Pre-Board 2020: Tips and Tricks
to Prepare for the exam
As the summative Board exams loom near towards the end of
the academic year, the students of grades 10 and 12 start gearing up for the
pre-board exams.
EDUCATION | |
Monica Sagar | Updated: Nov 11, 2019
15:48 IST
As the summative Board exams loom near towards the end of
the academic year, the students of grades 10 and 12 start gearing up for the
pre-board exams in December and January, because there is no looking back after
this!
Both Indian public and private universities, as well as
foreign universities, demand at least an 85-90% aggregate average for even the
least subscribed courses of study unless the course of study grants admission
based on an entrance test. The Ivy League colleges in the USA, UK, Singapore
and Australia demand well above 90-95% scores.
With such high competition, the road ahead is anything
but easy. One difference between a student who doesn’t score high and one who
does lies in the fact that the latter starts his or her preparation early,
working consistently throughout the year, instead of rushing to revise at the
very end. It’s those small steps towards prep for the first semester exams that
determine whether a student will be able to achieve the much-desired score or
not.
But this doesn’t mean you spend hours on ends buried in
your textbooks. The way knowledge is absorbed, processed and retained can
differ from an individual to individual, but here are some simple guidelines
that each student can follow to make their preparation for the pre-board
examination more effective.
Firstly, one needs to develop a stress-free environment
around one’s study space by preparing well from the beginning of the year,
eating a healthy diet, getting eight hours of sleep and exercising for at least
45 minutes daily to be able to concentrate better. For some students,
collaborative revision works well when they can bounce off their understanding
of concepts with a mindful friend.
Secondly, they should have a deep familiarity with their
grade-specific textbooks and their class notes. If their notes are not
complete, they should try and complete them before the first-term exams. All
gaps in understanding of concepts need to be worked on with subject teachers.
Thirdly, they need to ensure that the content is
summarised well through detailed pictorial mind-maps, which could be drawn in a
sketchbook-preferably one mind-map per chapter. This is because a picture is
retained longer in memory than text alone. These should ideally be made before
the half-yearly exams and later consulted with subject teachers for any
omissions and feedback. However, for kinaesthetic learners, mind-maps/ flow
charts drawn with chalk on a blackboard or the floor of your balcony work
better. These could be photographed and saved.
Fourthly, diagrams, equations, formulae and keywords
should be etched on coloured post-its and stuck on the relevant mind-maps.
Students can even maintain a diary or photo album.
Fifthly, on the few days leading up to the exam, students
shouldn’t waste time reading textbooks. They should go over these detailed
mind-maps and redraw them from memory without looking; after which they need to
compare them with originals to see how much they have not retained and continue
this practice. They should also go over old answer sheets that have been
corrected by their teachers so that they wouldn’t repeat those mistakes.
Finally, students need to remember that at the end of it
all, it’s only an assessment and an assessment is just one of the many
challenges in a student’s life that teaches one time-management,
stress-management and prioritization, which are all life-skills that help keep
us in good stead for life itself. Everyone makes mistakes, but if one practices
learning from one’s mistakes and incorporating feedback, success in life shall
be yours.
On that note, here’s wishing every student all the very
best!
(Author Monica Sagar is Principal of Shiv Nadar School in
Gurugram. Views expressed here are personal.)
Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com
