Hello everyone,
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To be honest, whenever I hear the word exam, my heart still skips a beat even till today 😂 It reminds me of those days in school when life was sweet until exam time approached. I used to say, like most students school life for sweet o, but na exam dey spoil am And to be honest, it’s true in a funny way furing normal school weeks, we were free, laughing, playing, and sometimes even skipping lectures without any serious consequences but once exam timetable is pasted on the board everywhere goes quiet you will see students suddenly becoming serious, reading like they want to download the whole textbook into their brain in one night Hahaha! I still laugh when I remember some of those moments.
But let me be real Exams used to make me feel nervous, especially if I knew I had not covered enough topics the pressure would be real sometimes I would sit with my books and just be staring, not because I didn’t want to read, but because my mind was overwhelmed but over time, I discovered a few things that helped me stay motivated and I’m happy to share them.
First thing I did was to create a small personal study plan. Nothing too serious I would just divide the topics I needed to cover into daily goals so instead of trying to read everything at once, I would focus on two or three topics per day It gave me peace of mind and helped me track my progress seeing that I was moving forward daily motivated me to keep going.
Secondly, I am not the kind of person who likes group reading all the time Group reading can be helpful but sometimes it turns to gist and play So, I only joined study groups when I was sure the people were serious but most times, I preferred to read alone, especially in the early mornings when my brain is still fresh.
Another thing I did was to take short breaks while reading. Reading non stop used to make me feel dizzy and tired So I would read for like 1 hour, then take a 15 to 20 minute break maybe eat, stretch, or even gist small before going back to the books. It really helped me refresh my brain also sleep was very important for me I know some people will read all night and not sleep at all, but for me, sleep helps me retain information better If I don’t sleep well before an exam, I will feel weak and forgetful in the hall.
When it comes to food, I always made sure I ate something light but rich like bread and egg, rice, or noodles with fruits. Nothing too heavy to make me sleep and not too light to leave me hungry and spiritually I used to pray before entering the exam hall. I believe hard work is important, but grace is still needed some questions will just shock you but with prayer and calmness, I usually found my way through.
To be honest, exams are not something most people enjoy, but they are necessary looking back now I thank God I didn’t give up during those hard times it taught me discipline time management, and confidence.
So yes exams may try to spoil the fun but with the right attitude, good planning, and a little humor, you can survive it and even enjoy the process.