Embracing what frightens you will only make you stronger. Preparing for an exam is scary, I get that. But not doing good is even scarier. If you have always been a good student, you might have a tested preparation strategy in place, but if you weren’t, this article is here to guide you to build the skeleton up for your next exam preparation, upon which you are to establish your strategy on. While I won’t be able to assist you with the preparation itself, you can always get help in homework to prepare better.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the top 5 methods to prepare effectively for exams.
- Start Early:
Some of your friends or even you may find last-minute cramming to be the most effective preparation method, but oftentimes it fails to deliver results as per your potential. Starting early allows you to design a timetable to pass more weightage towards some subjects than the rest.
For effective time management, jolt down the number of subjects you have exams on and how much time you want to give each of them for the best overall preparation, then divide your study time as per the ratio of weightage of each subject that you determined earlier. Follow the timetable each and every day until exams are over.
- Use Graphical Representations:
While preparing notes for exams, give priority to charts and diagrams than words. Make your own diagrams for the concepts that you don’t completely understand and make sure to practically apply them before exams. When we employ visuals in our preparation, the brain associates the concept with that particular image and registers it like a JPEG – which can be reviewed before opening – rather than an easy to miss word file.
- Practice Practice and More Practice:
The only way to do good in an exam is to practice. Our memory is not a very effective piece of hardware when it comes to retaining numbers. That’s why we need a “forgot password” on every login page, which is seldom used, because, practice. You can cram subjects like History and English, but if you are a high schooler or beyond, it’s not gonna work for mathematical ones. Practice every question, example, and derivation before the exams.
- Study Groups:
A controversial one. Some students thrive in study groups, others, not so much. You have to determine what works best for you. While study groups can encourage you to prepare better, on the other hand, groups consisting of good friends can turn into a coterie club very soon. It doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding friend groups altogether for studies if you can keep your focus for the predetermined time.
- The Pomodoro Technique
Developed in the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro is nothing but a time management system optimized for productivity and persuasion. Let alone studies, the Pomodoro technique has helped millions in professional worlds achieve their goal just with effective time management.
When you start preparing for exams today, get any Pomodoro app from the app store and keep the timer set at 25 minutes. After every 25 minutes of study, take a short break of 5 minutes, but don’t wander away. Following 4 Pomodors (work-break cycle), take a break of 15-20 minutes or even more. What you achieve with this technique is a routine. As 25 minutes is not a huge span, your brain won’t be bored enough to lose focus.
Preparing for exams is a cumulative effort, a continuous approach. As you don’t expect someone to play in the NFL with 2 weeks of practice, you shouldn’t expect to do well in exams with 2 days of practice. Approach exam preparations strategically and you’ll kill it. All the best.
