Countdown to E-day

Slogging for exams doesn't come easy. First of all we are not biologically predetermined to sit at a desk for hours on end. Besides, examinations mirror life itself - an enigmatic combination of preparation and luck underscored by tedium.

To add sulphur to sore minds and bodies, the season of blooming flowers and the haze of lazy days signals the need to get cracking on revision. However, at this stage most students indulge in worrying over how much they have to get done, but few actually begin to pour over their books. At this point procrastination reigns supreme.

There is no such thing as one winning formula in the countdown to e-day. Students can be highfliers, happy-go-lucky plodders, dark horses or utterly disinterested in anything academic.

Moreover, their very own tastes, moods and quirks are entangled in the minefield of adolescence. Some study better by day, while others are at their best during vampire hours. Some can take a hefty dose of studying over a short period, while others fare better by doing a little often and for a longer time.

How many times have students been told that cramming is a bad deal and only serves to pile on tension? But it often happens that this falls on ears inured with deafness to good advice. And how many parents can honestly say that they never did the cramming thing at least once in their studying days?

There are no guarantees for success; yet one strategy that helps beat "examinitis" is to help students make up a daily plan of what to study and revise. You students out there, this is how it works:

Don't be too ambitious. A long list is off-putting.

It's also a good idea to combine what comes easy and what is more taxing on the brain.

Once a task is completed, scratch it out with a vengeance. You cannot imagine the mental boost it gives you.

Give yourself a break between each task.

Most people focus much better if they give themselves several short breaks in between.

Do your own thing; but do your best to stick to your programme.

If you find that you have not finished everything according to plan or you find yourself gripped in one of those "I've had enough" screaming moods, don't feel bogged down. Get out or go to sleep.

Get away from books and start again the next day, making sure that you're back on track.

Now contrary to popular opinion, most examiners aren't vile beings all out to get you by asking what you don't know. An exam tests how able you are to produce what you have studied in a well-argued or correctly worked-out answer within a short span of time.

Besides, no one expects you to make some ingeniously original critique that has not already been pointed out by some critic, although it would be great to see it happen. Sometimes, you will come across examination papers made in hell. If this happens there's little you can do except make the best of it. As time goes by you will find out that you will have to weather much worse in life.

E-day itself

It goes without saying that if you've done next to nothing all the year round, there's little point of you applying for the exam let alone sitting for it. However, studying is not everything. Knowing how to face an exam and how to tackle the set questions is the ultimate clinching factor.

So go for:

Having a good night's sleep on the eve of your exam.

Making sure of the time and place of your exam.

Don't wear something that you don't like or that reminds you of something unpleasant. The subconscious negative feeling (which affects girls more than boys.) will spoil your powers of concentration

Get to the exam centre well in time.

Go to the toilet before the exam starts - even if you feel that you don't need to.

Once in the exam hall, get to your place and wait for the invigilator's instructions. There's nothing much else you can do except some deep breathing to help you relax.

Speak up politely if your desk is wobbly or if you don't have enough light.

Once the question paper is given out and your heart beat is almost back to normal, flit through the paper so as to reassure yourself of what's come out. This automatically gives you a good idea of what you're going to write about.

How to shine

Get started by reading the target question carefully to make sure that you have understood what the examiner is asking for.

Multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks or short type of questions require little planning, but can prove tricky.

So take a deep breath and start. If you get stuck or are in doubt about something, move on and get back to it later. This tactic saves time and prevents mounting panic.

If you're tackling an essay, take another deep breath and scribble a few points as they come into your head. This helps you get focused.

Sort out the points into a logical and coherent sequence.

Planning gives you a sequential argument rather than a shoddy essay where you yo-yo from one point to another

If on second thoughts a point or two may seem irrelevant - leave them out.

Jotting a quick plan is not a waste of time. On the contrary, plonking what you have studied without channelling your knowledge to the question guarantees a mediocre mark or outright failure.

You will find yourself inspired with more points and detail while you are writing your essay.

Remember that you are not chatting on the phone or on-line, meaning that you cannot simply write anyhow. Don't forget to include relevant quotations as in literature essays or diagrams/graphs as in economics ones. If you happen to omit a point and remember it midway, or at the end of your essay - don't merely swear or panic. Better to put an asterisk where it is meant to fit and write the relevant sentence/s (appropriately marked) at the very end.

Make sure to link paragraphs - this shows a good style of writing.

Cross out mistakes neatly. Try to be as neat as you possibly can - examiners, like any other reader, are put off by untidy scripts.

Stick to a time plan. Writing volumes for one essay and a paragraph for another is a bad deal.

No matter how boring it is, try to go over your finished essay to correct any spelling or grammatical mistakes - you will always find some.

Once the exam is over - forget it. It's pointless to carry out any post-mortems. What's done is done and cannot be undone. Concentrate on your next exam, or if they're over have a mega summer holiday!