Since most of you are preparing for your exams (I hope!), here are some tips which I found from the internet which you might find useful.
Preparation for the year-end exam should begin well in advance. The magic word here is “consistency”. Listen attentively during class and use the regular assignments and class tests to help clarify any doubts that you may have. Weak areas should be spotted early, and your time managed in such a way that more attention is paid to weaker subjects. Use acronyms whenever you can in your study notes. This is one way to string together a list of things you need to remember. Here we will use the acronym LRT.
L - Learning Style
Practise “holistic learning” - that is, using multiple senses including your sense of Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste and Smell. We are all made different, so get to know your unique learning style so you can tailor your notes and study methods to attain optimum results. For example, if you are a “visual” person, avoid writing chunky paragraphs (they look boring!). Instead, use colourful flow-charts, mind-maps, icons and other diagrams. Try doodling your notes instead of writing them. If you are an “audio” person, your best bet to understand the subject matter is to listen attentively to your teacher. Try writing your study notes in a form that you can record on audio tapes. It might well work for you. The other two recognised learning styles are “tactile” and “kinesthetic”. Tactile (referring to the touch) people need to create study material that they can touch. Collect leaf and plant samples, go on educational tours and learn in a physical way wherever possible. If you are “kinesthetic” (referring to movement) try to work with motion like educational video clips and computer games.
Note Taking Vs Note Making
A word about study notes. There is a big difference between “note taking” and “note making”. Note taking suggests that the student is writing whatever the teacher is saying. This is not a smart way to study because when you re-visit your notes, you may not understand the contents or the context. On the other hand, when you have fully understood and digested what the teacher has said, and you reproduce it in a way that entertains your senses and help you understand better, that is note-making. Stop thinking of note-making as simply writing in words. It could very well be drawing a mind map or making point-form notes using acronyms and icons.
R - Relaxation and Recreation
Even though studying is important, it is equally important to take time off to play and engage in other meaningful activities. This is to prevent burnout, where the enthusiasm for studying is killed.
T - Time Management
During the revision period, time management becomes even more crucial. It is tempting to spend more time on the subjects you like at the expense of the more difficult or “dry” subjects. Do not shy away from studying for your weaker subjects (e.g. Mother Tongue). Make sure that you cover the syllabus for all your subjects meaningfully and systematically.
Study Periods
Know your “high-key” and “low-key” periods. To be productive in your study, make sure you schedule your heavy-duty topics or subjects during your “high key” period and leave the easier stuff for the “low key” periods. The total length and frequency of each study period should be left to the individual. It is advisable to have 45-60 minute study periods with short breaks in between. It is important not to get distracted from work by music, the telephone, the television, the bed or the computer. Find a place where you can concentrate without distraction.
Revising for the Exams
Your revision period should start about 5 weeks before the exam. During this period, it is important to steadily “let go” of other commitments (CCA, games, goofing around, etc). A fortnight before the exam, all other activities should be temporarily stopped. However, this does not mean that you have to study 24 hours a day.You’ll still need to spend some time each day on recreation and relaxing your mind. Revising is not so much about cramming or rote learning, as reviewing the notes made during regular term-time, and refreshing your understanding of the subject matter. By now, most of the vital material should have been condensed in your notes, to avoid overload of irrelevant information during this vital period.
Study/Exam Tactics
Spotting Questions
Spotting questions is a useful way of giving “weighting” to the various topics in the syllabus so you’ll know which areas to concentrate on. However, taken too far it can be dangerous because you might neglect the other topics, and you do so at your own peril.
Individual Study Vs Group Study
Although I personally favour individual study because I can control the environment, group study is a good way to clarify doubts, share notes and enlarge each other’s experiences. You can have a mix of individual and group study periods. For group study, find a group of friends whom you trust and are willing to share and work for the common good of the group! It takes more discipline working in a group.
Tackling the Exam Paper
On exam days, it is important to get lots of rest the night before. Do not burn the midnight oil. Get at least 7-9 hours of rest. This will give you the energy you need to concentrate during the two- or three-hour paper. It is not advisable to do last minute cramming on the day of the exam. This only serves to make you more nervous. Instead try to relax and review your study material through the “big pictures”. Bring sufficient stationery. Nothing freaks out a student more than when his calculator battery goes flat, or when his pen runs out of ink during an exam. When you have done all that’s needed, approach the exam with cheerfulness and confidence.
