How To Do Well In Exams Pls Post Any Techniques?

[Mr Sardar]

VJKK VJKFji

Hi Just wanted to ask any advice on how to do really good in exams? For me personally as Ive gotten older my brain aint as spongy as it used to be where I could

absorb info for exams quick, be it for gcse 1 quick read of cgp revision guide was enough. Techniques I got from others via word of mouth are;

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• Read all notes, re-read until satisfied
  
• read extra material use google Nicely, use libraries expand your material for study
  
• Talk to your mates on your course they always know what is good
  
• Talk to your teacher (email, in person) they always have tips
  
• Do all past papers with solutions and tutorial (homework) questions
  
• make own summarised notes, highlight, different colour pens, underline italic bold, quick revision cards, make pictures/diagrams, spider diagrams, brainstorms
  
• sleep well on time and wake up on time (early to sleep, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealth and wise)
  
• Eat proper no junk food, 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner/supper), 5 fruits and veg, 2ltrs of water a day (no fizzy drinks), nuts/pistacho/almonds are good for the brain
  
• Dont listen to music like rap, they tend to kill brain cells, music like classical tunes can help but keep clear mind
  
• Isolate yourself, time between you and the books (no tv, no facebook, no msn, no wasting time on net for other things which are not work, no radio, no tv, no chilling time)
  
• Take sensible breaks in between studies the human brain can concentrate upto 45mins in 1 go, take maybe 5-20mins breaks
  
• Make a timetable for study including what you plan to study
  
• PRACTICE, PRACTICE and Practice (exam questions tend to repeat)
  

Please add on, elaborate on these discuss what works for you, maybe any hidden techniques, maybe a paath anyone knows or secret item of food. anything else

VJKK VJKFji

[chatanga1]

fear of Bapu's juti helps more most desi's study harder.

[Laadli Fauj]

attain brahmgian.

[dalsingh101]

I would add that the key is to understand how you personally learn best. There are no set techniques guaranteed to work for everyone as we all have biological, cognitive variations that effect the way we learn. We should become more and more aware of our own nature as we study over years and honestly reflect on our progress, strengths, weaknesses.

Try some online (free) VAK tests. One theory of learning suggests that we frequently have a preference to how we learn (either visually [by watching], auditory [by listening] or kinaethesthetically [through practical hands on experience]. From my experiences, it seems that although some people do have one clear preferred method that helps them learn quickly from the 3 outlined, there are also some people are adept at learning in different styles and do not have a clear preference. If you find you have a clear learning style, adapt your revision to this.

Personally, I've always found a mixture of repetition/drill with looking at a subject from multiple perspectives the most helpful when revising and trying or memorise. This essentially mean writing down important information till you can pretty much automate the process, so when your pen hits the paper it sort of 'flies out'. That is good for technical based information that has to be evidenced pretty much verbatim (like technical stuff) but less so for questions requiring on the spot analysis (like comparing two poems).

I also swear by the use of different coloured pens to code the information in your revision notes. So go out and buy a black, blue, red and green biro. When you write your notes use black. Use the green pen to write/highlight smaller but key paragraphs/points. Key words should be written using the red pen. I don't know why, but it really helps break down information and makes reading it less laborious.

Drawing models that incorporate conceptually related information is also a very good technique to bring coherence to large bodies of info that might otherwise overwhelm.

Learn in chunks, moving onto the next topic/subtopic when finished then (IMPORTANTLY) go back and refresh yourself on the previously covered subject. This is truthfully the best technique I have come across. Talking from a cognitive perspective, when we do this we seem to be creating an open and quick route for retrieval from memory. Revisit important stuff by giving yourself mini tests. When you are shady or unclear about particular sub areas, write down the information you are having difficulty recalling 5 times! Eventually you'll be spitting the stuff out easily. Take breaks at least every 1.5 hours.

Eat well, avoid greasy stuff, which seems to slow everything down and make you want to sleep. Drink water. get the old omega 3,6, and 9 golian out! Others swear by having 5 almonds every morning in the run up to the exams. With the supplements or nuts, you have to start taking them way before the exams to help the good vitamins build up in your jisam. They don't work asimmediate miracle pills. lol Meditate for 2/3 minutes for time to time to blank your mind to help relax it after cramming.

Probably most importantly, want, crave, need that exam success and cultivate that soldier mentality that will endure with the the mundane experience that frequently characterises revision. Get fired up!

Good luck.

[kdsingh80]

In India students should learn cheating techniques at college level O/W their teachers could scold them for not cheating properly.This recently happened with my brother who is in 3rd year of MCA

[dalsingh101]

Whoops I nearly forget this one!

Find some top end, intelligent study buddies if you can and raise each other's bar. lol

Edited December 8, 2009 by dalsingh101

[ishvar2]

My best results in academic life were based on hard work coupled with firm belief in my ability to learn.

That also involves becoming smarter in your study - see your work outside of it's box. Draw connections between different topic areas, see themes, etc truly become a student. This involves making you work meaningful by asking yourself questions. Don't just read - read for a purpose! Who, what, when, why and how should be your constant companions.

Acknowledge your strengths, and work on your weaknesses. Working on weaknesses will yield more developmentally than sticking to your strengths (do not wholly neglect these though) and purely from a exam point of view means you are adding more marks easily. Getting the last few marks on each question require a higher command of the topic and usually only happen once you have built you proficiency of the lower level elements.

Finally, have a belief that if you sincerely do your best Vaheguru takes care of the rest. This gives a calm, serene, playful mind which once forged by your best efforts is free to flow like your pen during recall.

[bhooliya]

As per my instructor we should study in half an hour segments. We should divide our study chapters in half an hour each and go over them. This method recommends study for half an hour and then take a short break and stretch and then go over your next segment. It also asks us to repeat whatever we are studying at least several times.

Youtube has so many videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7DvNqawdKA

[Xylitol]

a longer term strategy is to study the study strategies on studyhacks.com and see which work for you. that's the best technique site i've found.

shorter term for exam prep, i would assign myself a time to study, x - x am/pm, and do it. also i would block off time to relax, eat, and workout to burn off stress.

to make my time management more efficient i used to write down from when to when i studied, and i didn't count breaks include bathroom breaks and stretch breaks etc. if pure study time totalled to 6 hours a day, that was considered very very good. anything over 5.5 hours is fine.

during the school year, u can give yourself a work day, like from 9-5, and only do work during that time. after that no need to crack the books - consider it me time.