Frederick Jace
Laptop? Check. Notes and textbooks? Check. Highlighters and stationery? Check. Motivation and will to succeed? Er… Studying for exams in Manipal can be one of the most daunting tasks that you have to face during your school and college life. But you came to this city to enhance your education. And that means paying attention to your academics and working hard. But when you’re facing a mountain of revision material alone in your hostel in Manipal, after a year of online classes, it’s only natural for your motivation level to drop. But that’s not going to stop you from wanting top scores in all your subjects. Which means you have no choice but to up your revision game.
But where do you even start? And what should you prioritise? Well, when it comes to exam prep, it’s often a question of what you shouldn’t do. That’s why we’ve got you a list of the most commonly made mistakes that could stand between you and your desired exam results.
Leaving it for later
We’ve all been guilty of procrastinating when it comes to revising for exams but leaving your work to the absolute last minute is a recipe for disaster. If you think you can manage by pulling an all-nighter the night before your exam, think about how that lack of sleep will affect you on the day of the paper. And if you’re planning to leave your revision till the last day and skip your meals, exercise, or any other work you have, it’s going to adversely impact your health and concentration level. All of this can lead to burnout and cause you to perform a lot more poorly in your exam than you had intended. So, when it’s possible, avoid leaving your revision to the last minute and spread out your studies as far as possible.
Letting the pressure build
We get it, exams are stressful. And a little bit of stress is good, because it motivates you and pushes you to do your best. But you don’t want that pressure to get the better of you. If the tension that you’re feeling due to exams is a little bit too much, it could actually hamper your performance, make you forget what you learnt, or even freeze up in the middle of your paper. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your stress levels are in check as you revise. Practice some mindfulness exercises or deep breathing and take regular breaks so that you’re able to feel your best.
Underestimating the content
If you’ve opened your textbook for the first time the night before your exam, you’re in trouble. You’ll be unfamiliar with how much you need to revise, which portion is tricky, where the majority of questions tend to come from and how much time you should allocate to each chapter. That’s why underestimating your content is the biggest mistake you can make during revision. Don’t just sit down and start studying. Your first round of preparation should always be to skim through your entire syllabus. This way you’ll be able to formulate an idea of how much time and effort you need to spend on different topics and plan your revision a lot better.
Skipping a schedule
Okay, you’ve probably made a timetable for revision, but do you actually follow it? Because having a schedule for revision can actually make a world of difference to your exam results. But the key is to have a schedule that you can actually follow. A good strategy is to plan backwards so that you’re able to plan for each subject closer to the day of the exam and still finish all your revision. Remember that the goal of studies should be to learn, not memorise. So, you should spend your initial days working on your learning tools, perhaps by creating flashcards or mind maps, and your final days revising them.
Getting distracted
Sometimes you could sit down to study with full motivation, only to get distracted by your phone ringing or your roommate popping in for a chat. And that’s obviously not going to help you revise. It’s important to minimise the number of distractions in your environment. If you live in a hostel or managed accommodation like Stanza Living in Manipal, where you share a room with other students, communicate with them about your need for silence or fewer disturbances during exam time. Since they’re all going to be in a similar situation, they’ll surely cooperate. Additionally, you can check out some of the quiet niches and corners around the property, where you can park yourself for some silent revision. Also, make sure you put your phone on silent mode or turn off notifications to ensure that you’re unlikely to get distracted. And if you still end up getting distracted, bring yourself back to the work at hand as soon as you can. Trying a technique like the Pomodoro method could also help you focus.
Studying for exams can be quite a stressful and difficult time. That’s why it’s important to avoid these mistakes and give yourself the highest chance of success. Now that you know what not to do, you’re in a good place to start studying for your exams in Manipal. Good luck!
