In preparing for competitive and board examinations discipline, perseverance and keepin a check of distractions pays, says Sreelatha S, while offering some tips

There is rat race and competition among students to enter into top league colleges where job comes in search of them in the form of campus placements. But the first hurdle is to get into such colleges. The means are only two. One get it out of sheer merit or shell out the donation and buy the seat.

 To fuel the rat race , there are innumerable coaching institutions. There are more coaching centres than the number of colleges. Along with this a number of e-courses are also available. They may take the proverbial horse to water but they can’t make it drink. The students have to make effort arising out of their own motivation and perseverance.

 The brain is not a open vessel where information, instruction can be filled and locked. It has to gently percolate through the layers of brain cells and get stored there. There are so many pilferages en route in the guise of distractions.

  So here are some tips to prepare the memory cells to receive the data, process and save in order to recall at the time of need.

n Many students do selective study. They refer to previous papers only to know which questions may not or will not come in the exam. But there are evergreen questions which are concept based and are asked every year in one-way or the other. Refer to the question papers and sample papers to test your learning and to correct the mistake or understanding if any. Never keep the doubts till next time. The moment doubt crops up get it clarified either through books, friends or teachers. If a doubt is left unattended it acts as a non-permeable membrane and hence the concept learnt later will not be stored.

n Have one pointed focus. Distract the distraction that is when you feel low pick up a lesson that you are confident with. It boosts up your morale and then switch to the less understood topic.

n  Study to reach the goal rather than preventing others from reaching the goal. You will win if winning is your target and not if defeating others is your goal. We always notice to stay in number 1 position rather than working out strategies for the same, the students spend time how to make others not reach position 1.

n Have confidence in your self. At least try to build up. Confidence will not come by repeating it 100 times it comes only with wisdom. Become wise rather than a knowledge bank. The moment you learn a new thing put the questions of 3 W’s. How? Why and where? Ponder over the same for couple of minutes. In the process the concept learnt becomes concrete.

n A pot filled with big pebbles still can accommodate a few small pebbles in the voids but they can’t take the place of bigger ones. Likewise let your studies become big pebbles occupying most of your brain and small things can wait for your attention later.

n Never ever postpone a thing. That becomes a syndrome like ‘not now, sometime later’. There is no later in the examination hall.

n For quick recap highlight the concepts in the textbook. Before closing the book for the day, try to glance only either through the left side words or right side words of the page. If you can recollect the entire content you can be assured that you have mastered the topic.

n Next day again play the same trick to challenge your memory.

n Maintain discipline with respect to studies, food and sleep.

n Always have the feeling that you can learn from everyone - seniors, peers and elders among others. Don’t develop ‘know-all’ syndrome. This greases the memory cells and the concepts slip and slither.

There is no substitute for hard work. No luck will get you perfect score if effort is not there from your side.