How To Study Strategy

Class-X Session 10.5

Title

: Preparing well for my Exams! INTRODUCTION

Examinations are a part of every student’s life. They may create anxiety in some students, undermining their performance. Board examinations are a big source of stress for most Class X students. There have been cases where the students have been pushed to the extreme and even attempted suicide. The Directorate of Education would like to prevent such happenings. Through this session, the students learn about methods and general strategies that can help them to study well and improve their performance in the examinations –without being stressed about the examinations or the results. 1. Objectives

:

By the end of the session, the students will be able to: 9 Realize appropriate methods of reading, learning, discussing, and answering any test; 9 Understand ways to reduce the stress that the approaching examination may be causing them; and 9 Assess themselves through a mock examination. 9 70 Minutes (Two continuous periods)

2. Time

:

3. Life Skills Being Used

:

Critical Thinking, Coping with Stress, Coping with Emotions, Self Awareness and Creative Thinking.

4. Advance Preparations

:

i) 6 photocopies of the first page of a newspaper, ii) A sheet with 15 short questions prepared by you based on the news on this page of the newspaper, iii) Pen, iv) Photocopies of “How to prepare for examination – guidelines” for each student. The same can also be written down on a chart paper or blackboard.

5. Linkages

:

Please see Contents

6. Methodologies

:

Brainstorming,

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

Group activity, Group discussion

1

7. Process Step 1: Please read the fact sheet carefully and go through this session well in advance before carrying it out with the students. Step 2: Greet the students. Divide the class into 6 groups of 7-9 students each. Instruct each group to select a spokesperson. Step 3: Give each group a copy of a newspaper of the same edition and date. Allow the group members to read the cover page of the newspaper. Take away the newspaper after 10 minutes. Step 4: Give each group a question sheet with 15 short questions and ask them to recall maximum points while answering the questions. Allow them 20 minutes. At the end of 20 minutes, give out the correct answers. Ask each group to evaluate their own answers and mark themselves. Note for Teachers: Create an environment like a surprise examination activity for students. You will find that the students will enjoy the activity and are able to relate to it very well. Lay emphasis on timely preparation and positive mental health for doing well in the exams.

Step 5: Once the activity is over assign the following questions to the groups; ask them to discuss among the group members and present the summary of their report to the class by the spokespersons. Discuss along these lines…. 1. What did you feel while carrying out this activity? 2. Is this similar to the preparation for an examination? If ‘yes’, how? In what ways was it is different? 3. For a student like you, what all abilities are required for preparing well in examination? 4. Which are the characteristics of a student that interfere with preparation for an examination? 5. How can Life Skills utilization assist in improving a student in examination?

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

2

Note for Teachers:

In your comments concentrate more on point 3 and 4, and encourage as many responses as possible. State that being very anxious and stressed about examinations actually reduces the performance. Stress on maintaining positive mental health. Most students suffer from anxiety about examinations and their performance. While anxiety by itself is not bad, not being able to recognize and cope with it can be disastrous. Many students do not know how to handle this stress, which results in poor performance in examination despite good preparation. Sometimes it can lead to extreme actions like suicidal attempts or running away from home. Tell them that a general remedy to overcome these problems is to prepare well in advance

Expected Responses: •

We enjoyed the game. The time was very short. We were not able to completely go through the paper. We felt very tense just like as if we were giving an exam.

•

We did not prepare well. So we were not able to answer and recall anything.

•

This activity is like exams to a certain extent – in exams we study a portion and answer questions from that portion. We did not utilize any "good method".

•

Students like us need: Motivation to study, time management, to prepare adequately for exams, studying regularly, analysis of gaps in our knowledge, discussion with friends, clarifying doubts with teachers, collecting old questions and making notes. These are some of the healthy ways of preparing for an examination.

•

Stress, fear, anxiety, lack of confidence, fear of failure, health problems, family problems, low self esteem, lack of concentration, lack of motivation and commitment interfere with preparation for an examination.

•

Adequate sleep and rest, outdoor activity and good nutrition are very important. Strategies to deal with stress and emotions and overcoming exam phobia, are also important.

