Exam season usually brings with it one clear directive: "Shut yourselves in a room, without distractions and without looking sideways." Generations of pupils and students have been educated that a glance through the window during learning or an exam is a sign of a lack of concentration. However, two breakthrough new studies prove that specifically looking outside may be your key to a higher grade.
For many years, science has proven repeatedly that a natural environment has a beneficial effect on the human brain, and particularly for anyone dealing with an attention disorder. When we spend time in nature, stress levels drop and the cognitive load decreases. Therefore, integrating nature time into the exam routine is not a luxury, but literally a necessary work tool. The new studies take this knowledge even one step forward and teach us that it is not enough just to see green, one must know what kind of green to see and how to do it correctly.
In a study published in 2024 in the scientific journal Environmental Research, adolescents with and without an attention disorder were sampled. The researchers used computerized attention tests to examine response times and sustained concentration, and cross–referenced the results against exposure to different types of vegetation. Concurrently, another new study published this year in the journal SSRN examined the effect of seating location during an exam on academic achievements, and found a direct connection between sitting near a window and a significant increase in grades.
The study on sitting by the window revealed fascinating and surprising correlations! Pupils and students who sat near a window achieved higher grades. The explanation for this lies in the way the brain copes with effort. Intensive learning fatigues attentional resources. A brief look outside, which includes natural light and sky, allows the attention system to perform a quick reset in an instant. This mental recovery renews strength and makes it possible to continue thinking effectively.
While the first study speaks of the moments of learning, the second study enters the picture, dealing with the way we recharge our brain between learning times (during breaks). When we close the books and go outside to spend time in nature and refresh ourselves, it turns out that not every green environment is equally effective for renewing concentration.
The study, conducted among adolescents, examined the effect of exposure to and time spent in different types of natural environments. The researchers found that exposure to and time spent in a tree–rich environment, as well as the presence of water sources or blooming gardens, were linked to an improvement in attention metrics. Conversely, increased exposure to large lawn areas was linked in some of the findings to longer response times in attention tests.
The explanation for this is that when we go outside, the brain needs a stimulus rich and complex enough, such as the movement of leaves or flowing water, to attract attention effortlessly and allow for rest. A uniform and flat lawn surface might not provide the same subtle level of interest that the brain requires in order to recharge. Therefore, when going out for a refreshing break from learning, it is preferable to take a short walk in a grove or sit in a diverse garden, rather than spending time on an empty lawn field.
This is how you will use the study findings to succeed in the exam
1. Location of the study station: Prefer to position the writing desk at home facing a window that overlooks trees, the sky, or a garden, and not facing a white and boring wall.
2. Choosing a place in the examination: If possible, choose to sit near a window. If the view includes trees or diverse vegetation, you have profited twice.
3. Small breaks outside: Do not feel guilty if your eyes wander. A twenty–second gaze at the sky or at the treetops is not daydreaming, it is an active brain operation that raises your chances of success.
4. Wise planning of refreshing breaks outside: In breaks from learning, look for a grove, garden, trees, or flowing water (and not an empty and flat lawn). This is an environment that will provide the brain with the correct stimulus to recover from learning fatigue and will return you more concentrated to learning.
Understanding these mechanisms is relevant to anyone who wants to gain a moment of quiet and focus within the stressful routine of the exam season. When one understands the individual needs of the brain, the path to the longed–for grade becomes easier and more pleasant.
Dr. Shirley Hershko, is a senior expert in Israel in the field of attention, a researcher and author, a lecturer at the Hebrew University, owner of an institute for diagnosis and treatment, for children and adults, and behind her are five bestselling books and another new book.