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. |