•

Life Skills can help us improve our exam performance in many ways. We can achieve clarity and devise appropriate strategies by utilizing Self Awareness, Critical and Creative thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making skills. Inter Personal Relationships and Effective Communication can help us learn better in groups or in seeking further assistance from subject teachers or in communicating with our parents and friends. Coping with Stress and Emotions will prevent the drain on our psychic energies and on our moods. They provide us with motivation and teach us patience and perseverance.

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

3

Note for Teacher:

Applaud the students for the good work done. Tell them that utilizing Life Skills can be very useful in preparing for exams and also on the day of the exam! Tell the students that in examination one is trying to communicate with someone who is unknown. Your answers are the only way in which s/he will be able to assess your knowledge. Therefore the student must also know how to write his/her answers well - in other words communicate well with the examiner! Tell them that we all can improve our skills of writing exams. We will deal with some strategies today and some will be dealt later. Relate with previous sessions on memory and time management that they have had earlier and link up the contents. Reiterate that timely action – studying now just a few hours a day with concentration and without stress will help us prepare better for exams. Step 6: Summarize the discussion by asking the students, “Which Life Skills are required to prepare better for your Exams?” Expected Responses: We need to use Self Awareness, Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking and Coping with Stress to prepare well for exams. Step 7: Distribute the handout to each student and ask them to read it carefully. Alternatively, display the chart or write the points from the handout on the black board. The students can note them down in their note books. Step 8: Provide the students with the telephone numbers of various Helplines – as given in the newspaper cuttings. Also put them up in the classroom. Key Messages: Highlight and recap the following to the class: •

Lack of motivation and commitment, poor reading habits, fear of failure are causes of poor performance in examination.

•

Early preparation, taking down proper notes, clarifying doubts with teachers, parents, giving more importance to difficult subjects, reviewing old questions etc. are some of the guidelines for preparing for examinations.

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

4

•

We must learn to Cope with Stress and Emotions to deal with examination related stress.

•

We must seek help if we are feeling stressed or depressed.

Ideas for Learning More Ask the students to:9 Carry out self-assessment and then write a personal time schedule to prepare for exams. 9 Rate their anxiety on 1-10 just before the start of the examinations (1 is very low or no anxiety at all, 10 is maximum anxiety). Ask them to state how they will manage anxiety if it is more than 4 on this scale?"

FACT SHEET Preparing well for my Examinations Exams are unavoidable for most students in the current system of education, and one has to face an examination at one time or the other. In our modern educational system EXAMINATION is the only way of assessing the academic ability of a student. Hence, examinations have become crucial for students. There are several examinations, which a student has to take to be able to pursue higher education. Doing well in exams is thus very important. But this doesn’t happen always and many times one faces failure. Causes of failure in preparing well for an examination: ¾ Lack of motivation to study. ¾ Lack of commitment. ¾ Lack of regular study habits over the year. ¾ Lack of clarity in whatever one has read – due to poor reading habits. ¾ Lack of adequate preparation for the examination or Poor examination preparation methods – Preparing for exams at the last minute ¾ Fear of failure. ¾ Becoming ‘anxious’ and ‘stressed’. ¾ High expectations from parents, teachers and oneself. ¾ Unhealthy competition in the class to secure the highest marks. Here the focus is only on securing the highest marks and not on performing well and this affects the performance. ¾ Jealousy. YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

5

¾ Bad experience in a previous exam that may increase the anxiety e.g. ‘I failed last year. So I will probably fail this time also’. ¾ Distractions while preparing for exams – holidays, visitors, festivals, and other events. ¾ Generally anxious person. Success in the Examination depends on many factors like: ¾ Motivation to study. ¾ Commitment to complete education. ¾ Time Management. ¾ Regular study habits. ¾ Ability to handle the stress of planning, preparing and facing the examinations. ¾ Appropriate preparation for the specific examinations.

Inner Motivation At times we struggle with a lack of inner motivation. Following strategies may help: •

Plan rewards for yourself when you have achieved goals.

•

Start with easier/more interesting subjects and establish a work routine – once started, a routine becomes easier to maintain.

•

Remind yourself why you have chosen to do these exams - if you do not want the qualification you do not have to do them!

