TIPS TO HELP YOU ACE YOUR EXAMS

Madhavendra Singh Rathore Sachetna

Exams are a stressful period in every student’s life. Burdened by the pressure from our teachers, parents and ourselves, we try to pull all night study sessions and sit through long hours trying to cram entire books in our heads in one sitting which more often than not turn out to be ineffective in the exam and detrimental to our health as well.

Here are some scientifically proven tips that will help you learn effectively and with less effort:

  • Studying in Chunks: taking 30-45 minute study sessions at a time helps us retain information in the brain’s synapses as compared to a long study session. Pulling all night sessions and longer sitting hours showed reduction in reasoning ability and memory functions.

  • Study on Specific Times: set a time that suits you and try to stick to that routine. Eventually, it will get easier for you to sit down at your selected time and focus better since your brain associates that time period with studying.

  • Alternative Methods: these methods include Flash Cards, Flow Charts, Audio Recordings and so on. Since every person has a different learning style the efficacy of each method varies from person to person but through trial and error a person can choose a style that fits them best.

  • Have Specific Goals: having a goal for every session is better than sitting down and studying vaguely.
    Teach: learning to teach causes the brain to store and organize the information in a more logical and coherent way. Teaching another person a topic helps us understand the topic better and fully and it can also be a good way to revise your course.

  • Practice Tests: taking practice tests helps us recognize the loops in our preparation and work on them. Taking tests can also reduce our exam anxiety and increase our confidence helping us score better.
    Having a Designated Study Spot: a small and silent area of your house equipped with all the stationary that you might need. Again, this primes your brain to sit down and focus and eventually with time it gets easy to focus and study better.

  • Avoid Distractions: keeping your phone aside and turning notifications off is a must if you want to avoid constant distraction. Music can also be a distraction; studies have shown that rhythmic music can hinder one’s ability to learn and memorize.

Not to mention the obvious that 6-8 hours of sleep and proper nutrition as well as stress management is important for not only your scholastic performance but also your general well-being, because a healthy brain can only exist in a healthy body, so make sure to have good eating and sleeping habits throughout your life and not just during your exams!

Image source: School vector created by stories – www.freepik.com

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