Examinations are a big part of the academic assessment of a student at any level. They require adequate preparation because top performance is what the student is looking for. All course materials are vital in this preparation. A student has many ways that they can use to prepare before they can sit for any paper. You need to know how to survive exams and how you can study for them. Refrain from late preparations because you will end up confusing yourself, instead of getting the right ammunition to face this task.
Studying for exams
You need to dedicate adequate time to learn efficiently and effectively for your papers. There is no certainty that the professor will test just a single area on a unit. You need to be ready in every front, which means you have to study and understand everything there is to know in every unit that you are dealing with in that semester. This is how you do it:
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Planning a study timetable
You are more likely to cover more areas of your academics if you have a realistic study timetable. You know where to start and the goals that you want to accomplish in a day. A timetable helps you in curbing procrastination because you want to maximize on the available time. Your working style is different from others, but you can use these pointers to plan your timetable well:
- Study at the same time every day and create a habit
- Maintain a variety of units and plan difficult tasks for when you are more productive and easier ones when you are less productive
- Prioritize and set goals for a specific unit of time, for instance, having to study a topic in two or three straight hours
- Include time for sleep, exercise, meals, and breaks
A timetable helps in enhancing your flexibility. If your timetable does not go 100% according to your plan, you do not throw it away. Make the necessary adjustments.
Prepare your study area
Preparing for your exams demands a conducive environment to help you in focusing. You can choose somewhere where there is enough light, a comfortable chair, and no distractions. Sit down with only the things that you need for that purpose. It can be books, and other stationery, snacks or some water. This makes your concentration effective, and you will have uninterrupted study time. If something is not helpful, then you do not need it. If you are studying on a single chapter in a unit, you need not have a semester’s worth of notes.
Maintain health
You need to eat, sleep, and move around. However, when exams are around the corner, the movement is the ones, which is most affected. Sometimes even exercising is also affected because you want to maximize on the available minutes. You need to take care of your health to help you face your studies when your memory is in optimal functionality and stress levels minimal. Sleeping is also affected. You will find people studying even in ungodly hours and sleeping just a little bit. Give yourself quality sleep and avoid caffeine, TV, mobile phone for about an hour.
Take some time to unwind before your bedtime to unwind. If you cannot fall asleep, do something relaxing until you fall asleep. You need to stay hydrated, eat healthily and your body will get the necessary fuel for your focus. You can exercise for 20-30 minutes and breaks in between your study time.
Minimize any distraction and deal with procrastination
Studying effectively demands you to have no interruptions. Keep off Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms because they will interfere with your concentration. If you find yourself turning to your phone and procrastinating, you need to take a proper break. Procrastination comes in when you have trouble starting a task, or it becomes too boring to do. You can break that task down and deal with it bit by bit.
Take breaks
During your studies, you need to take some time off for your well-being. Breaks help in rejuvenating your mind and body. Take some time off your study area and engage in something different. Exams demand a lot from you, but it does not mean you are cut off from having a good time. Learning is supposed to be enjoyable, and only you can make that happen.
Other tips include:
- Organizing group sessions
Studying in groups is very helpful. However, you need to know the kind of people with which you are forming a study group. Choose those students that are serious about revising for the exams and nothing less.
- Look at the things that are not in the study guide
Some study guides are not always comprehensive, but a suggestion of the concepts you have to learn. You can use them for its original purpose, which is to guide. Checking out things that are not within the study guide is also crucial for you.
- Pace yourself
Do not burn yourself out, but remain focused. You can pace yourself instead of pulling an all-nighter. If you start early, create a study schedule, and take breaks, you will make considerable progress.
- Reorganize your notes
You can evaluate and reorganize your notes into what is crucial, enumerate crucial concepts and ideas, formulas, dates and definition to enhance your understanding.
- Make the process fun
You can adopt a habit of quizzing yourself, create acronyms, or reward yourself for what you see as a job well done. Some up with a study game plan that allows you to achieve something and reward yourself for each. For instance, you can treat yourself with a chocolate bar once you accomplish analyzing a whole chapter. Take it in between the breaks and as you relax. It gives the energy and motivation to continue with your preparations.
Preparing for exams do not have to be a tedious process. Focus, stick to your schedule, take breaks, have fun, and be ready to take that paper head on.
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