When there is examination, there is stress. Managing stress in examination hall is one thing; but if a student is able to manage the preparation time well, obviously taking the examination becomes easier. As this issue of Progressive Teacher comes out, date sheets for main examinations of CBSE have been announced. So, this time at hand must be used judiciously. Teachers can share the points mentioned below with their students in the run-up to the examinations.
Having gone through the board examinations myself, there were times of utter panic and as well as helplessness. At one moment I felt the syllabus was finished and at another discovered to my dismay, I had missed some of the most important questions. With experience, examinations can also be fun, provided the management is meticulous.
- Digital detox: Before embarking on any journey, make sure to clean your environment of any digital equipment like televisions, tablets, mobiles, etc. These are a huge distraction. If complete detox is not possible, then limit your exposure in the preparation time and until the exams are over. You could add in your time table the television and internet, so that you do not cheat yourself of the precious time in preparation.
- Make a time table: A school has a time table to be followed, so that every subject can be accommodated into a given day. Precisely, this principle also comes into play while studying on your own. As exams approach, all the subjects need to be studied regularly to see any sort of improvement. And, a time table should be followed every day with commitment.
- Write and learn: Not everything in detail must be written, but important facts, dates and points can definitely be written down for the last minute revision. It is not possible to go through the entire book in one day before the examination.
- Mark important portions: Again, pay attention to the important things and mark these with the guidance of your EXAMINATION teacher. This will come in handy at the last moment.
- Frame questions: In the classroom, your teacher always gives you question banks or practice questions. However, you should also make an effort to frame questions from within the chapter and reframe the questions you already have. Devote half an hour every day to this. You will notice a marked improvement in your capability to understand tricky questions.
- Structure answers for questions: Once you have the question banks and you are framing the questions, write in points the structure of the answers for the questions. For example, introduction (In points what will come in introduction), feature of evergreen forests (In points and briefly the features) and conclusion, etc.
- Make separate notebooks for all the subjects: Using one notebook for all will give you convenience. However, using different notebooks will mean less confusion when the syllabus for all the subjects is over.
- Rest: Taking proper in-between breaks is equally important. For example, a five minute break after every one hour or a ten minute break after every one hour is appropriate, depending on your concentration and focussing abilities. Some students can sit for a longer time at a stretch and some cannot, so it is important to schedule short or long breaks. This should be done in consultation with your teachers/parents, as they will be able to give you accurate feedback in this regard, since they know you well. Further, it is also important to give rest to your body and mind, so take a good night’s sleep.
- Revision: Timely and regular revision is equally important. If you devote three hours to history every day, make sure to devote half an hour out of these three hours to revision. Before proceeding to the next topic, previously studied things could be revised.
- Progress checker: You have been studying and revising, but checking your progress will give you much more confidence. Here, the questions which you had been framing every day will be helpful. In addition to some of the above mentioned points one should not forget to take care of one’s health, as this also facilitates or deters the progress of the learning process.
- Play time: One should devote at least half an hour to a favourite sport every day. It will keep you fresh and at the same time physically and mentally active. Time devoted can obviously be decreased when examinations are nearer. No physical activity can make one a dull person, which is a disadvantage when one talks about studying and solving problems.
- Make healthy eating choices. Limit the intake of greasy foods, as these are known to make a person lazy and sleepy.
- Manage anxiety/tension/stress: Close your eyes and draw out all the noise in the mind. Spend five minutes with yourself every day. Meditate or write down clearly as to what you want to achieve in the preparation time and as well as from these exams. Set goals and at the end of the day, assess these goals.
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