With semester finals right around the corner, many of our readers are busy burying their noses in books and trying to find the perfect soundtrack to study to. Ever wonder how some of your favorite bands balance school and tour? Well A Hero A Fake [Victory Records] is here to help out a bit…

Justin Brown – A Hero a Fake

What kind of tips do you have for kids who are studying for finals?

…..Umm I don’t know any secret study skills but I guess if you’re real worried about it you could sit beside the smartest person in your class.

Do you have any rituals/study habits that you do before a big test?

I procrastinate with video games and social network sites, then study my ass off for a few hours the night before and day of.

Do you find any similarities in studying for a test and working on a new song?

If I have another one soon I’ll start studying if can I like to eat and go play GoW2.

Any final thoughts/comments?

…Exams can suck on it!

Eric Morgan – A Hero A Fake

Got any study tips? 

DON’T get addicted to adderall. It may be an easy way to stay awake and focused while studying, but it becomes steroids for your brain.

Break up your study sessions.  Between study blocks I’ll play video games (or work on band stuff) to refocus myself.

I won’t study for an exam until it gets close enough that I feel worried about it.  I also can’t study at home; too many distractions.

Do you find any similarities in studying for a test and working on a new song? 

I actually find them to be completely opposite experiences.  Sure they both can lead to frustration at times but I feel zero pressure when we are in writing mode.  I get kind of tense when studying for test because of the time pressure.  However we spread out our writing load so it becomes more of a relaxing experience.  This way we set ourselves up to create music at our best

What do you do after you finish a final?

I eat and pick up the sticks.  The pressure of the testing situation makes it hard for me to eat before a final and video games take my mind away from the wrong answers I just compiled

Final Thoughts? 

I have that bad habit of procrastinating as much as possible before studying (I should be studying right now…).  Sometimes I have to shut off the internet or leave my house just so I can concentrate on studying.  The way instant information has become so integrated into our society makes it increasingly difficult to focus on one thing at a time.  If you can control the urge to stay “connected” at all times, you can really get some good cramming in! 

*Written By: Annamarie Geraci* 

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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