Tips to students to do the exams better
Come the months of February, March , come tension for students. The atmosphere in the schools, colleges and universities undergoes a radical change. All of a sudden students become tensed. They spend a lot of time in poring over their books, avoiding all extra-curricular activities and burning the mid-night oil. Success in examinations is inevitable to success in life. So it is important to prepare for exams well, without getting scared or unduly anxious about them. Here are some practical tips that will help you do better in the examinations.
1. Organizing time: Organizing and dedicating ourselves to a methodology of efficient and fruitful study is the first step towards success in examinations. Sticking to a regular study schedule, choosing a conducive plan for each subject are of paramount importance. A good organization of the available time enables one to study with minimal fuss and maximum concentration. A well-organized schedule will provide time for all activities of the day and keep you free from unnecessary tension.
2. Effective Study skills: Efficiency is not something one is born with; it is cultivated through a deliberate effort. Effective study skills are acquired through constant practice. Good study habits help you get more things done in less time. The formula for effective study skills is SQR3; S for Survey, Q fro Question and 3 R’s for Read, Recollect and Revise.
3. Good Health: Do not get worried and excited on the eve of the examinations. Be relaxed. A good night sleep before the day of examination will do you a world of good. Go to bed at a sensible time and get up early enough to do everything comfortably before you leave for the exam. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the examination venue. Do not take drugs of any kind before exam, unless your health condition requires one.
4. Be Confident: A good appearance goes a long way in building up confidence in you. Before answering, take a few deep breaths. It will help to put you in calm. Wear cloths that are comfortable. ‘If you think you can, you can’ is the phrase you have to keep repeating all through the examination days.
5. Be early to exam: Leave home early. It is not enough to be in time; aim to get to the hall before time. You have enough things to worry about; don’t add to your troubles by a last minute rush. So start earlier than usual and make allowances for unexpected delays on the way. Before you leave home, make sure you have everything you need for the day.
6. Planning: When writing an exam, planning is really essential. Since you have only a limited time at your disposal. Taking into account the time that you have and the number of questions that you have to answer, plan in the beginning itself how much time you are going to spend on each question and stick to it. Reserve at least 15 minutes towards the end so that you can revise all the answers once. The first impression is the best impression. So make sure your first answer comes out in the best possible way.
7. A good hand comes handy: if the writing is legible, the page is neat, and the paragraphs and points are well arranged, the answer sheet will definitely impress the evaluator. A clumsily presented answer, however brilliant the answer may be is likely to put off the evaluator. So present your answers neatly. By this, you not only help your evaluator but also yourself.
8. Impress the Evaluator: Use short sentence and small paragraphs. Watch your spellings. Good punctuation helps quick reading and prevents misunderstanding. Leave enough space between sub sections. Neat, legible, orderly answers light up an examiner’s face. Don’t fail to mention the question numbers. You will only irritate the examiner by striking off or changing the question numbers often.
9. Revise: Read over your answers, checking legibility, punctuation, spelling, clarity, accuracy of calculation etc. Cross out very clearly all the rough notes and things you don’t want the examiner to read.
10. Positive Attitude: Attitude is everything in life, so it is essential for the students to have a positive attitude or approach in facing the examinations. The positive attitude enhances the students to have intense desire; in turn this positive attitude develops steadfastness, perseverance, consistence and self confidence in students. Positive thinking enhances the students to believe in oneself. Believing one self is the key of self-confidence and goal attainment. If the students have a positive attitude towards examinations, they are going to be benefited from the examinations. For many clever students have met with failure because of panic, a last minute breakdown in the hall itself. So, students must cultivate a habit of having positive attitude towards examinations.
Do your best and God will do the rest.
By: Rev. Fr. P. Arul Dass, SDB