Thursday 23 October 2014

How to Prepare for Exam.

Preparing for Maths Exam.


During our studies mostly we are stressed in exams – at least this is true about me. The world is changing so do our educational system. We have shifted from annual exam system to semester exams and now have to be examined twice or thrice compared to once of annual system. 


There are different types of students with different level of intelligence so their stress level also varies during exams.

The gifted students with their extraordinary intelligence and those who work hard with concentration are confident enough of not getting puzzled during exam and trust their preparation during exams as they learn everything beforehand.

The other category is of those students who are average in studies and mostly not hardworking and are contented with the study during exam. This is the type of students who are stressed during exam.

You can check this to know how to improve mathematics????  Always remember that; 
Practice is the key to better grades.
Are you thinking to prepare for exam? In this post I will share few tips with you for the preparation of your math’s exam. With these tips you can improve your skills of solving problems and get better grades. These tips will help to improve memory during exams and will ensure your success during exams and will give you best results

I have shared these tips generally but you can apply these techniques specifically to mathematics exam, it will help you a lot. I am teaching math from almost 10 years and I came across students using different strategies to study. In this post I tried to note them down for you.
So here are few Study Tips

1. Mark all included chapters.
You must be clear about the course that will be included in exam. Consult your syllabus or your teacher to get the course of exam. Prepare the list of all the topics that will be included in exam. Try to write all basic concepts in your own words. Make a list of all the formulas or concepts that will be included in exam. Try to understand the concept in such a way that you can easily explain it to anyone else. Do not try to memorize the concept try to understand the basic concept of the theory.  
2. Start a week before exams.
You need to have enough time for study. So always start studying a week before the exam. After writing topics also decide about the time that you can spend on each topic , it will help you to complete your study during a specific time and will also help to solve exam in specified time.

3. Ask questions during class.


Do not hesitate to ask stupid questions about new concepts and theories during class. Every question is invaluable. Go after your curiosity, do not hesitate to ask– there is no such thing during study! According to William Arthur Ward “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.” It will help you to better prepare for your exam.

4. Organize your study space.

Select a proper study space and try to sit in a calm and quiet place to concentrate. Always try to stay away from distractions during study. Try to switch off your TV, mobile and keep them closed until you finish your study plan. Have some note book, pencil and calculator with you. When you will be solving question on a separate sheet maintain a list of questions that can be solved by different formulas, if you want you can write few question related to each rule. Devote more time for hard chapters. 

5Use charts for study. 


Always create flow charts and diagrams related to topics , concepts , definitions and formulas. It will help you a lot during preparation and revision, it will take less time to revise with these charts. Always highlight the topics that you are not clear about. You can emphasize more on them during study and revision.
Try to finish those topics that you understand properly first. This will also help you to save some time for the remaining topics.

6. Solve old exam papers.

Take old exams papers and quizzes from department or download related worksheets from online resources and practice more questions and once you are done with one topic try to quiz yourself on that , it will help you memorize the topic properly. Ask from your seniors about the teacher and style of exam questions , it can help you study in a certain way as mostly teacher stick to their specific pattern when it comes to exam and do not try to experiment much. You can check a post about my favorite teacher , who completely changed me.

7. Arrange study with friends, explain & learn.

I feel this is best way to learn any concept when you will explain any concept or question to friends or class fellows then your concept will be clear and it will stay in your mind for a long time.

Take help from your friends about the topics that are giving you trouble. Arrange study groups with friends and study together. It can give you a chance to know a different and simple method for solution of question by some friend. You can best understand concepts through discussion with the friends.

8. Take regular breaks.

Have a flexible study plan with better outcomes and do not try to over stress yourself. Take regular breaks during preparation of exam as your mind needs proper rest to copy all the concepts  in your mind. Stick to study plan and be aware of your goals. Keep your goals in mind during study, as it will help in help you to prioritize and also quicken your understanding, as well as give you challenge and passion. Try to study each rule properly as in mathematics are rules are connected together. If you miss one then it will hard to understand next concept.

9. Healthy Diet & liquids

Have healthy food, during the preparation of exams and do not skip any meal. Do not eat snacks but prepare nutritious food as it will help energize your body and mind. Hydrate your body with plenty of water and fresh juices as this will freshen up your mind. Drink a lot of water.

10. Wake up early & revise.

Set your alarm almost three hours before exam. Try to take proper rest during exam. Proper sleep will give a chance to have a deep impression in your memory of what you have studied. After getting up take a shower and drink some juice or milk and then start your revision. First run through all the concepts that you have recently understood during the preparation in your mind.  If you forget, check your notes— try as hard as you can, to remember concepts in your head before opening the notes. Then slowly move on to those topics , that you know well , from previous learning. Then at the end if you have time once more go through the hard concepts , afterwards have a breakfast full of energy and then go to your university.

Stop talking or thinking about exam almost 30 minutes before. Try to talk with friends and have some fun. It will help to relax your mind and take deep breaths. If you follow these few tips then you will surely achieve your target goal in your studies. Remember to make a habit to study daily and if you are successful in doing so you do not need to stress in exam at all.

For further information you can check this link;
http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/Studyresources/sta-preparing.aspx





  •   If you are taking math you must understand the importance of practice, even super genius student need practice of mathematical problems and applications.

       Try to develop interest in math, if you are successful in that, math will always bring a thumbs up for you. 

  • So from now on , " MATH EXAM???" .... NO PROBLEM :) 

    3 comments:

    1. Reminded me of my school days. I pretty much followed most of the things you have listed. Of course Mom would always keep healthy meals ready and pack a thermos full of coffee if I had to stay up. Didn't really enjoy waking up at 5 a.m. but I'm glad I'm done with those exams!

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    2. These tips are very nice for students and can help them a lot to understand math well and solve it properly

      ReplyDelete
    3. I was never afraid of exams and always studied during exam and passed with good grades. All I used to do was, concentrate on lectures what teacher explain in class. It can help in many ways to remember important points of the chapters.

      ReplyDelete