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RAMBANA FOR SUCCESS OF STUDENTS IN EXAMINATIONS

The one thing common between successful people of all times is well-defined goals. Success, in spite of being a very subjective notion, can be defined as the attainment of one’s goals.

If you would like to succeed in the Board Examinations your first task should be to define a goal. This process is called Goal setting. Once the goals are set, your emphasis should be to work towards achieving them by gathering the required tools and building the necessary machinery.

The goals set should be on the realistic basis . Unrealistic goals may bring frustation. To succeed, we must not only learn how to set realistic goals but also how to chase them effectively. This process is a lot harder to learn and implement than it seems.

The first thing we need to realize is that there is a difference between goals and dreams.If a 30 year old man with selling experience sets a goal of taking over Wipros, The India’s largest group of companies by the time he is 35 years old, we do not call it a goal. It is more of a dream, a wild dream to be more precise.

Dreams are those desires that can be fulfilled only with supernatural powers or a stroke of a good luck. They are not, in the slightest, realistic (they can be challenging nonetheless). Goals, on the other hand, are a lot more realistic. To understand this difference better let us explore the different elements of goals and goal setting processess.

Effective goals have certain characteristics attached to them. After you have made your goals you must see that they fulfill the following criterions.

To be effective, goals must not be ambiguous ( i.e. stated in unclear terms ) . To set clear goals, you must specify very clearly what you desire and the time in which it is sought. Both the requirement and the time must be quantifiable. Let us look at two goals made by a student who always scores in the 60s in Mathematics.

Goal A : “ I want to improve my performance in Mathematics as soon as possible ”.

Goal B : “ In my 1st Pre-Board Examinations, I will score above 60% marks in Mathematics”

Goal A is defined in an ambiguous mannner since an ‘improvement’ in the Mathematics score can be anything from 60% to 100%. Moreover there is no clearity in “as soon as possible”

Goal B is defined clearly, since 60% cannot be misinterpretated in any way. Also since 1st Pre-Boards in the school happen in the month of December .Further goals can be set stepwise 80% for 2nd Pre-Boards.

Goals must be hard enough to provide you with some challenge so that you feel proud of yourself on achieving them, yet they must be realistic enough and achievable within the framework of your environmental constraints. For the student in the e.g. above, Goal B is challenging enough since he has never scored above 60% marks in mathematics yet it is a lot more realistic than setting a goal of scoring 100% marks in each exam and test. We know that no matter how intelligent we are, scoring 100% in each and every test and exam is like hitting a boundary on every ball in a cricket match.

Each goal, in order to be attainable, needs to be broken down into smaller segments, which we shall call Sub-Goals.

Let us take an example of a slow learner.The main goal to achieve success with 50% marks can be divided into following Sub-Goals:-

To score 35% marks in Half-Yearly
To score 45% marks in I Pre-Board
To score 50% marks in II Pre-Board

Let us take an example of a bright student. The main goal to score above 100% marks can be divided into the following Sub-Goals:-

To score 80% marks in Half-Yearly
To score 90% marks in I Pre-Board
To score 100% marks in II Pre-Board

Most people set goals and then forget about them. They are the ones who don’t achieve success.To achieve your goals, you need to keep in touch with them constantly. You need to evaluate them and if necessary, alter them at regular intervals. Better to prepare the goal setting and your table top/ front wall of the table.

There is no reason to rush while setting goals. You might have to spend a few weeks or a even a few months to formally state your goals for the next year.This is not unnatural. In fact, the more wisely you set your goals, the more are the chances that you will succeed in achieving them.During your goal setting process you might need to consult your parents, teachers, elder brothers/sisters/cousins, evaluate your current strength and weaknessess and finally gather and evalute information relevant to your goals .

Now is the time to work on seeing your goals . Here’s a sample :

To score above 100% in Mathematics.

a) To finish 50% of the syllabus in summer vacations.

