I NEED HELP!!! I have a big exam coming up and I need to know if chewing gum really helps you concentrate. And now there is all this new energy gum and concentration gum...I even saw test taking gum on the rack the other day. Do these things really work? Does regular gum work? I need all the help I can get!

The strongest sense tied to memory is smell. So I have heard that if you revise your subject in the presence of a pugent smell, then take the same smell with you into the exam, then you will associate the topic with the smell and have better recall. Something like Vicks Vapo Rub would be good. I have never tried it, but I find that particular smells trigger childhood memories for me.

I heard spearmint gum has been in a few studies dealing with memory, that something about the spearmint itself enhances memory and concentration.

mints and the fragrance is lets off actually helps keed the mind alert. DAMN those teachers who wouldn't let us chew gum in school

maybe that's secretly why!!! I mean so you actually learn things without the help of smells

I always wondered if gum really increased your concentration. Infact wouldn't chewing make you distracting by the flavor from what you're doing?

Ok, i'm gonna step outside of school.

For the last 6 months I've been working as a tower climber. I've gotten into the odd habit of popping in a piece of "5 flare" gum before I start climbing. I feel it helps me concentrate more on what I'm doing 100 feet above the ground.

Back in school, I never chewed gum and learned quite a bit. It all depends on the subject, teacher, and your desrire to learn it.

My youngest son has ADHD - while we were working with his physiotherapist to work out ways of adapting and helping him to concentrate, gum was one suggestion.