Handout How to prepare for examination: Guidelines Preparation throughout the Year ¾ Adequate and early preparation is very important to reduce examination tension. ¾ Preparation starts from the day the student enters the class for that year. ¾ Attending classes regularly and listening with interest. ¾ Taking down proper notes in the class. ¾ Reading textbooks and comparing it to the class–notes to get a clear picture and understanding of the lesson covered by the teacher. ¾ Any reading is to be understood by its concept rather than just memorizing it. YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

6

¾ Writing and summarizing by the student in a way, which is easy for him/her to remember what is read. ¾ Discussing the lesson with friends out of the class. ¾ Clarifying doubts with teachers or other classmates. ¾ Getting the help of teachers, parents or a tutor if the student has difficulty in understanding certain topics or chapters. ¾ Finding a method to connect it to other known information. ¾ Reviewing notes regularly. ¾ Giving more time and importance to subjects found difficult by the student – e.g. Mathematics, English. ¾ Avoiding selection of specific portions in each subject or reading only that based on earlier question papers.

One Month before the Exams ¾ Preparing a study plan. ¾ Combining favourite and not so favourite subjects in the study plan of a day. ¾ Trying and completing two Model Question Exams (each subject) in this time. ¾ Having fixed times for sleep and relaxation (including T.V. time). ¾ Meditating every day to be calm in the examination situation. ¾ Discussing with one’s parent or sibling or friend regarding one’s progress in the exam preparation from time to time.

Some DON’Ts a few days before the Exams ⊗ Collecting new notes and materials from friends and reading them till the last minute without time for revision. ⊗ Trying to learn new things on one’s own at the last moment. ⊗ Sitting for long hours continuously to read. Not taking breaks for bathing, food, relaxation and sleep. It makes one feel more tired, reduces concentration and makes studying boring and anxiety producing. ⊗ Keeping awake the whole night and reading continuously before the exams. ⊗ Excessive consumption of coffee, tea or cigarettes to keep awake the whole night. ⊗ Giving up studying totally as the student feels that his mind is ‘BLANK’ and he has forgotten everything that he has read. YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

7

⊗ Spending time to trace the ‘question papers’ or teachers who are probably involved in paper correction.

Anxiety and Exams Most students suffer from anxiety about examinations and their performance. While anxiety by itself is not bad, not being able to recognize and cope with it can be disastrous. Many students do not know how to handle this stress, which results in poor performance in examination despite good preparation. Sometimes it can lead to extreme actions like suicidal attempts or running away from home. The normal responses to exams stress are:

¾ Not being able to concentrate or remember what was read earlier. ¾ Difficulty in falling asleep or not feeling refreshed even after sleeping for many hours. ¾ Constant irritability, anger, worry or listlessness. ¾ Discomfort in the stomach. ¾ Decreased appetite or increased appetite. ¾ Vomiting sensation. ¾ Stomach pain. ¾ Loose stools. ¾ Frequent urge to urinate. ¾ Mild fever.

Reasons for Anxiety: ¾ Inadequate preparation for examination. ¾ High expectations from parents, teachers and oneself. ¾ Unhealthy competition in the class to secure the highest marks. Here the focus is only on securing the highest marks and not on performing well and this affects the performance. ¾ Jealousy. ¾ Bad experience in a previous exam that may increase the anxiety e.g. ‘I failed last year. So I will probably fail this time also’. ¾ Distraction during exams – holidays, visitors, festivals, and other events. ¾ Generally anxious person. YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

8

How to Handle Anxiety: The Guidelines ¾ Following “How to Prepare for Exams” suggestions during preparation before and on the day of exams. ¾ Following some specific relaxation techniques many times a day – meditation, breathing exercises, prayers and autosuggestion. This method must be comfortable and useful to the student. So it is necessary that the student starts using it, months before the exams and see whether it is effective for him/her. ¾ Solving old examination papers within specified time – 3 hours, i.e. doing mock exams on one’s own. ¾ Recognizing whether one is mildly anxious or highly anxious that interferes with concentration and learning. If one is highly anxious, sharing it with someone whom the student trusts in and taking help is desirable. ¾ Avoiding negative thoughts, for example ‘I have not prepared well’, ‘I may fail in this exam’ or ‘I have not covered all the portions’. ¾ Practice group relaxation exercises in the school for 10 minutes everyday at least 3 months before exams.

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

9

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

10

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

11

YUVA Help Line No. 1800116888

12