Tips for before, during and after exams
Before (Night before and in the morning)
Pack your bag. Materials, supplies, everything etc.
Always take extra pens. If it's only an MCQ type, just take one extra pen but if it's a written theory exam. Take 2. (I always keep 4 pens with me and two in my bag just in case)
Sleep before 10:30 or max 12
I always recommend not to wake up too early during exams. Get a good 8-9 hours sleep.
Eat breakfast.
Don't drink/eat anything that will cause you have stomach upset or something. Cause you're already anxious, you need to be mindful of what you eat. I especially avoid coffee and tea.
Try to reach school an hour before the exam.
Revise things that you already know very well. DO NOT LEARN ANYTHING NEW.
Before (I'm talking about like 1 hour)
Take your water bottle. If your examiner doesn't allow it take 3 short sips before entering. If you are taking it, don't keep it on the table because there's a chance of spilling it.
Personally, I never ever revise before 30 mins of the exam. I just calm myself down repeating affirmations and duas.
Go to the bathroom and as much as possible try to avoid it during the exam.
Before entering, again make sure you have the supplies needed. Pencils, rulers, pens, erasers etc.
After taking your seat, just close your eyes and calm your breathing until you get the question papers.
Pray. I always pray. We need to be in our halls before 20-30 mins itself, so I just sit in my place for 30 mins and just pray and recite some duas. During this time, I also retain some important keywords and other things in my head
5 mins before, I take all my materials out and place it beside me with my watch.
During exam:
At the start, when I receive my question paper. I just look through the questions, I don't start writing immediately. I give a solid 5-7 mins for recalling the answers in short.
Then, start writing! Just write. Whatever you know. Puke it all out!
Always follow the question sequence.
If you don't know the question. Go to the next one and start from there. Otherwise you'll waste time. Come back to the question after you complete the paper.
Try your best to complete the paper before 20 mins till the exam ends. For 2 main things, presentation and cross checking.
I always underline my headings, subheadings, keywords etc etc and underline between each question so it looks neat. It looks good and it kinda covers for bad handwriting.
Cross check your answer sheet with the question paper. Are all the questions there? Have I accidentally written the wrong question number for the answer? Spelling mistakes? Grammar mistakes? Wrong answer? Just cross check and count the questions and see if you've written everything.
When you don't remember something or don't know something. Do not panic. Don't. Just take a breath and go to the next. After completing everything, write anything related to the word. Just anything. Try to remember if it is familiar and if it is, write the thing related to that topic. You will get a point for attending the question.
NEVER LEAVE A QUESTION. Just write something, it must be relevant but you'll get a point.
Set a time limit for each sections. Example: I have 4 sections in my exams, I always complete the first three in 1 hour 15-30 mins so I can have time for the last one which carries the highest points.
Stick to the time limit. Keep checking your watch in between and see if you're going according to plan. (It helps if you know how much time you take for each question.)
If you are writing an answer and you're kinda remembering another answer, write keywords in pencil on the margin so you won't forget it but don't forget to erase it before submitting the paper.
When you've completed. Just take a breath.
After:
Don't discuss answers with your friends. It's a waste of time, energy and causes panic.
Hydrate yourself. Drink water.
Get a small reward. Chocolate or any snack.
Be glad that you finished the exam.
If the exam didn't go well, just take some rest. Try not to think about it. Rant to someone because you'll feel better. No body is going to be asking you from years down the line about why you scored less in your highschool exams.
Watch your favourite tv show or something funny.
Take a walk.
Enjoy that it's over.
Hope it helps :)
Here's a reminder to fight the internalized sanism/ableism in your head.
If you have executive dysfunction, don't compare your productivity to people who don't.
If you have anhedonia, don't compare your struggling to keep up with hobbies to someone who doesn't.
If you have paranoia, don't think of your fears as any less valid than the fears of someone who doesn't.
If your meds make you tired constantly, don't compare your energy levels to someone who doesn't take those meds.
If you have issues with concentration, then you won't be able to pay attention as well as someone who doesn't.
