As you all know, secondary school exam preparation is not a piece of cake. It is an arduous preparation where you have to pay attention to your Math, Science, English, Social Studies, History, Geography, Mother Tongue and other exams.
You must have done all your school homework, finished your supplementary classes and attended your tuition classes. Despite all that, you know that there is still the groundwork exam preparation which can be done only by you.
The 3 Tips in exam preparation which I am going to share with you are intrinsic to doing well in any exam.
TIP 1: Mental Preparation
Remember it is all in the mind? If you are not mentally prepared, then how are you going to do well in any exam?
You will need to be confident about your exams and have a positive attitude. Do your daily exercises and have a positive outlook towards all your work. Do not feel that you are being overburdened and that your teachers are piling on the work.
Try to think like this. I’ll just bite the bullet till my final exams. Then I will relax. It is after all for a short space of time. So, be mentally prepared to face your tasks of revision, extra homework and workshop classes organised by your tutor. Accept that it is what you have to do during exam preparation.
Eat well, exercise and do your work with zeal.
TIP 2: Organise all your work
Next to mental preparation, organisation is a crucial part of making sure you have a successful outlook to your exams.
Organise all your subjects into different files. And keep them all labelled within arm’s reach. Make sure that your school files are in a different section. Organise your own revision files where you have your tutor’s and your own study worksheets which you have done on your own.
When you compartmentalise your files, you will be placing them in ring files which make it easy for you to read through what you have done. In this way, you can check to see if you have unfinished work and to get extra tutorial help for the areas you have not understood those topics.
Organising your files in this way also means that you will feel satisfied that you have done a reasonably good job with your exam preparation. If you feel the need to check on a topic or refer to something at the last minute, everything will be in place and you can easily get your information during exam preparation.
When you organise your files you will notice something very strange. You will notice that the subjects you like the most will have the most work done and your least favourite subjects will have the least worksheets in it.
That’s because we tend to devote ourselves to what we like or think we are better in. Preparing for all your subjects means you will have to delegate enough time and exam preparation to each area.
When?
You will need to start doing this file management early on. By January of your final exams or from the start of the year. This will allow the build-up of your exam preparation work and you will be in full momentum by the time you finish your September holidays.
TIP 3: Get help for areas or subjects that you are weak in
This is the most practical of all the tips. I cannot emphasise this enough. When you know you are weak in a subject or an area, you will need extra help in exam preparation.
Start approaching tutors for help early in the year. Do not wait till the last minute to get extra help. Last minute help does not work.
There are many dedicated tutors who have a program with formulas and exam-oriented worksheets which they have written themselves. Most tutors will know what to expect for exams and will have a fully planned schedule for every month to boost their students’ grades.
When looking out for a tutor, make sure that you choose a tutor who is good in helping weaker students. There are tutors who are excellent in maintaining the grades of top students and they have made a reputation for themselves.
Let’s face it. IF you need tuition it means that you are weak in certain areas. So, will you need a tutor who specialises with weak students or who teaches top students?
Please scout around for those who have made a name in boosting weak students. They should motivate, teach you techniques which are different from your school and be inspiring. This is what you will need to look out for when you scout around for a tutor.
And look out for those testimonials which say that their grades changed from a D to an A or a Fail grade to a B.
Choose a tutor who is willing to discuss your problems outside of your class time. If the tutor communicates with you through Whatsapp or Skype etc when you ask for help, that is a truly dedicated tutor.
Once you know of someone like that, join that tutor’s program and study earnestly.
You know you will be in good hands when it comes to exam preparation.
These are the 3 Best Tips which I feel will really benefit you. Remember it is about conditioning your style of living so that you will be in tip-top shape for your exams.
Everything starts from inside out so it is time to re-think what you have been doing so that you can galvanize yourself into action for a successful academic year. I know this will work as I’ve tried it. All the best!