Competitive exams are stressful in any part of the world, but one can feel the heat of the race at a whole other level in India where education has become a mere race to bag admission in the most coveted institutions. However, maintaining sharp focus and commitment toward exam prep can be challenging for the vast majority of students. Furthermore, the competition has increased so much over the past few years, that mere crash courses no longer prove effective – competitive exams require much more advance planning and preparation. So, how can students in India maintain an effective balancing act for board exams and entrance exams side-by-side? Let’s take a look at eight effective tips!
1. Set Clear Objectives
Which exam(s) / test(s) are you keen on performing well in, in order of priority? Once you are clear and realistic about your objectives, you can easily devise an effective strategy to manage your time and effort proportionally in terms of your exam preparation. It will also minimize confusion-related stress – you’ll feel much more in control of things, which is essential to boost self-confidence.
2. Focus On You
Do not fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other students – it will demotivate you. Remember – every student has a different method of learning and speed of grasping information. No two students have the same strengths and weaknesses. Don’t focus on what everyone else is doing – your attention should solely be focussed on yourself during the exam preparation process. Tuition platforms such as SpeedLabs help you identify strengths and gap areas through AI powered technology and can prove rather helpful in tracking progress against clearly defined goals.
3. Clear Your Concepts
The reason SpeedLabs pushes students to clear each concept fully before moving on to the next level is because this strategy proves very helpful in the competitive exam process, as well. Mastering concepts and processes involved in solving questions results in much more robust mastery and higher scores.
4. Quality, Not Quantity
Just because you’ve spent more hours on studying doesn’t mean you’ve learned much – it is all about studying smartly rather than slogging. In essence, if you are wise about the quality of your study-time, you will probably open up time for other activities unrelated to academics, which will help you de-stress a lot. 3 hours of really productive exam prep is much better than 6 hours of random cramming. Three productive hours of preparation is better than five unproductive hours of slogging. In fact, we highly recommend taking breaks during your study-time so you can refresh your mind. You don’t want to be burnt out. Plan each break with a rewarding activity – maybe an episode of your favorite series, or a tempting snack.
5. Seek Mentoring
The best athletes work with the best coaches. Likewise, some of the best students often have access to the right kind of mentors who inspire them to excel and guide them on their academic journey. For example, at SpeedLabs, our team mentors each student in personalized manner so they can harness their full potential. Furthermore, we monitor progress very closely, so there is an accountability factor for students to follow-through on their preparation at each step. The surprise factor gets eliminated to a great extent.
6. Mix It Up
Every student has unique way of learning. Some are visual learners. Some are kinaesthetic. Taking an online test to identify which method is most suitable for you is important – do this early on in your preparation process! And, try to mix up the manner in which you prepare. For example, don’t just write and read your notes – try visual diagrams or try to verbally explain concepts to someone else in your own words – this will help you reinforce what you’re learning at multiple levels.
7. Practice & Practice Some More
There is a reason why wise folks have always said, “practice makes perfect” – because it IS true! Make sure you take enough practice tests to familiarize yourself with the format of various exams and the amount of time you’ll have to complete each section. You’ll feel comfortable if you have an idea of what to expect, overall – this is one of the many reasons why practice tests have always been the cornerstone of our approach at SpeedLabs.
8. Be Organized – Always!
Whether it be giving yourself enough time to study, creating an organized study space or planning how to get to your exam destination in a timely manner (i.e. finding the fastest route and adding buffer time), being organized always pays off at each step of the exam preparation process. A haphazard approach is not only stressful, but often detrimental to success.
We hope these eight tips will help you prepare for your exams in a healthy manner. Try to stay in a positive frame of mind. And, if you would like to find out more about how SpeedLabs can help you crack exams effectively, contact us 1800-419-8902 (Toll Free) or email us at : info@speedlabs.in
Also published on Medium.