Consistency pays in the long run

The new academic year has started and the classroom routine has been stabilised. Initial worries of students as to which teacher will be teaching which subject, and how big or difficult the portions will be, have been resolved. New subjects for this year have also become fairly familiar. Some students who feel certain subjects are ‘tough’ would have sought support from elders or tuition teachers.

Students have also identified how much time and effort goes into each subject. Those who have worked it out systematically and are already putting in the required hours regularly will find their learning and grades steadily increasing. They would have mastered a habit which ensures that they will never be in tension chasing deadlines and catching up with work in the eleventh hour.

Though many students complain that the Indian education system is too exam-oriented, it is a blessing in disguise. It keeps you on your toes and ensures that you do not get slack. The Semester system in higher education and the periodic tests and term exams serve as a means for students to keep reading up, revising and being in touch with the learning process to ensure that you do not build up stress during exams.

There is a tendency among students to give significance exclusively to Board exams. They claim that they can study only under pressure and will pick up the books when the exam is around the corner – confident of scoring well.

This is not good. It will become your way of life. Your stress levels will increase significantly during those “last minute” preparations and can leave a long-term impact on you bringing your efficiency down.

People like these over some time can have burnout, get into depression, or take impulsive and destructive decisions. Secondly, though you may manage to get those extra marks that you aspired for in the exam, there is very little learning that takes place with crammed studies in the last few hours or days.

What you study the day before the exam is usually forgotten the day after! Hence there is very little knowledge gained. When another challenge turns up, you will have to start learning from the basics. Your ability to use the skills you learnt through these studies in real life comes down.

Many higher learning institutions including IIMs, foreign universities and prospective employers check whether a student has had consistency in grades. For example, many students tend to take it easy in Class II, 1st PUC or the first couple of semesters in college, citing the convenient excuse of “no Board exams this year.” Much later in life, they may regret it.

There is a proverb: “Plan your work and work your plan”. Some students do make timetables but do not implement them. Some find that they are lagging and lose motivation. It is wise to always leave a margin for setbacks and delays.

If you have 180 more working days in the academic year, keep aside 10-15 days for sickness or unexpected work, 10-15 for entertainment (lazing around) with family or friends, and 10-15 days which will be lost for no reason at all. Only then will your timetable be realistic and you will be able to learn consistently. If you study two hours every day for 100 days (total 200 hours) your intake and retention is far better than if you study 10 hours every day in the last 20 days (total still being 200 hours).

Lastly, having career goals and charting out your academic path to the end of your studies and the start of your working life goes a long way in enhancing your motivation to study, and your positive outlook and it gives you a sense of optimism. Visualise what you will be doing two years, five years and 10 years from now, and plan how your study schedule is taking you towards those goals.