Learn Linear Equations, Quadratic Equation by 30th April.
Learn Similar triangles by 30th May.
Learn Banking, Taxation and Mensuration by 30th June

b) To finish the syllabus by November 30

Learn Ratio Proportions and Rational Expressions by July 31st
Learn Trignometry by August 31st .
Learn Circles and Geometric Constructions by Sept. 30th.

c) To obtain at least 80% in half-yearly examinations.

Collect old question papers from Ankur.
Write three tests and score 90% in them.

d) First revision by Nov. 15th

e) Get more than 90% in First Pre- Board examination.

f) To finish 2nd revision by Jan 15th

g) 100% in 2nd Pre Board

Once you achieve your goals make sure to reward yourself with a party or a movie Believe me you deserve it.

In each subject you are going to be tested by an examination of three hours duration. To prepare for these three vital hours , you will have to spend a lot more hours on a regular basis .Let’s go through a simple calculation.

You need 90 hours of self study or tutoring to finish the course.If you practice 1 ½ hours for every hour you spend in class , you need a minimum of 135 hours for practice. Assuming that you take half the time for the final revision, you need 45 hours for the same.In case you want to practice 10 full length examinations before the boards, you will need another 30 hours. That is, you need 300 hours for each subject. That means, a whopping 1500 hours study time is required to do well in all five subjects.

Assuming that you study for 3 hours a day, six days a week without falling sick or attending any social meeting , you have a total of 864 hours of study time. That’s approximately half the time that you require.Since you cannot change the number of weeks or the days of the week, you must double the number of study hours per day to 6.If you come back from school at 2 p.m. and sleep at 10 p.m. everyday, that gives you 8 hours for attending tutions, going to market, calling friends, surfing the net and studying, finishing homework, preparing for tests, and a lot more .

When faced with the pressure of academics, students are advised (sometimes even forced) to sacrifice all non-academic activities like watching TV, participating in school plays, attending parties, shopping, etc. But is that really a solution?

The solution lies in training the students to manage time wisely so that his overall education does not suffer. It is as important for a child to learn mathematics as it is to participate in the school’s Annual Day.Since parents are not generally aware of how to guide students to manage time , they ban certain activities. This leads to frustration in students, for most often the activities which are banned are the ones that they enjoy most.

Time management will improve a student to understand the techniques used to manage time in an effective manner.One of the major problems of bad time managers is –procrastination.

Put simply, procrastination is letting low-priority jobs get in the way of the high priority ones.Chatting up a friend on the phone, or surfing the net when you know you should be polishing up your geometry skills.

The end results of procrastination, in any form , are wasted time, missed opportunities, poor academic performance, increased stress....the list can go on... and on......

We all seem to be very comfortable with things that we want to do, or enjoy doing. But when it comes to task we fine scary, difficult or inconvenient, we always con overselves to find a tomorrow that never comes.

A few of the most popular lines that people use to fool themselves are:

I will wait till I am in the right mood.
A bit of fun is O.K. now; I will be working tomorrow anyway.
There’s still plenty of time left.
Why does the teacher give me so much of work? It is not fair.
There are other, more important, jobs waiting to be done.

These statements don’t sound so convincing when you see them in print, do they? Maybe it’s because they are actually not convincing!

Procrastination is a bad habit, and like all other habits is supported mainly by our thinking and behavioural patterns. A closer look into our thought processes reveal three major reasons for our delaying tactics:

Perfectionists would rather do it later when they have enough time to make that job a perfectly executed one. For example, a student with this attitude will not write an English essay unless he feels that he is in the mood for the perfect essay.

There are people who find it very comfortable to discover that they don’t have what it takes to do a job. A student who feels weak in mathematics will never take an initiative to finish the math homework or prepare for a math test.

Fear of discomfort is another way of avoiding what needs to be done. Yet, the more we delay, the worse the discomfort becomes.

