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There is this very funny saying by the locals of my place, it's a saying in pidgin english, it goes thus " school sweet but na exam wey spoil am" . It means that school would have been pleasant and exciting if there was no such thing as exams.
This and many other sayings like this has shown that ExamiNATION is undoubtedly the most dreaded of all nations. I am a student and can perfectly relate with this.
Every student can tell you how a cold chill runs down their spine whenever this nation is mentioned.
Like every other great and formidable nation, it takes a lot of tact, preparation and efforts to conquer this Nation.
I am still a student and personally, I hate to fail or lose. I make sure to do whatever is needed to come out a victor because fllailing to conquer this nation comes with great consequences and regrets. It's a set-back and sometimes leads to emotional breakdown and in worse cases depression.
Conquering this nation is somewhat simple but it's not easy. It takes a whole lot of discipline and preparedness. Different people have different tricks and strategies that work for them and I will be sharing s few of my strategies. I hope it helps you too.
Firstly, I try to start studying early. Although this is not always easy for me to keep up with because the vigour and motivation is always very low before exam time,but as much as it is really hard, it gives you a good base to continue when the motivation comes fully.
Secondly, I watch online academic videos related to my course of study just to get a visual picture of what I'm reading or about to read. Example if I want to study about how buildings are constructed. Reading alone wouldn't help me understand well because there are a lot of new concepts, procedures and terminologies that will appear complex and a bit strange . But if you watch of video of how it's done, you begin to understand those concepts, proceduers, tools and terminologies better as you can now visualize and picture them in your mind. This actually aids comprehension and retention and it's one of my most cherished strategies because I find it hard to memorize something I don't understand and can't visualize.
Another strategy of mine is learning from those who have learnt. There is this saying that the only shortcut in life is mentorship and I have come to see that this saying is indeed true. Learning from someone else is one of the ways I prepare for exams especially when the course is bulky and I have little time. The person would have done all the research, made all the mistakes and found out all the ways to go around problems. This not only saves you quality time and effort that you would have wasted in course of your research. It also affords you the opportunity to see things from a different perspective and you get more insight and more information too.
I read and make my own note of everything I have studied.*
This is another way I prepare. After watching videos online and after being tutored by a friend who has mastered the course, I engage in personal study to further understand and master all what I need to. At this stage I try to summarize all what I read. I write them in my own words and how I understand them. And I keep this document very safe because it's what I'd read the night before the exam.
After that, I go through past questions and try to answer the questions in them. I go through the past questions of the last 5 years, I try to study the exam pattern and how the questions are set. I particularly look out for questions that always appear in exams and make sure to understand how to maneuver them. I plan my exam strategy and how I'd be tackling questions in the exam Hall, What topics I'll treat first and which I'd do last.
After I have studied and understood. As a way to test how much I have mastered the course and also to finds my flaws and areas of weakness. I try to teach others. For me, this is the most effective way to retain whatever I have studied. Teaching others in like writing it down on the walls of your heart. It shows you have indeed mastered it because we can't give what we do not have. By the time you would have taught a few persons, you can be rest assured that you are indeed ready for the exam
Finally, on the day before the exam, I study my notes and summary. I take note of some tips and hints probably given to us by our lecturers. I review my plans on how I'd be tackling questions and I make sure to get all the materials I would be needing for the exam. I make sure to get them set and in good working condition.
Then I make sure to have a good rest before the exam day.
This is my strategy and it's been working for me. I urge you to try it out and I also assure you that if you do, you'll definitely do well in any exam you're preparing for.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found this useful.