How to study for an exam?
Introduction
Exams have generally awful and hectic effects on students. Particularly knowing that the teachers will either mark their paper good or bad depending on the quality of answers. Successfully studying for an exam ensures good grades. The process of studying for exam is not as simple as it seems hence the question of “How to study for exam” has been discussed in this essay.
Process and Analysis
There may be a variety of processes suggested by many experts, however the following simple steps can be considered as the most suitable ones.
1. Planning: It is the first and foremost step of studying for an exam. The important thing to consider while planning is that the plan must be made in a sensible way so that it should be an achievable task.
2. Making a revision schedule: This step involves devising a timetable to keep on refreshing the learnt syllabus.
3. Rewriting: This step is very important which involves rewriting the main points of the course from which the exam is due. The best way to carry out this step is through mind mapping process. The most important benefit of this step is that rewriting keeps memory refreshing and improves the already learnt lessons through adding innovative ideas.
4. Selecting suitable time for study: It is always better to study at the right time when the student feels positive about studying. It should be kept in mind that studying at wrong timings may lead to demotivation about study .
5. Avoiding eleventh hour study: It must be kept in mind during the course of semester / year that the workload of study should not be left for the last night. This will not only bring problems during the last night of exam but the student will mostly forget the learnt material the very next day of exam.
6. Studying according to subjects: It is always better to devise the studying schedule according to the subject’s requirements. If the subject for which the student is preparing is math then it is better to plan to study wither when no one is around for disturbance or to sit with other colleagues and solve mathematical problems with them.
7. Environment: The most important step to be considered while studying for exam is to create environment for study. There must not be any sort of disturbances which may cause distress in student’s mind. These surrounding factors may include siblings creating noise, music, television, insufficient luminosity, messy room etc.
8. Taking Breaks: Another important step during study is taking breaks from time to time. This step enables the student to refresh and charge his/her brain for continuing the study without getting any sort of pressure. This step relaxes the nerves of student especially to deal with solving difficult problems of math .
9. Asking for help: This step is an overlapped step which is carried out as per need basis. Whenever a student feels during studying for exam that he/she is unable to solve some problem or has some difficulty in understanding a concept then it is always better to ask for help form a fellow student, elder brother/sister, parents, or teachers.
10. Reviewing: It is always a good idea to review the learnt material right after the student has finished studying. Basically this step is part of studying but does not include any new material to be studied. This step not only refreshes the learnt material but also ensures that the student has studied all the planned material.
Conclusion
If a student follows above mentioned steps to study for exam then he/she will certainly score good grades. These steps are required to be followed for all the subjects rather than only the weak ones. Finally it must be remembered that cheating is not the solution for exam problems. Getting good grades require tremendous efforts and hard work in a systematic way.
References
Bathia, D. (2003). How To Top Exams & Enjoy Studies. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House.
Race, P. (2003). How to Study: Practical Tips for Students. New Jersey (NJ): Wiley.