Our behavioural patterns are the second cause.Getting started on an unpleasant or difficult task may seem impossible . There are students who have made it a habit of doing things at the last minute and even though they might have had ample time during the earlier part of the week they tend to finish their work on the last minute of the weekend.

Procrastination is very similar to the concept of ‘Inertia’ in physics which states that an object at rest will stay in that state of rest and an object in motion will stay in a state of motion unless and until it is acted on by an external force.

Translated into layman’s language,it simply means ‘Just Do It’ – the one and only way to beat procrastination at its own game. That is enough about the problem; it’s high time we found a solution. The following are 10 commandants to deal with it. Call them remedies if you must:

The only way to eliminate excuses is by thinking rationally and deciding to stick to just rational thoughts. Once you start discarding all excuses that don’t hold up to reason, you will find that things simply start getting done.

The ‘Two Column Techniques’ helps a lot in this exercise. Write down all your excuses on one side of a piece of paper. Start challenging the faulty reasoning behind each of the excuses . Here are two examples:

Excuse	Realistic Thought
I am not in the good mood now.	Mood doesn’t do my work, actions do. If I wait for the good mood, I may never get it done.
I am just lazy.	Labelling myself as lazy only brings me down. My work is really separate from who I am as a person. Getting started is the key to finishing.

Incorporate a list of self-motivating statements into your psyche. The following are a few very good examples to start with......

“There is no time like the present.”
“ The sooner the work is done, the sooner I can play.”
“There is no such thing as perfectionism. It’s all an illusion.”
“It’s my job and only I can handle it.”
“I will enjoy the party more if I am prepared for the test tomorrow.”

Jumping to a conclusion that you will fail or that you are no good at something will only create a wall of fear that will stop you from achieving your tasks.Recognise that your negative predictions are not facts. Focus on the present and what positive steps you can take towards reaching your goals.

Ambiguous and unrealistic goals can actually keep you away from even attempting to do the job.

There are no two opinions about the fact that there are jobs that do not take much time to overwhelm and scare you. The best strategy is to break these into manageable chunks and do the job piece- by- piece. Even the highest mountains have been conquered because they were climbed one step at a time.

If you make up your mind to study Informatics Practices at 4 p.m. only to discover that you cannot find your classnotes, you are more likely to find an excuse to postpone it. Have all your materials ready before you begin a task.

Sign a contract with yourself, make a commitment and make sure that you stick to it. You are the best judge, simply because you cannot hide anything from yourself, can you?

Remind yourself that you have a job to do, remind it to youself in any way possible. Stick reminder notes on refrigerators, mirrors and the music system. Just make sure that the notes are of a size and colour that cannot be missed or overlooked in anyway.

Self-reinforcement is the only thing that can develop a ‘Do–It-Now’ attitude. Pat yourself on the back, give yourself a smile, and enjoy the completion of even the smallest of all tasks. Do not look down on even the smallest achievments. Remember, each victory is a small step towards final victory.

Believe me, the day you stop procrastinating, half the battle is won.To make a long story short, prioritising is the order of the day.

Being a student is just another job, and like all other jobs can be done either efficiently, or inefficiently. The way we use, or abuse time is largely a matter of our habit patterns. Research psychologists and efficiency experts can show impressive results of a well-organized time-schedule. The work habits of people who have been successful prove beyond all doubts the advantages of a well planned schedule. The purpose of scheduling is not to make the student a slave of the clock but to make sure that he uses all the resources available in the best way possible.

The following are a few methods of time organization that do not take much of time or effort to learn and are a big help in the real life situation. Keep in mind not to make a very rigid time schedule for yourself with no room for things that you enjoy. These kinds of schedule usually fail because they are very difficult to stick to.

To begin with, make a quartely schedule which includes only those obligations that have to be met, nothing else. Examples of a few such obligations are tutoring classes, hobby classes, visits to the doctor and social work, homework hours, test preparation hours etc.

