The academic year may have just started, but that does not mean you can take it easy and relax only to wake up before an exam. All students want to pass. The only problem is that we don’t want to work for it. Unfortunately, studies have become a burden one has to carry through school. It is not viewed as a learning process for what could be useful lessons later in life.
Here are some tips for you to keep in mind. Tell this to your friends too. It may help the lazy friend to improve his or her marks.
Make yourself a time table.
Always plan ahead. Divide some time for studies and some time for other stuff including playing and chatting up friends on social media. Learn to manage time. Everything has to be planned. Allotted time should be treated as sacred and no overlaps are allowed. If at all study can overlap other activities. Set up alarms to keep track of time.
Make lists of things to accomplish during study time. Be clear what you are studying and what you need to achieve. Give yourself deadlines regarding chapters and lessons. Keep a calendar on the wall with exam, test and assignment submission dates written on it.
Keep your preference in mind when you pick your study time. Realize when you are most receptive to learning. Pick that time to study. It is not a good idea to pick the night time to study because that is the best time to sleep. Schedule reviews and revisions during weekends.
How do you learn best?
There are different styles of learning and different people respond to different learning styles. Some people learn better visually. Some are auditory learners, people who memorize well when they listen and some people are kinesthetic leaners. The kinesthetic learners usually like to enact or experience what they are learning for better understanding. Once you know what kind of learner you are start making notes in that medium. For a visual learner there are some resources like Robomate+ online to learn faster. Auditory learners can make their own audio notes.
Always write notes while reading and studying. Draw and charts and diagrams where you believe it will help you understand. Learn a little about mnemonics and how you can use the tricks to memorize lists and formulae. It is a useful tool if mastered properly. Mnemonics is not very hard to learn and you don’t have to become a mnemonics expert you just have to learn to memorize your stuff. You can imagine what you are learning and conjure vivid mental images to aid memorizing. Flash cards are another way to of memorizing what you study.
Test yourself.
Do not forget to assess yourself at every turn. Every time you finish a lesson – do the end of lesson questions. Find questions from other sources about the same lesson and attempt those. Ask a friend or family member to quiz you with random questions from the lesson.
Expand your test curriculum as you finish more lessons. Ultimately design or include questions from previous papers. Build yourself to answer the complete papers. This way you can time yourself and know which section you get stuck and work on your weaknesses.
Stay healthy
This aspect of studying is very important. You don’t want to fall ill right before the exam or test. Neglecting food and exercise could lead to complications which may prevent you from attempting the exams that you have been studying for.
In case you don’t exercise, please start as soon as possible. Do light exercises get your blood running so that you feel fresh throughout the day. Learn some exercise regimes. There are exercises to do even while you are studying.
It is important to take care of your mind and body while studying. This is not only ten days before the exam, but throughout the year so that that you have time to play and take part in activities you would like to without having to worry about exams at the last moment.
