Strategising for Exams

It is better to be prepared for exams well in advance but an effective last minute strategy can also help maximise your marks

An extremely effective way to keep off those exam nightmares is to be well prepared. Tough? Not really. All you need to do is follow these simple steps:

• Study for one or two hours every day after class.
• Attend every lecture. This will maintain the coherence of notes you’ve taken.
• Take notes religiously. Mark out areas that are difficult to understand.
• Review the notes and lessons every week.

We all know that college life is not all about studies and various commitments come in the way of maintain a schedule. Given that everyday revisions are not always possible, it is better perhaps to figure out a week-before-an-exam schedule.

• Calculate the hours per subject:  Calculate the number of hours you can spend on each subject. This way you will be able to give ample time to every subject.
• Visualise your task ahead: Take a blank sheet of paper and prepare a chart of the topics you have to cover. This will give you a clear idea of the vastness of your syllabus.
• Make realistic plans: Figure out how much syllabus you can cover each day. Don’t frame unachievable goals. Also take out time for your indulgence.
• Make flash cards for each topic: An effective mnemonic technique is the flash card method. Write down key points of one chapter on a card.
• Organise study sessions: There should be at least one study session for each subject so that you could discuss important questions with your close friends. It is remarkable how group sessions reveal your strengths and weaknesses in a particular subject.

This is the general outline of the course of action you should take. Most of the time we never study on time and resort to cramming which is not the smartest way to go about the business.

So here is what you should do once you sit with the books

1. First read the full chapter and get the idea of the chapter.
2. Once you’ve done that, make key points, put them on the flash card and memorise them.
3. After noting the points and deliberating on the chapter, make a brief summary of all the points that you can remember. This is the most effective way of judging how much you have retained. Moreover, this will give you the gist you won’t forget for a long time.
4. Once you have written the summary, compare it with the earlier notes you took. Fill in the missing parts and revise again.
5. Take a break after regular intervals. Also, go to bed in time for a proper sleep.