A few points that should be kept in mind while making a weekly schedule are:

Make sure that you keep at least an hour of studying at home for each hour that you study in class. In time you will realize that this is a realistic and appropriate guideline. A bright student might need less time but there might be students who need more than a 1:1 ratio

As far as possible, you should schedule the same hours for studying every day. Having regular hours, at least 5 days a week will make it easier to follow the schedule and to maintain a positive approach to study.

Allot 50 – 90 minutes of time to each subject. Relaxation periods of 10 or 15 minutes should be scheduled between each study period. Research has shown that the concentration span of a normal individual does not exceed 90 minutes. Hence, it’s more efficient to study, with concentration, for a smaller period of time, and then relax for a few minutes, than attempt to study for an indefinite amount of time, without any learning outcome or matter been absorbed by brain / comprehesion.

Schedule at least one review hour each week for each subject. The weekend is a good time to review all that has happened during the entire week.

This is important! Lack of flexibility is the major reason why most schedules fail. Students tend to schedule themselves so strictly that it is simply not possible to follow them in practice.

Make a short list of the major events and amount of work to be accomplished in each subject, each week. This should also include non-academic activities. For e.g.

MONDAY ----- ACTION DAY / MATHS DAY
TUESDAY----- MOMENTUM DAY / ENGLISH DAY
WEDNESDAY--SPEED DAY / SOCIAL STUDIES DAY/ CHEMISTRY DAY
THURSDAY-----KEP IT UP DAY / HINDI DAY / BIOLOGY/IP DAY
FRIDAY -------- MAINTAIN DAY / SCIENCE DAY/ PHYSICS DAY
SATURDAY--RECAPITULATION DAY / TEST DAY / PHYSICAL EDN. DAY
SUNDAY------ACHIEVEMENTS ASSES DAY / PLANNING DAY

These events will obviously change from week to week, and therefore , it is important to make a new list each week. Sunday night is the most convinient time for this task.

Each evening before going to bed ,make out a specific daily schedule on a small piece of card. Write down specifially what all is to be done. An e.g. of such a schedule is:

Wednesday

Your school is over at 1:40 pm and you reach home at 2:30 pm

3:00-3:30 Revise Social Studies/Biology Class Notes.
4:00-4:45 Prepare for Science Test/ Math Test.
5:00 pick up gift for Friend’s Birthday.
7:00-10:15 Chpt. 5,6 (Social Studies)/ Chemistry .
10:30 Browse the net to find information on Crocodiles/ Enjoy Music/ Family chat.

Carry this card with you and cross out each item as and when you do it. Writing down things in this manner not only helps you plan your time but it also makes you do the tasks that you planned to do.

Here are a few suggestions that you can use to schedule your daily study time.

Make use of free time during the school day: There is a lot of time in school that a student can use as study time. The most common feeling among students is that if they keep studying all the time they become bookworms. But when the choice is between being a called a bookworm and a failure, the former is better choice. What you do with your free time is entirely upto you, and you should be strong enough not to let peer pressure deviate you from your goals. Let us see how we can utilize free time in school.

:There are days when your subject teacher is absent and a substitute teacher comes to fill in for her. Instead of wasting these 40 minutes on chatting or gossiping, you can use it to finish a homework assignment.

: There is usually a five-minute period that is wasted in between two classes. This time is good for a quick review of the material learnt in the preceding class.

: Every day you spend almost 90 minutes commuting to and from school. Think of what you do during this time. If you had a list of thing “To Remember” in each subject you could use this time to review this list twice a day. Would this enhance your performance in any way?

If you hate studying history, it is always better to get it out of the way as soon as possible. When you start studying in the evening, first take on difficult or boring subjects since your mind is fresh and can grasp things faster. After about two hours of study, When you are slowing down, an interesting subject will bring you back in the mood.

Marathon session are less productive than they appear. The human mind has a definite processing speed and capacity just like a computer has. It can process information in short intervals in a much more efficient than it can during long sessions. If there is no other option, take a 10 minute break for relaxation break after every hour of study.

Identify the time of the day when you are most productive.

