6 Quick Tips for Successful Exam Preparation
If the question of how to prepare yourself for an examination session makes you feel stressed and increases your anxiety level, then this article is for you. We have prepared for you 6 tips that could help you effectively get ready for a session. If you have to become the main character of a horror movie called "The Session Is Coming", do not choose the role of the victim. Do not be afraid of the session, let the session be afraid of you!
Tip #1. Don't panic
Honestly, the session is not so terrible as they say! What does usually scare students the most?
Psychologists say:
1) Something unknown
2) The inability to influence the situation
Uncertainty is a factor that makes a child afraid of the dark and freshman students afraid of the session. How to deal with this problem?
- Find out what exam and when will be held. After that, make a schedule. It will help to distribute the tasks. If possible, print the schedule and put it on your wall.
- Collect information on how the passing of your tests looks like by asking the senior students of your course
- Find out from teachers, which sources (lectures, textbooks, articles, monographs) are needed to prepare for exams
Tip #2. Cut the tasks
Let`s imagine that you have collected information about the session. What is next? How can you get ready for so many exams when you have 2 weeks left?
One of the basic principles of time management is that every big task should be divided into smaller ones.
In general, make your tasks specific. Then, break it down into the subtasks.
Tip #3. Prioritize and delegate the tasks
Now imagine yourself being a president or at least a director of a large enterprise. If the deadlines are tight and nothing is still done - imagine yourself as an anti-crisis manager.
- Choose the optimal preparation strategy for each of the exam
- Identify the priorities (the most difficult subjects and topics). Rank tasks by importance.
- Set up the suppliers. Find out if someone from your group can share the notes with you or whether you can download the books you need from the Internet
By the way, these skills will be also useful in your professional life!
Tip #4. Find your motivation
We strongly recommend you to work on motivation. The stronger the motivation, the easier it is to get ready for the session. Define your goals for this preparation. Write, draw, print motivation papers. Hang it on the walls, put it in notebooks and textbooks.
Keep in mind that goals such as “not to get kicked out of the university”, “not to get punished by parents”, and even “get a scholarship” work poorly. Develop motivation that affects aspects of self-realization and future professional achievements. Something like "I'm getting ready for a session, so I can become a cool professional in ten years and buy a villa in Sorrento" would be effective.
Tip #5. Fight the procrastination
Get involved in this game as early as you can! Do not procrastinate.
Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing a task or set of tasks. It is the force that prevents you from following through on what you set out to do. Basically, it means leaving something “for later”.
There is something important to note here. As soon as you cross the Action Line, the pain begins to subside. In fact, being in the middle of procrastination is often more painful than being in the middle of doing the work. Point A on the chart above is often more painful than Point B. The guilt, shame, and anxiety that you feel while procrastinating are usually worse than the effort and energy you have to put in while you're working. The problem is not doing the work, it's starting the work.
Tip #6. Don't be dramatic
You can handle it! As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the session is not that scary, especially if you are armed with a strategy, motivation and a well-functioning brain. One of the problems that makes harder the preparation for the session is the dramatization of the situation.
Keep calm and study!
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