How To Prepare For Your Tests And Examinations

1. Understand What Is Taught In Class! Don't Just Memorise!

That's right! Most students make the mistake of trying to remember everything their teachers teach them without real understanding.

While useful for certain subjects such as History and Geography, however, this can become an obstacle to true understanding for many other subjects.

For instance, if you do not understand why some eggs hatch into chickens while other eggs don't, then you won't be able to explain it if you are asked in a test.

2. Clarify ALL Your Doubts!

You may think this is the same as what is mentioned above, but it is not. Some students may understand a topic quite well, but not 100% well.

For example, you may be taught and understand that the earth is not flat but round. But have you ever wondered if the earth is 100% round, or is it just more or less round?

The path to true understanding is asking questions. Ask yourself questions. Ask your friends questions. And ask your teachers questions. Continue doing so until you are totally clear of ALL doubts!

3. Don't Be Afraid To Speak Your Mind!

The key to understanding your work and clearing all your doubts is to ask questions.

In Asian countries, including Singapore, most students are influenced by our Asian culture and are taught not to be rude to our elders.

Therefore, some students may think it is rude to ask their teachers to repeat what they said in class. That is the wrong thinking.

By asking your teachers questions, you are showing them that you are interested in what they are teaching. They will love you!

Besides, your teachers are there to help you. So make full use of their knowledge and experience!

Many students in Asian countries are also influenced by our "face" culture. Many of them may feel that they will lose face if they ask questions, because they will appear less intelligent than their classmates. That, again, is not true!

Do you know that a number of your classmates, who choose to keep mum in class, actually also have lots of questions and doubts in their minds? They are also afraid to ask!

By speaking up in class and asking your teachers questions, you are actually displaying your courage while at the same time, becoming more intelligent than your classmates!

4. Be Consistent In Your Work!

A large number of students often honeymoon throughout their semesters until a few weeks before their examinations. Ever heard of the saying, "Rome was not built in a day"?

The top students in class are often those who are consistent in their work. They study diligently and revise their work consistently since the first day of each semester!

When examinations are around the corner, they are also the ones who are most confident about their work. The others just panic!

5. Study Smart! Don't Just Study Hard!

If you are in a kindergarten or a primary school, you will have three or four subjects. If you are in a secondary school or higher, you will have between six to ten subjects.

For each subject, you may have more than one textbook to study. And textbooks can sometimes be real thick!

So if you are planning to study and revise everything in each book, stop!

Excelling in your schoolwork does not entail mere diligence. Intelligent studying is the key.

Is the introduction paragraph in each chapter important? Do you have to revise ALL the examples in a Mathematics chapter when you already know the chapter by heart?

Spend your time more wisely by concentrating only on those subjects and topics you are weak at.

6. Make Your Own Notes!

As mentioned above, textbooks can be real thick and you may have more than one such textbook. It doesn't help when some chapters can be real tough and heavy going.

So make your own notes! Condense each chapter into a list of main points.

If you are visually inclined, draw charts and/or diagrams. Do it any way you like! After all, it is your own notes!

If you do it correctly, you will find your revision very easy.

But be warned! Don't be lazy and borrow or photocopy your friends' notes! What may be important to study and revise for your friends may not apply to you!

Worst of all, some students who use their friends' notes end up trying to understand what their friends' notes are all about!

7. Plan Your Timetable!

You have only 24 hours each day. If you spend 8 hours sleeping, 6 hours in school, 1 hour to travel to school and then back home, 2 hours to eat, groom yourself and rest, you only have 7 hours left.

Are you going to spend 6 hours watching television and 1 hour on your schoolwork, or should you spend more time revising your schoolwork?

Make a weekly timetable for yourself. Make sure you are giving yourself enough sleep, rest and play, while at the same time, spending enough time on your schoolwork.

Once you have made your timetable, stick to it!

8. Exercise Regularly!

Life is not all about school! You need to play too!

Put aside enough time each day or each week for some fun! Get together with your friends for a session of football after school, or go for a good swim during the weekend.

You need to exercise regularly to keep fit, so that your body can be in tip-top condition all the time.

Some research studies have shown that regular exercise, while promoting overall body health, also increases our brain intelligence.

So if you want to become more intelligent, exercise more!

9. Get Enough Rest!

So you study hard and play hard. Your body needs to rest too!

Always have enough rest each day, so that your body will not tire easily.

8 hours of sleep is a good guide for most people. For the more energetic, add another 1 or 2 hours.

Never stay up late too! What's the point of burning the midnight oil when you wake up tired and sleepy the next day?

And don't try to take up too many activities in school when you cannot handle them!

Some students spend hours in school because they are in the baseball team, the scouts team, the swimming team, the inter-class matches, the inter-school competitions, etc.

As a result, they neglect their studies, tire their bodies and don't get enough rest.