed students. This, they said, is to make sure that they are not merely “assessing the possibility that more able students were more likely to bring water into the exam.”

The findings showed that students who brought water with them, and presumably drank it, did better than those who did not keep hydrated during the exam.

"The results imply that the simple act of bringing water into an exam was linked to an improvement in students' grades. There are several physiological and psychological reasons that might explain this improvement with water consumption,” Pawson said.

While there was no explanation as to why water seems to lead to higher grades, Pawson suggested that drinking water may help lessen anxiety, a common culprit when it comes to poor performance in exams.

"Future research is needed to tease apart these explanations, but whatever the explanation, it is clear that students should endeavour to stay hydrated with water during exams,” he said.