10 Keys to Success in Examinations

Key 9 : MOTIVATE YOURSELF

Start studying at a time when you are most alert and most relaxed.

When you are feeling tired, take on easy tasks that you enjoy doing.

At no time, should you waste your time daydreaming, watching TV or worrying.

Be determined to succeed. Do not rely upon externa motivators, parents, teachers or peers. Don't let others discourage you either.

This is your project. Motivate yourself. No one can push you harder than you yourself..

Study in small groups. This can provide a charged environment. Choose your group members prudently (those who want to study).

An ideal size of the group is three to five. Don't make it larger.

Involve your parents to help you monitor your progress.

Give yourself specific awards for completing each task or add them up to claim after the Exams.

It improves motivation by changing your place of study.

You can learn much more by your own efforts. What you don't understand, ask your peers, teachers or tutors. Don't let tutors run your revision. Plan what they teach you.

How do you motivate yourself?

Do not wait for others to push you. Do not rely upon external motivators, parents, teachers or peers. This is your project . Motivate yourself. Make a solid determination and a promise to yourself you will succeed. Others can help but no one can push you harder than you yourself.

Study in small groups. This can really provide a charged environment. You can solve your problems more easily, move through the materials faster and keep each other motivated. (Five of my classmates including myself met every evening and weekends to solve past 10 years papers together. We all came out with straight A’s).

An ideal size of the group is two to five. It is easy to get distracted when in the company of friends, so each team member must stick to the goals and not make these an occasion to chat and party. Don't allow team members who are likely to distract you to other goals. This is not the time for friendship. Focus is critical.

Creating a small group of co-students may take some time to organize and it may require certain agreements but it will be totally worth it. For example, the agreements that must be made in advance are timings that everyone must stick to, venue where everyone will meet (ideally a quiet place around a round table), goals to which everyone must stick (for example, going over past papers only).

Involve your parents or other adults who can monitor your progress on a daily basis even if they do not know or understand the subject.Even uneducated parents can really support you by asking you to show you your plans and then following up on how many items you have completed each day. Be honest to them and to yourself.

Give yourself specific awards for completing a short, easy or interesting task. Certain awards you can claim for yourself after the exams or parents can be involved in agreeing to the awards at each stage of completion in your plans.

You can also improve motivation by changing your place of study, for example, by studying in another part of the house, a library or a friend’s house.

Variety also helps improve motivation.

Always begin by reviewing those aspects first that you find interesting or easy.

Seek the help of others when needed. Ask questions you cannot answer on your own from your friends and teachers. More often than not, everyone is waiting to help you. Ask them and they will surely oblige.

Remember always, you are the master of the revision process. You can really add up marks to your average scores, and you are the one who should be calling the shots. Unless you ask for their help, they will be unable to give you all that you need.