By ANISHA, Teacher

It’s been quite a long time I’ve not written anything for my dear young readers. So here I’m with lots of warm wishes for the ones appearing for their boards. The very first thing you should imbibe in yourselves is the thought that EXAMS are neither burden nor just a source of evaluation. Infact, exams are the means through which you can have an assessment of your overall knowledge acquired so far. EXAMINATIONS are neither a war between you and your parents, nor a battle between schools and tuitions but a competition with yourself. It is the assessment which updates you of your capability and position. The notable part about exams is that it is not only a tough task for students but also a difficult time for parents. Parents, especially the mothers undergo the most pressure during their children’s exams. They tend to be well prepared for the exams rather than the children themselves. Anyways they should also give their children enough space because there’s a lot of difference between the times when they appeared for their exams and today.

It’s absolutely fine on the part of parents that they expect good marks from their wards. But at the same time they should also be well aware of their wards’ strengths & weaknesses. For instance, if the child has always been an average in class, he should not be compelled to score above his capacity because that may depress and frustrate him. Parents should keep on boosting up their kids and motivate them from time to time. They should also be provided leisure time to relax. This will help them relieve their exam stress for some time. Though I myself has appeared for boards some 16-18 years ago but even today when I turn back to those exam days, I can very strongly feel “butterflies in my stomach”... hence  I can very well understand the plea of every child going to appear for board (either X or XII).  Exams are no stuff to fear about. It is just a small recapitulation test of what you have studied the entire year and what you know.

Students appearing for X still have a long way to go. Well, you will surely have to work hard for the selection of stream of your choice (depending upon the %). But those who are to appear for XII, you all are already half way there. Keep your aims and ambitions clear and then strive hard to achieve it.

SOME TIPS FOR BOARDS KIDS:

 A WEEK BEFORE EXAMS:

 Do not try to learn simply by rote coz that may stay in your memory only for a short duration. Infact, make short notes of every topic and then go through. This will give you a clear concept of the topic and will also stay longer in your memory. And you will also be able to explain it in a better way in your own words.

 Do not study till late night. Sleeping late can cause tiredness, lack of interest and even headache the next morning. Your brain will also get worn out quickly. Infact, sleep early and wake up before dawn. Even Scientific study says early morning hours is the best time to study as the brain is very fresh then and ready to grasp anything that time...be it the most difficult laws & theorems or the most confusing formulae!

 Do not try to study all together at a time. Just as you cannot have all the three meals of a day at one time, similarly it’s impossible to study all the subjects in one day. Make a study timetable and then go ahead. Divide the hours of a day according to the difficulty level of each subject and try to finish the revision as per the timetable set by you. Thus it won’t be a load for you anymore.

 Do not simply go through your eyes. Just reading things won’t help you score better unless you write and practice. Written practice helps to imprint even the most difficult topic in your brain clearly & concretely and it also helps you avoid careless spelling mistakes. 

 Do not watch TV or play games on mobile phones in leisure time. This may kill your interest to study and make your eyes and brain tired. Adversely, this may even lead to forgetfulness. Instead take a nap for 2-3 hours in between to feel relaxed. Short sleep will refresh you and make you feel energetic too.

 Avoid junk food, fizzy drinks & beverages. This will, no doubt effect your health but will also jam your brain. You may also feel drowsy while studying. Intake fresh fruits/juice and drink as much water as possible. This will detoxify your body and make you feel more fit and active.

(However, if you feel bored & find it difficult to concentrate, you can pop in some chocolates as it incites your mood and reactivates your brain cells. Girls...it really works, eh!)

 DURING EXAMS:

 Go through the ques paper well. And decide well in the study time itself which questions to attempt if choice is provided so that you may not waste your time while answering the paper.

 Try to answer pointwise instead of writing long paragraphs. This will save you from waste of time and keep your answer precise and clear.

 Underline the points you feel are important. If you want to highlight some point/quotation/law/theorem, just underline it. This provides a better impression and a better presentation on your behalf.

 Write the ques no. correctly. Even if you are not attempting questions in a sequence, mention the ques no. correctly.  Same with the section. Mention the section you are attending in bold capital letters.

 Attempt the ones you know better first. Do not waste time thinking of the questions you don’t know. Go for the ones you know well, first. Then try for the ones you are not sure of. But assure not to have left any ques at all.

 Go through the paper well before handing over. Check your answer sheet properly before handing it over to the invigilator. Have a look whether all the questions have been attempted, maps/graphs have been attached, Q.no/sections has been mentioned, etc. and only then give away your answer sheets.

 AFTER EXAMS:

 Do not compare your answers with your friends. Instead evaluate your answers yourself and make a rough estimate of your score. This will not disappoint you during results.

 Do not regret over the previous paper. Once the paper is over, don’t waste time thinking about it. Prepare whole heartedly & seriously for the next.

 Follow the study time table sincerely till your last exam. Study well and one level higher for every next exam. This will help you overcome your previous shortcomings and will also bring you satisfactorily good result.

 Do not let any negative vibe hold you. Even if your paper was not good enough as per your expectation, do not feel low or depressed. Vow to make up for it in the next paper. Work even more harder so that you may compensate the lost marks in the upcoming exam.

Last, but not the least, I would like to tell each one of you, dear student, that your parents have equally worked hard for this day. So if they expect good result from you, it is also your responsibility to fulfill their wishes. Afterall, they have given you a major part of their lives in nurturing you and bringing you upto this stage.

My dear children, so far parents and teachers have been doing so much for you, now it’s your turn to repay by making yourselves and them proud. Always remember what Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has said, “If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L means ‘First Attempt In Learning’. End is not the end, in fact, E.N.D means ‘Effort Never Dies’. If you get NO as an answer, remember N.O means ‘Next Opportunity’. So lets be positive.” Keeping these words in mind, face your board exams bravely and hope for the best.

BE POSTIVE! STAY CALM! SUCCESS WILL BE YOURS!

Wishing you all the very best for your exams.....!!!!