Preparation for the year-end exam should begin well in advance. The magic word here is “consistency”. Listen attentively during class and use the regular assignments and class tests to help clarify any doubts that you may have. Weak areas should be spotted early, and your time managed in such a way that more attention is paid to weaker subjects. Use acronyms whenever you can in your study notes. This is one way to string together a list of things you need to remember. Here we will use the acronym LRT.
L - Learning Style
Practise “holistic learning” - that is, using multiple senses including your sense of Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste and Smell. We are all made different, so get to know your unique learning style so you can tailor your notes and study methods to attain optimum results. For example, if you are a “visual” person, avoid writing chunky paragraphs (they look boring!). Instead, use colourful flow-charts, mind-maps, icons and other diagrams. Try doodling your notes instead of writing them. If you are an “audio” person, your best bet to understand the subject matter is to listen attentively to your teacher. Try writing your study notes in a form that you can record on audio tapes. It might well work for you. The other two recognised learning styles are “tactile” and “kinesthetic”. Tactile (referring to the touch) people need to create study material that they can touch. Collect leaf and plant samples, go on educational tours and learn in a physical way wherever possible. If you are “kinesthetic” (referring to movement) try to work with motion like educational video clips and computer games.
Note Taking Vs Note Making
A word about study notes. There is a big difference between “note taking” and “note making”. Note taking suggests that the student is writing whatever the teacher is saying. This is not a smart way to study because when you re-visit your notes, you may not understand the contents or the context. On the other hand, when you have fully understood and digested what the teacher has said, and you reproduce it in a way that entertains your senses and help you understand better, that is note-making. Stop thinking of note-making as simply writing in words. It could very well be drawing a mind map or making point-form notes using acronyms and icons.
R - Relaxation and Recreation
Even though studying is important, it is equally important to take time off to play and engage in other meaningful activities. This is to prevent burnout, where the enthusiasm for studying is killed.
T - Time Management
During the revision period, time management becomes even more crucial. It is tempting to spend more time on the subjects you like at the expense of the more difficult or “dry” subjects. Do not shy away from studying for your weaker subjects (e.g. Mother Tongue). Make sure that you cover the syllabus for all your subjects meaningfully and systematically.
Study Periods
Know your “high-key” and “low-key” periods. To be productive in your study, make sure you schedule your heavy-duty topics or subjects during your “high key” period and leave the easier stuff for the “low key” periods. The total length and frequency of each study period should be left to the individual. It is advisable to have 45-60 minute study periods with short breaks in between. It is important not to get distracted from work by music, the telephone, the television, the bed or the computer. Find a place where you can concentrate without distraction.
Revising for the Exams
Your revision period should start about 5 weeks before the exam. During this period, it is important to steadily “let go” of other commitments (CCA, games, goofing around, etc). A fortnight before the exam, all other activities should be temporarily stopped. However, this does not mean that you have to study 24 hours a day.You’ll still need to spend some time each day on recreation and relaxing your mind. Revising is not so much about cramming or rote learning, as reviewing the notes made during regular term-time, and refreshing your understanding of the subject matter. By now, most of the vital material should have been condensed in your notes, to avoid overload of irrelevant information during this vital period.
Study/Exam Tactics
Spotting Questions
Spotting questions is a useful way of giving “weighting” to the various topics in the syllabus so you’ll know which areas to concentrate on. However, taken too far it can be dangerous because you might neglect the other topics, and you do so at your own peril.
Individual Study Vs Group Study
Although I personally favour individual study because I can control the environment, group study is a good way to clarify doubts, share notes and enlarge each other’s experiences. You can have a mix of individual and group study periods. For group study, find a group of friends whom you trust and are willing to share and work for the common good of the group! It takes more discipline working in a group.
Tackling the Exam Paper
On exam days, it is important to get lots of rest the night before. Do not burn the midnight oil. Get at least 7-9 hours of rest. This will give you the energy you need to concentrate during the two- or three-hour paper. It is not advisable to do last minute cramming on the day of the exam. This only serves to make you more nervous. Instead try to relax and review your study material through the “big pictures”. Bring sufficient stationery. Nothing freaks out a student more than when his calculator battery goes flat, or when his pen runs out of ink during an exam. When you have done all that’s needed, approach the exam with cheerfulness and confidence.
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