Hello tweeps! How has your Chinese New Year been going? Hope you’ve been collecting lots of ang pow and enjoying yourselves just like I am! And for those of you not celebrating CNY, I hope you’ve been chilling out and enjoying this little mini-holiday! :)
But the exams are coming up soon, so here are my top 5 tips for you to stay on top of your game for the upcoming exams!
Tip #1: Take good care of your body!
Your body is the most important weapon you have in your battle against the exams, so make sure you drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated. Take good care of your body, and don’t put it through stressful stuff like staying up all night or eating lots of junk food!
Tip #2: Take mini breaks while studying!
There’re two purposes to this tip. When you’ve been dedicatedly studying your lecture notes without rest, you strain your eyes, which isn’t good for them. Not only that, it’s been proven that you will remember more at the beginning and the end of your study session, than in the middle of them. See the diagrams below (which I took from my old copy of an Adam Khoo book - I was kind of a self-help reader back when I was young):
Look at how much lesser you remember when you have a never-ending study break! Not only that, wouldn't you get tired and bored if you were stuck at the table for such a long period? I know I would. (PS: The only exception to the never-ending study thing is Hermione Granger, who is a fictional character. Bleah.)
And just look at how you can keep your recall rate higher! Hehehehe.
So it only makes sense to keep your study sessions about 20-30 minutes long, and take a 5-minute break before coming back refreshed to tackle the notes again! :)
Tip #3: Don’t just memorise, understand your material!
Nowadays, the key to doing well in your exams is to understand your material in and out, because often the exams will ask you to demonstrate your understanding by applying it to a situation. So things are no longer as easy as memorizing the facts; now you’ve got to understand them well and know the process of how you came to that answer!
Tip #4: Get a good night’s sleep!
Don’t pull an all-nighter and try to cram last minute studying! This is a futile strategy, because while you may have gained some extra study time, it won’t help much when you’re groggy and unable to concentrate due to a lack of sleep. Instead, sleep well and you’ll see the difference when your mind is alert and refreshed!
Tip #5: Be prepared!
Being a procrastinator myself, I tend to put off doing things right until the last minute. Don’t be like me! Instead, you should prepare your important writing stuff like your pens, paper, calculator (if necessary) and whatever you might need for the exam!
(Photo: © Jenny Rollo)
If you prepare these important things, you’ll find that you won’t panic or rush, because you’ve already got them all safely stuck in your bag. You can head out without worrying that you’re missing anything!
PS: Don’t forget that you need to bring your student ID card for identification when you enter the exam hall!
And that’s it! Now I’m off to study for my own upcoming exams, so good luck people! Study hard and smart! :)