Fighting Those Last Minute Jitters!

Our country has started to unlock once again after the dreadful second wave. With the unlocking various statutory bodies have announced the dates for entrance exams that were earlier postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Even though we received extra time for the preparation of our exams, we humans tend to procrastinate and assume we have a lot of time. However, now that time is over. We need to get back up on the horse and cross that finish line. We have been preparing for a months and it is time for the final revision. Last minute revisions are very beneficial because it helps in refreshing all the facts we already have in our mind.

Let’s look at some last minute exam tips to avoid panic when the exam date is finally announced:

• Recheck the syllabus: Since the dates have yet to be announced you have a little time to recheck your syllabus and see if you have left any topic uncovered. If so, take a day or two and finish those topics first. Do not take a chance with those topics because the questions can be asked from anywhere and you still have time to cover those. Also, you need to remember to not spend too much time on such topics either. Just read enough which will help you score.
• Prepare a Schedule: Planning is an important part of preparation as well as revision. During the final days make sure you have a schedule but for a limited number of days. Do not make schedules for a week straight. Make a plan every 3-4 days with a different approach. Revisions tend to be monotonous as you have already read the material and making long term schedules might lead to loss of interest by the end of the week.
• Solve Previous Year Questions: Previous year questions are the key to clearing the entrance exams. You get to know the kind of questions that can be asked. The most important advantage of such papers is that it lets you know how frequently questions are asked from a particular topic and you can shift your focus onto those topics first. However, before the exam it is not optimum to solve too many previous exam papers. Solve one paper every 2-3 days to maintain efficiency.
• Flash Cards: Create flash cards for the topics you find extremely hard to remember. Note down the important topics and review them once before the exam.
• Use Audio-Visual aids: For those students who find revising from the book tedious and repetitive can also use YouTube for the same. The tutors always have something extra to offer and their revision tactics are easy to retain. Watching videos makes preparation interesting and gives you a break from reading the same material again and again.
• Block All Social Media: It might not seem like a big deal but turning off social media a few days before the D-Day has tremendous amounts of benefits. Avoid all distractions that are a hindrance in your learning process.
• Adequate Sleep: Do not stress too much over the exam. Do not lose your sleep during those final days. Inadequate sleep adversely affects your schedule and your health. Make sure you sleep the required 7-8 hours and try to optimize your time during the day without having to sacrifice your sleep.
• Take a Rest: Between every schedule take a rest day to recover from the stress. You can do any kind of recreational activity during that time but try avoiding excessive use of social media.

The final days before the exam are extremely stressful and you continuously find reasons to avoid studying because your mind is occupied with fear and anxiety. However, that is no reason to slack off. Every aspirant goes through this phase but the one who soldiers through it are the real winners. So, in order to be a winner one must not lose their focus during those ultimate days. One day you will look back and be thankful that you didn’t give up when every bone in your body wanted you to. Power through and keep your eye on the goal.