Consolidate your learning

Countdown to exams : With the final exams of most school boards right round the corner, almost all students are in study mode. Ali Khwaja provides tips on efficient study techniques to tackle those exams.

Two years ago CBSE took a revolutionary step of making 10th standard Board exams optional. 

Many students jumped up in joy and decided to go through the internal exam and continue with their 11th and 12th in the same school.  Other cautious ones took the Board exams, and looked jealously at their friends who did not have the same tension as they did.  Then came the grading system, which also was supposed to reduce stress by grouping students of 10 percentage points into one grade.  Hence, whether you scored 90 or 99.9%, you were classified as A1 grade, and so on.

The fact of the matter is that there are some students who will get stressed out whether there is a Board exam or internal exam, whether there is percentage or grading — and there are others who will not bother what the system is, and sail through casually.

The one important factor every school student needs to keep in mind is that most institutions of higher learning, and also many employers, look at the track record of a student and give weightage to their performance in 10th, 12th and degree, along with their performance in specific entrance exams.  Hence it is wise to take the 10th standard exams seriously and ensure that the result looks respectable in the CV that they will be giving years later in their progress of life.

Those who are in CBSE and ICSE will be facing their final exams much before the SSLC students.

Hence they need to ensure that they are not misled by their SSLC counterparts into thinking that there is still a lot of time.  Similarly, since CBSE has brought in the Continuous Evaluation System, one need not be complacent that 60% of the marks are already decided and the final exam will not make much difference. 

What is happening in reality is that most students score marks very close to each other in the continuous internal evaluation, and it is the final exam that determines the final result — and the chances of getting admission in a good institution for higher studies, with subjects of their choice.  Competition for Science optional subjects in most CBSE and ISC schools is becoming very tough, and those who take things easy and do not score well find themselves having to forcibly go into an optional group that is not of their choice.

Test yourself

With barely a month to go for the final exams, many schools have already gone through with their first round of preparatory exams, and some with two rounds.  These can serve as very good benchmarks for a student to introspect.  What he needs to do is to compare the marks that he expected when he wrote the exam, and the marks he actually got. This will give him an indication whether he tends to either put himself down (an indicator of low self-worth or under-confidence) or whether he had very high expectations that did not show in the results (an indicator of over-confidence).

It is wise to give oneself a series of mini-mock exams, particularly in the so-called difficult subjects, because the practice of writing continuous answers over a period of time ensures that the student not only knows what to answer, but also how to answer.  Those topics or chapters that appear to be very voluminous or difficult, a student can condense into bullet form, write it on a chart, and put it up where it is visible to him periodically, and he can keep reading it.  Every now and then he can go to the chart, close his eyes and mentally read out the definitions or formulae written on it, then open his eyes and check whether he was correct.  Finally, when the exam is round the corner and there are still some bits and pieces that are not going into the head, it is better to ignore them and focus on sharpening those that he already knows.

Balanced Learning

All over the world the emphasis of selection and promotion is shifting to balanced learning and wider capabilities.  Hence every student needs to ensure that his learning and performance in all subjects is as balanced as possible.  Even if he wants to be a software engineer, he cannot afford to neglect biology or social sciences. An aspiring journalist cannot afford to ignore math or science.  The really successful professionals in the coming years will be those who have a wide knowledge of different subjects and can adapt themselves to changes that are likely to come in.  For example, a student who picks up languages such as Hindi, Kannada or Sanskrit taught in school, will find that if he gets a wonderful opportunity to go to Germany and become an automobile designer, he will be able to pick up the very essential German language much easier than his classmates who neglected languages.

Since types of question papers and method of evaluation is also repeatedly under revision, it pays to study the entire portion from first to last chapter.  Those who tend to be selective, thinking that they will get a choice to leave out some chapters may find themselves sorely disappointed. Similarly, do not put too much emphasis on coaching classes, or preparation for competitive exams at this stage.

Confidence

As I mentioned above, it does not pay to be under-confident, and it certainly does not pay to be over-confident.  The right balance ensures that you will keep improving yourself and will progress well.  Check if you are getting tense or scared of the exams, or even of one or two subjects.  Do not be in denial.  Express your fears to someone you trust. 

Start practicing stress-relief techniques if you have not already done so.  These can range from meditation to yoga, pranayamas, gym workouts, gardening, reading scriptures — ensuring that you select whatever suits you best. Stress, when it is not dealt with immediately, can lead to unnecessary problems at the time of exams.  There are students who fall sick, develop headaches, get nausea and vomiting, or even go into a depression if they have to face exams at high stress levels.

Those who have difficulty in time management are the ones who tend to get stressed out.  If you have developed a habit of procrastination (delaying things without any valid reason), then be prepared for high tension at the time of exams — possibly resulting in forgetting what you had already learnt.  Learn to do the most difficult tasks first.  When you are fresh and energetic, study the most difficult or ‘boring’ subject first — at least for a short while. If you do not feel like studying at all, tell yourself that you will read only for a specified short period and then will take a break.  Often once you get down to studies the lethargy disappears.  If it does not, and you are unable to concentrate, take a short break, freshen up, and get back to reading.

It is always good if you have butterflies in your stomach, a little bit of uncertainty how you will perform, and some doubts whether you will score well.  This is known as ‘eustress’ or good stress.  This pushes you to perform better, and to keep up with your efforts as the exams come closer.  Over-confident students become like the hare in the Hare and Tortoise story, and finally land up scoring much less than what they are capable of.

The time is ripe.  The last month can make or break your final results.  Plan your Work and Work your Plan.  Study systematically, with a positive mind.  Study to gain knowledge, not just to score marks.  Compete against yourself, not with others.  Look forward to all the good things you will be doing after the exams are over and you have acquired a certification that will open doors for you to conquer the world.  Best of luck!