Article - Getting Ready For Exams

Get ready to write exams… Harish Machia Kodandera, Management Consultant and Learning Enhancer, Mysore

The Heat is on—elections, weather, cricket and the examinations. From MAY to WILL is the way we now need to look at. How do we become HNW (High Net Worth) individuals. Let us try and explore the H...N..W of the whole thing....it is the How, Now and Wow. The How details the ways and means to achieve it, the Now obviously suggests that whatever we do or plan needs to be done NOW and needless to say, everything we plan or deliver should create a WOW and that is testimony to the fact that we have adopted the right means to achieve the ends—though winning the battle in the preparation for the war of our careers and lives. Here’s wishing you the best—

I would choose to spread the SPECTRUM as Strategy, Preparation, Excellence, Confidence, Tactics, Realisation, Understanding and Management as the eight cardinal directions --

Strategy: Now that you know the exact time left, you need to pitch in what you have done, what needs to be done, where are you on each subject, what are the trends and patterns over the past few years, what are the contemporary issues and topics, your ability to connect it with case laws and testing issues. You could use the following activities to strengthen your ability to look at your inner strength and blending it with the external event—examination in this particular case-

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Number things

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Use Symbols

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Have order and see patterns

Mind Maps are a graphic, networked method of organising, storing and prioritising information using key words and images.

Mind Maps stimulate both sides of your brain by using Left cortical skills (logic, words, lists, lines, numbers, analysis) AND Right cortical skills (imagination, colour, daydreaming, spatial and Gestalt (the whole picture)

Use Mind Maps for your note-taking because:-

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The central idea is more clearly defined.

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The relative importance of each idea is clearly identified

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The more important ideas are immediately recognisable at the centre of the Mind Map.

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The links between key concepts are immediately identifiable – via key words –encouraging association of ideas and concepts and improving memory.

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Review of information is effective and rapid.

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The structure of the Mind Map allows additional concepts to be added easily.

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Each Mind Map is a unique creation – which will in turn aid recall.

Mind Maps will help you think pictorially and think in colour – the adage that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words is true’. A Mind Map is a picture of what you have studied and the points you want to get across in your exam.

Preparation

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The Browse - Browse through material you are going to study

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Time and Amount – Decide on periods of study time you have and what you will cover in each period.

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Five Minute Mind Map Jotter – Jot down everything you know about the subject to get your brain primed – 5 mins maximum

Excellence: 

Practice makes perfect. The more we learn, the more we remember. The more we remember the more we learn.

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Read, reflect, retain, reproduce and rejoice

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Writing is the secret even as an exercise and breaking monotony

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Discuss with your group

Confidence: 

Never forget to Laugh and this is a great stress buster. Ensure that you go out, watch cricket, movies and talk shop with friends.

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Ensure you always are in a mode and mood of Positive Thinking and creating positive Images of yourself. You need to by design get out of the walking into the trap effect of imagining yourself negatively.

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Talk about nice and positive things and don’t get engrossed and obsessed with the examination at all times.

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Take breaks from studying every hour. Juggle or do something different for 3-5 minutes to let your brain absorb the information you have been learning.

Tactics Memory– Supercharge your memory. The core memory principles are: Imagination – The more you stimulate and use your Imagination, the more you will enhance your ability to learn. This is because your Imagination has no limits; it is boundless and stimulates your senses and your brain. See the information you are learning in your mind’s eye. Close your eyes every now and then to imagine/daydream what you have learnt. Association – Associate the information you are learning with something else that is already fixed and known to you. Association works by linking or pegging information to other information such as numbers, symbols, order and patterns.

Use the beginning and end of each study session effectively for revision and planning. We are more likely to remember things that happen or that are introduced: 

At the beginning – the Primacy Effect

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At the end – The Recency Effect

Make things stand out and associate with something we already know. We find it easier to remember things that are:

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Associated with items or thoughts that are already stored in the memory.

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Outstanding or unique – as this appeals to the imagination

Your brain is more likely to notice and recall something that has strong appeal. So link things to:

Your senses – taste, smell, touch, sound, or sight

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Your particular interests.

Realisation Address the common reading ‘problems’ by:

Sub-vocalising in your brain – hear the words in your head and SHOUT important words or concepts.

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Using your finger or pointer to guide your eyes as you read – will make your eyes feel much more relaxed and efficient.

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Breaking the habit of back-skipping. Re-reading material has been shown to make no difference to levels of understanding.

Understanding:

Ask Questions and Define Goals – what do you want to get from the book.

Management: 

Overview – Don’t start at page 1 – approach it like you would a jigsaw puzzle – find edges, corners and fill in bits as you go

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Preview – skim read the text first to discover the core elements

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Inview – Fill in those areas left – difficult areas or areas where knowledge is not complete.

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Review – reconsider those sections you marked as noteworthy – less than 70% will actually be used. Cover any further information to achieve your goals.

The problem is not your power of concentration; it is the direction and focus of that concentration. You now have a lot of time, confidence and convictions and with your inner strengths and skills JUST DO IT.