Easter Holidays and Exam Terror
If you think Easter holidays are for fun and relaxation, then you are wrong! It is the exam season. Yup, you read it right! Most of the universities and colleges conduct their exams during this holiday period, while others hold it the following week or so.And some institutions even go as far as holding tutorials or revision classes or extra lessons during Easter to help students. This routine goes on till the exams. Parents now have to plan out their schedules and family gatherings accordingly so that children don't feel being let out. Some students opt for study leaves and personal study. They do so because they feel that they can go through the syllabus and notes on their own.
Some students prefer to make short summaries of what they have learnt. They go through it again and again till they become confident. Tutors also advise students to summarize their help. This proves to be quite helpful a day or two before the exam. Students have different approaches of studying. Some prepare well in advance and some do it the last minute. Then there are students who adopt different strategies such as going through their books with the music on loud or revising till the wee hours of the morning. Parents might not agree with these tactics but there are positive results! Exam pressure and anxiety gets to everyone irrespective of whether they are ready for the exam or not. Psychologists say that stress during examination is normal. Its how the mind and body take charge of things.
Tips to Ease your Preparation
Planning and a fixed timetable are needed to ease the pressure. As the saying goes, the more the time at hand, the better the preparation. Students need to get syllabus for every subject. Then they can tick the topics that will be covered in the exam. This makes the task easier. They should get tips from their teachers and lecturers as to what sort of questions will be asked. Better yet, students should go through mock tests and past year exams to get a feel of what's to come. Every student should prepare well ahead of the exam as it saves them the time from going through the entire book. Here are more tips:
- Study groups - if one doesn't like studying alone, they should join a study group. It brings about flow of information and exchange of ideas. If one doesn't know something, they can easily ask one of the group members. And the members always help each other out.
- Practice makes perfect - if there's a math, chemistry or physics test coming up, one should try to solve as many problems as possible. This will make them comfortable and confident at problem solving. The more one practices, the more hands-on they get. Moreover, there's not much theory in the above stated subjects.
- Setting -it's advisable for students to change their study setting. It improves the mood and makes studying a fun experience.
- Best to study in the morning - psychologists say that morning is the best time to open the books. The grasping ability of the mind is at its paramount in the morning. Those studying in the morning may agree with this.
- Review questions - nowadays, text books have a set of questions after every chapter. This helps the students summarize and go through what the chapter or topic was all about. These questions prove to very helpful when preparing for exams.
- Exercise - the saying that 'all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy' is true. Jogging, running or playing has positive effect on the body. It gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing. Physicians highly recommend it.
- Catch up with family members and friends -getting good grades is the top most priority but so is one's wellbeing. Students should take time out for little chats with family and friends. This brightens the mood and makes gives a good feeling.
- Diet - don't forget to eat! Food is the fuel for our body. During preparation and exam period, our body needs constant fuel. It helps student perform better. A good exam diet should be balanced with carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, juices, chicken, fish and almonds.
- Memory Building - one can only tackle exams with a good memory. Students can build their memory by using sticky notes or index cards. They can carry the cards anywhere and go through them in the parks or bus or while walking home. Plus, to develop their memory, it's advisable to eat almonds, salmon or tuna, broccoli and walnuts.
- Spread positivity -when talking to fellow classmates and peers, one should smile and be encouraging. It motivates people.
- Don't keep revision for later on - doing so only adds to the pile up. Students should revise their notes every day to lessen the workload.
- Responsibility -students have to make the initiative to study. They should take charge of themselves and start planning and assessing themselves. Studying and preparing for exams is a commitment.
- Support/Encouragement - parents should help by not disturbing their children's study timetable. They can work accordingly and be mindful.
- Extra classes - students should take advantage of extra tutorials. It can boost their performance as well as their grades. This is also a good time to ask tutors for help and clarify doubts. Students also get to know the format of their papers through tutorials.
A month or two before the exams, teachers should start checking on the students' preparation. They should allow them to study freely and invite them to ask questions. Teachers should give the format of the papers and tips about the types of questions that will be asked. They should go through the syllabus together and provide extra assistance and support to weak students. Moreover, teachers should take the initiative to buddy up students for example smart or intelligent students can be paired up with weak students. This gears the students for exams. Going through the notes over and over again, makes memorization easy.