The festival season will soon come to an end and it will be time to gear up for the final exams. While the period between November to February is important for all students, it becomes significantly more important for the students who are to appear in the board exams. A plethora of information, advice, dos and don’ts flood the students at such times leaving them confused and at times, exasperated. Each piece of advice may be well meaning and coming from a concerned source, yet students may feel unable to appreciate it, follow everything and at the same time stay ahead of the race. If you are feeling the same sense of being overwhelmed, we have uncomplicated the whole thing for you into a simple five step process.
- HEALTH: This is one aspect that cannot be compromised upon. Focus on your physical, mental and psychological health. If you need help with anything that needs addressing, speak out. Tell your parents if you are getting headaches, eye strain, digestion issues or any other complexities. It may be easier to solve than you think and with the correct medical guidance you will feel better in no time. Similarly deal with your mental issues with the same amount of seriousness. Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, memory lapse are all symptoms of some underlying mental condition. Normalize the mental problems and give it the same treatment you would for physical issues. Seek help of parents, counsellors and psychologists and get the problem out of your way. Once you feel good physically and mentally, you will be ready to tackle your exams with ease.
- FOOD & SLEEP: Another vital aspect of preparations is the food you eat and the amount of sleep you get. Eat healthy, cut down on fast food and junk food for the next couple of months. The can of soda might be tempting but try to replace it with fruit juice. A well-balanced home cooked food is the best thing to rely on. Stay away from fad diets and unreasonable ideas that promise boost to brains or concentration. Talk to your doctor for any supplements that you think you might need. Get your eight-hour sleep regularly. Compromising on sleep and cramming in more hours of work will not be fruitful in the long run. Also cutting down on sleep to catch some hours of watching Netflix in order to relax will backfire horribly in the next couple of days. Sleep time is non-negotiable, your body and brain need time to relax and you cannot mess with it.
- ROUTINE: If you haven’t made one, make it now. Have one for the days you go to school and one for the holidays. Don’t make anything that is unachievable (like 18 hours of study in a day). Make sure each subject gets equal weightage and both memorizing and writing practice are included in your schedule. Check weekly whether you are being able to follow the routine. If not, make changes as needed. Do not ask someone else to make a timetable for you. Its your exam and only you can plan it in the best way. Be disciplined but not too hard on yourself. It is ok to feel tired sometimes and put in less effort than you had planned to. Do not put yourself under pressure to overcompensate the next day. Three months is a lot of time and eventually, if you are mostly regular, you will make up for a day or two that you have lost.
- READ-WRITE-REPEAT: This is one of the simplest formulae to achieve success in academics. First concentrate on reading. Understand the concepts, memorize the facts. Take your time over this part as neither understanding nor memorizing can be rushed. Then write what your have understood. Either solve practice papers, old question papers or the questions at the back of the chapter that you have prepared. Correct your work or get it evaluated by your teacher/parent. Understand the area where you have made mistakes and repeat the process. Remember you can strive for excellence not perfection. Do not be too hard on yourself and try to get every word correct. With regular practice most things will fall into place.
- DISCUSS: The last but essential step is to talk to your friends and teachers. Do not become an island just because you have to appear for an exam. Keeping in touch with people is important. Look out for information on websites, sample papers, date sheets and last-minute information. Speak to you seniors who are often your best guides. Keep the study hours sacrosanct when all digital devices, phones and other ways of reaching you are switched off. At other times, meet your friends, spend time with family, share ideas with other examinees and keep your normal door of communication open.
Once you have completed your board exams you will realize it wasn’t as tough or scary as you had thought it to be. However, there should not be a time when you feel that you could have done better had you prepared better. So, give up procrastinating and simply start studying. All the best to everyone!!
