Examine This: Mastering the Art of Exams

The school or public library is a great place to study for your exams.
The school or public library is a great place to study for your exams. View Larger

By Kieran Ward and Ayesha Siddiqui
Published Friday, January 21, 2011

The holidays are long over, the new year is here, and everyone is once again getting back into their school routines. But no mat­ter how many stories we have to share or how glad we are to see our friends, every­one’s mind is sooner or later tracing back to the same thing – final exams.

Yes, it’s true. In a matter of weeks all our noses will be deep in our books and a trail of smoke will be following the rapid motion of pencil to paper as everyone studies for – and sweats through – these never-ending death sentences. Our chances of survival? Questionable, but for those who have never experienced such desperation -- or are feel­ing rusty since last June – I would at least get started on that will.

Tests and exams are a regular part of the school environment. It is important that ex­ams be kept in perspective- they are impor­tant, but not the absolute end of the world. I’ve assembled for you nervous students a surefire plan to at least boost your confi­dence in the coming weeks.

The process of studying for an exam can feel very overwhelming if you don’t have good study skills. Some students study well but still may be much afraid of exams; and due to this reason, they get distracted and won’t be able to score as well.

So leave all your fears and free your mind before starting the study. You have to be confident and it is the most essential power you should have for attaining victory.

1. Make sure you know the exam sched­ule. Not to worry any of you prematurely, but if you have not yet received this docu­ment, I would give Facebook a break and high tail it over to Guidance to grab hold of one. This handy piece of paper will tell you when you can expect to have each exam and how you should manage your study time accordingly. There’s been some scheduling confusion this semester, so make sure that you know what’s happening.

2. While studying, make concise notes. Make notes brief to help you remember points while doing revision. An ideal note should include all important formulae and figures and summarized key concepts. It won't take much time to go through this note, and if you find any section particularly tough, you can refer to that portion in text book.

3. Get started on your studying early. School may not be over yet, but this is no time to start slacking off. No homework in any of your classes? Better hit the books. Bored out of your mind? Time to dust off your math skills. Got some free time? I think you're catching on. When it comes to time to study, less is definitely not more.

4. Clarify any misunderstandings with your teacher. Pi is 3.15, right? So Confed­eration took place in 1507? Whales are fish, aren't they? If any of these questions sound familiar, I think you may have missed a note or two. If anything discussed over the semester is blurry to you, now is the time to ask your teacher. After all, once the semes­ter has ended, it's just you and the textbook.

5. Sleeping well is another important measure. Sleep deprivation study shows that optimum length of sleep for most peo­ple is six hours. Especially on the night be­fore exam, sleep at least 6 hours but not ex­cessively, according to your personal needs. Also, make sure that you have a balanced diet. Don't fast on exam day. Eating well can help you remain alert and clear-headed.

Now, a list of quick tips that might help you the day of the exam:

1. Have all necessary material with you. Being prepared with your own supplies is far better than scrambling to borrow minutes before the exam.

2. Relax before the exam. Avoid all-nighter cramming. Have an early night and a healthy breakfast.

3. Read the entire paper. Reading the paper beforehand will help you decide which questions to focus on.

4. Plan your time. Keep track of how long you need to complete each section. For essay questions, spend some time drafting a plan for answers.

5. Jot down ideas as they come to you. While you are answering one ques­tion, information about another may sud­denly occur to you. Jot it down somewhere because when you come to that question perhaps an hour later, you may have for­gotten it.

6. Don't leave any questions com­pletely unanswered. If you’re pushing the time limit, use jot-note form. Remem­ber, you can only be marked on the answers you give.

7. Engage in strategic multiple choice. With multiple choice questions, it is often better to work out the answer on your own before looking at the choices on paper. Try the process of elimination, and make sure to notice the details. If you can't answer a question, come back to it later and have a guess if necessary.

And when it’s all over… Why, it’s Super Happy Fun Time. Yay! Once all of your ex­ams have been written, and only when you are absolutely done, you are free to give yourself a pat on the back, slack off all you want, and enjoy yourself for what remains of the exam break.