If you're in the deep end of a pool, then you can't compare how well you keep your head above water to someone who is standing in a kiddie pool.
Please try to think of these things when you feel "lazy" or "childish" or "a failure" compared to other people that don't struggle with the same symptoms as you. If you have a mental illness that will affect how you act in everyday situations, then it will in fact affect you in everyday situations. It's not an excuse, it's just a reality. We need to try to be kinder to ourselves.
Did I count the days wrong? Yup, definitely did. Well, let's just say that I have no idea how I'm managing. But today's exam was suprising. Really really suprising. I surprisingly remember the lessons we'll enough even without going through them that means I've learnt them good enough.
(By the way, i completed my English exam yesterday and my business studies exam today. Now I have my English (part 2) exam tomorrow and Business studies (part 2) on Monday.)
Studied English +2 hours
Honestly I feel like English is the only subject where i actually am calm and don't panic for the exam. The poetry and everything combined is so .... Fascinatingly serene.
Well, the first study tip I'll be posting is definitely this, i don't think I've seen this before but it's something I've definitely scored better with.
Know your question paper format and marking schemes
First with question paper format, by that I mean, how your question paper is going to be... Like, how many MCQs? Number of explanatory questions? Total marks for each question and sections etc etc.
Marking scheme basically refer to how you'll gain marks in your answer sheets. Suppose you have a question for let's say, 3 marks. Then you should find out how much you need to write for those 3 marks, if it's three points or half a page etc etc.
Some things that definitely carry extra marks:
Definitions
Diagrams
Graphs/tables (if there are any)
Codings
Additional info like Criticism, Applications, Exceptions etc
Formulae
Examples !!!
I cannot highlight this enough because it shows you how you have to portray and answer each question. The more you write your contents, the higher chance there is to get extra marks
Where can you get your marking schemes and paper formats? The most accurate and precise way would either be your subject teachers or previous question papers or asking your seniors.
I have no idea how I'm going to complete such a huge amount of syllabus in around 5-6 months. Gosh, I can't believe there's literally only 6 months left for my whole schooling to get completed!
I've been trying to focus on accounts and economics more because honestly, computers and business studies is a little bit easier this year. Just alittle.... at least for now T-T
And I haven't touched English and Arabic so I'm pretty scared. My second set of mid terms are at the end of the month but I'm still preparing the syllabus for the one's that i finished... I know it sounds stupid but in my opinion, my main goal right now is only to get amazingly terrific grades in my final exams so with that in mind, I'm... doing something else which i don't know what T-T
Today I completed:
Accounts chapter 5
Topics covered:
Distribution of profits, reserves and losses
Revaluation
Capital account
Revised accounts chapter 4
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You don't have to be great at something to start, but you have to start to be great at something.
A reminder that being an introvert isn't a negative trait. And I think people should get that in their head.
Language learning is so damn attractive. Like, who wouldn't look good when they spend hours understanding a language's illogical grammar and twisted vocabulary and have mental break downs because of it?
I got this question a lot and I'm absolutely tired of hearing it...
"What are you doing in college?", "What are your plans after senior year?"
Like, I don't even know what I'm gonna do over the break or the next whole year, so, i thought maybe it's like this for everyone. People are expected to decide everything like it won't actually impact their life. Most of my class is damn sure about what they wanna do while me? I just wanna pass senior year with good grades and think about it slowly and with a clearer head.
For me, the main thing that matters is that i shouldn't regret taking something i don't like and I don't wanna rush the whole decision up. And i just got like such judgy eyes... ugh... Like, I don't know what i want... Why is that not okay nowadays? Why is taking time to figure it out not alright?
So, to everyone who's in a situation like me...
You don't have to have everything figured out, if you don't know what you're gonna do, that's completely fine. Take your time, it's not a race.
Honestly, it can be quite confusing and you may feel like you might be kinda lax about it but honestly, it's definitely okay :)
You're not obliged to rush your decisions just because another person has already made theirs.
Just wanted to say that... okay, bye.
When things go wrong. Don't go with them.
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