Every student in the world dreads them, but still acknowledges
their importance. Exams are an integral part of your journey to learning and
each student appearing for an exam can do well if they are well prepared.
A few tips that can help you:
1. Relax
How many times have you stayed up all night for an exam the day
after? How many times have you found yourself under constant stress of trying
to learn everything so you aren't poorly graded by the examiner?
Relax!
An exam is held to test your learning, not to stress you into
spending caffeine induced nights.
Don't kill yourself for it. Concentrate on learning rather than
wearing yourself out in panic.
2. Schedule and Plan
Rome wasn't built in one day. It took effort and time. If
you think you can fare well on an exam by studying overnight then you're wrong.
As the first tip says, relax because a relaxed mind learns the
quickest and the best.
Your exam preparation should begin at least three weeks before
your exam and it should be properly scheduled so that you complete your
syllabus by the end of that time period. Ask yourself:
What subjects are you weak in? Which subject consumes more of your
time and energy than the rest? Which subject is your strongest?
Now schedule accordingly. Give more time to the subject you dread,
but don't forget your strong subject either. When you're too tired to study the
difficult one, but relaxed enough to learn something, you can study the subject
you find easy.
Set goals.
You should schedule each day such that you complete one small goal
each day. Every small goal will merge with the other to complete the major goal
that you had set in the beginning at the end of the decided time period and
your burden during the exam period would have reduced substantially.
3. Take breaks
Studying without any pauses is a common practice followed by students,
which starts two days before the exam (if there are two or more preparatory
holidays provided to them).
Studying continuously for two to three hours is not good. Neither
can your mind understand the material correctly nor is it suitable for your
health.
Ten minute break.
Taking a ten minute break every hour during those intense hours of
revision can be more helpful than you think.
Not only will a break, refresh your mind, it will also give you
time and opportunity to grab a quick snack (so you don't run out of energy).
4. Eat well
The hourly ten-minute break gives you time to grab a quick snack,
but what kind of snack should it be?
Do not eat junk food.
It will make you feel full and heavy and make you sleepy and lazy
instead of energising you.
Eat something light and healthy. Crackers, sandwich, raw fruits
and vegetables, buttered bread etc. are some small food items you could eat
from time to time.
Don't forget to drink lots of water.
Water is the best fluid for your body and you should drink it in
large and refreshing quantities during the final days of preparation.
5. Avoid last minute panic
Often, the rush of adrenaline pumps us up so much, we forget the
minor details which are just as important for writing well. The stationary,
watch and other small things should be ready the night before. Last minute
searching will only lead to stress.
Don't study topics that you didn't prepare before at the last
minute. Not only will it cause you stress (because you will not be able to
grasp it well), it will also disturb the facts that you have already fed your
brain.
Don't worry, don't panic. Utilise that energy to learn well and score
well!
Author: Gunjan Vyas
Gunjan is a college student who likes to write as a hobby. She has contributed to internationally acclaimed anthologies and also published a well-received collection of short stories.