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How To Study Strategy
How To Study Strategy
Session 10.5
Title : Preparing well for my Exams!
INTRODUCTION
Examinations are a part of every student’s life. They may create anxiety in some
students, undermining their performance. Board examinations are a big source of
stress for most Class X students. There have been cases where the students have been
pushed to the extreme and even attempted suicide. The Directorate of Education
would like to prevent such happenings. Through this session, the students learn about
methods and general strategies that can help them to study well and improve their
performance in the examinations –without being stressed about the examinations or
the results.
3. Life Skills Being Used : Critical Thinking, Coping with Stress, Coping with
Emotions, Self Awareness and Creative Thinking.
Step 2:
Greet the students. Divide the class into 6 groups of 7-9 students each. Instruct each
group to select a spokesperson.
Step 3:
Give each group a copy of a newspaper of the same edition and date. Allow the group
members to read the cover page of the newspaper. Take away the newspaper after 10
minutes.
Step 4:
Give each group a question sheet with 15 short questions and ask
them to recall maximum points while answering the questions.
Allow them 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, give out the
correct answers. Ask each group to evaluate their own answers and mark themselves.
Step 5:
Once the activity is over assign the following questions to the groups; ask
them to discuss among the group members and present the summary of
their report to the class by the spokespersons. Discuss along these
lines….
1. What did you feel while carrying out this activity?
2. Is this similar to the preparation for an examination? If ‘yes’, how? In what ways
was it is different?
3. For a student like you, what all abilities are required for preparing well in
examination?
4. Which are the characteristics of a student that interfere with preparation for an
examination?
5. How can Life Skills utilization assist in improving a student in examination?
Expected Responses:
• We enjoyed the game. The time was very short. We were not able to completely go
through the paper. We felt very tense just like as if we were giving an exam.
• We did not prepare well. So we were not able to answer and recall anything.
• This activity is like exams to a certain extent – in exams we study a portion and
answer questions from that portion. We did not utilize any "good method".
• Students like us need: Motivation to study, time management, to prepare adequately
for exams, studying regularly, analysis of gaps in our knowledge, discussion with
friends, clarifying doubts with teachers, collecting old questions and making notes.
These are some of the healthy ways of preparing for an examination.
• Stress, fear, anxiety, lack of confidence, fear of failure, health problems, family
problems, low self esteem, lack of concentration, lack of motivation and
commitment interfere with preparation for an examination.
• Adequate sleep and rest, outdoor activity and good nutrition are very important.
Strategies to deal with stress and emotions and overcoming exam phobia, are also
important.
• Life Skills can help us improve our exam performance in many ways. We can
achieve clarity and devise appropriate strategies by utilizing Self Awareness,
Critical and Creative thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making skills. Inter
Personal Relationships and Effective Communication can help us learn better in
groups or in seeking further assistance from subject teachers or in communicating
with our parents and friends. Coping with Stress and Emotions will prevent the
drain on our psychic energies and on our moods. They provide us with motivation
and teach us patience and perseverance.
Step 6:
Summarize the discussion by asking the students,
“Which Life Skills are required to prepare better for your Exams?”
Expected Responses:
We need to use Self Awareness, Critical Thinking,
Creative Thinking and Coping with Stress to prepare well
for exams.
Step 7:
Distribute the handout to each student and ask them to read it
carefully. Alternatively, display the chart or write the points
from the handout on the black board. The students can note
them down in their note books.
Step 8:
Provide the students with the telephone numbers of various Helplines – as given
in the newspaper cuttings. Also put them up in the classroom.
Key Messages:
FACT SHEET
Preparing well for my Examinations
Exams are unavoidable for most students in the current system of education, and one has
to face an examination at one time or the other. In our modern educational system
EXAMINATION is the only way of assessing the academic ability of a student. Hence,
examinations have become crucial for students. There are several examinations, which a
student has to take to be able to pursue higher education. Doing well in exams is thus
very important. But this doesn’t happen always and many times one faces failure.
Causes of failure in preparing well for an examination:
¾ Lack of motivation to study.
¾ Lack of commitment.
¾ Lack of regular study habits over the year.
¾ Lack of clarity in whatever one has read – due to poor reading
habits.
¾ Lack of adequate preparation for the examination or Poor
examination preparation methods – Preparing for exams at the last
minute
¾ Fear of failure.
¾ Becoming ‘anxious’ and ‘stressed’.
¾ High expectations from parents, teachers and oneself.
¾ Unhealthy competition in the class to secure the highest marks.
Here the focus is only on securing the highest marks and not on performing well
and this affects the performance.
¾ Jealousy.
Inner Motivation
At times we struggle with a lack of inner motivation. Following strategies may help:
• Plan rewards for yourself when you have achieved goals.
• Start with easier/more interesting subjects and establish a work routine – once
started, a routine becomes easier to maintain.
• Remind yourself why you have chosen to do these exams - if you do not want the
qualification you do not have to do them!
Handout
How to prepare for examination: Guidelines
Preparation throughout the Year
¾ Adequate and early preparation is very important to reduce
examination tension.
¾ Preparation starts from the day the student enters the class for
that year.
¾ Attending classes regularly and listening with interest.
¾ Taking down proper notes in the class.
¾ Reading textbooks and comparing it to the class–notes to get a clear picture and
understanding of the lesson covered by the teacher.
¾ Any reading is to be understood by its concept rather than just
memorizing it.
The Guidelines
¾ Following “How to Prepare for Exams” suggestions during preparation before and
on the day of exams.
¾ Following some specific relaxation techniques many times a day – meditation,
breathing exercises, prayers and autosuggestion. This method must be
comfortable and useful to the student. So it is necessary that the
student starts using it, months before the exams and see whether it is
effective for him/her.
¾ Solving old examination papers within specified time – 3 hours, i.e.
doing mock exams on one’s own.
¾ Recognizing whether one is mildly anxious or highly anxious that interferes with
concentration and learning. If one is highly anxious, sharing it with someone
whom the student trusts in and taking help is desirable.
¾ Avoiding negative thoughts, for example ‘I have not prepared well’, ‘I may fail in
this exam’ or ‘I have not covered all the portions’.
¾ Practice group relaxation exercises in the school for 10 minutes everyday at least
3 months before exams.