Just because your best friend is most efficient from 5 a.m.-8 a.m. it does not, in any way, imply that you will also be at your best during that time. Experiment with various time slots in the day to identify the time when you are most productive. For example, you might be much more active right after an afternoon nap, or before dinner. you must try to study when you are more productive.

We waste a lot of time waiting for things to happen. You ask your friend to come over to your house at 4 p.m. so that you can go the market to buy something. You start pacing up and down your living room from 3:30 p.m.waiting for your friend who finally arrives at 4:15 p.m. In the end you have wastes 45 minutes of your day that you could have used to study or memorise or even revise your class notes.

Once you have created your schedule, you must inculcate some habits that will allow you to stick to it. Like all habits these too require some amount of practice and dedication to become part of your system.

Choose a place with minimum visual and auditory distractions

Never study in an area where there are too many people moving around. Places like the lobby, balcony, rooftops, drawing rooms, etc., are suitable for reading newspapers and magazines but definitely not geography or Mathematics. If you do not have a separate study room use a quite corner of the house and mark it as restricted area.

Don’t get too comfortable. Sit (or even stand) so that you can remain awake and attentive.

Students have a tendency to lie down on a sofa or a bed to study. In winters, especially, we find it convenient to get in the quilt with a book in our hands. Try to make it a habit to study on your desk where you can be attentive and not relaxed.

If you get bored of one study environment your productivity might start falling. It is not a bad idea to move temporarily to another place to refocus your attention.

Sitting by the window from where you can hear the neighbour’s stereo or the vegetable vendor on the street is certainly not the best place to study.

Phones, video games and TV shows have become a major time wasters for students since they get carried away by all these and do not know when to stop. Create a disciplined plan to spend time on these activities. For example, limit each phone call to 3 minutes, watch only one TV show per day,preferably when taking lunch/dinner.

Most of us waste time because we cannot say no to friends, parents, teachers, and relatives since we feel it might be rude to do so. Before committing time for any activity, make sure that it is not from your study time. Arranging a birthday party for a relative is fun but not if it results in your flunking the weekly test.

One of the primary reasons why people run out of time is because they are disorganized. If you plan your activities for the week in advance, you will be able to intelligently budget your time for everything. For example, there is no reason why you should travel to the market thrice a week. If you plan your purchase in time then one weekly trip can be sufficient. Similarly there are a lot of things you can do while you are talking to your friend on the phone or even while watching TV. For example, while watching TV you can pack your bag or while talking to your friend you can look for that missing notebook.

One of the most common statements that a student hears in the class 10 and 12 is,”Oh! This is your board year.” Parents are more nervous than ever.Teachers are more serious and demanding. Stories of unsuccessful cousins and the saga of the neighbour’s son who topped his school do not die away. Board Examination is seen as the real test of your intelligence and nothing except your performance matters. As the board exams draw closer, the level of stress increases and starts affecting performance. To keep focus on academics, students must learn how to deal with stressful situations.

Many people do not realise that stress is a very natural and important part of life. We need stress but not too much or for too long.A little bit of stress helps keep us alert, motivates us to face challenges and drive us to solve problems. These low levels of stress are manageable and can be thought of as necessary and normal in all walks of life.

Overstressing, on the other hand, results when our bodies over-react to events and situations. It is this situation which needs to be controlled. Acute distress can result in gastrointestinal problems (e.g., diarrhoea or nausea), depression, or severe headaches. All that we need is to learn to approach matters in a realistic and reasonable manner.

Effective time management is just one of the many ways that can help one from succumbing to an overload of stress. Here is a list of some other methods of stress management that you might want to experiment with to see which one works best for you in a particular situation.

There are scores of individuals around you who will just love to give you a scare about the Board Examinations. Just ignore them. Associate only with those people who can provide you with solutions rather than add to the problems. For example, if your teacher is constantly scaring by saying that you are not prepared for the Big Exam it is best to stay away from her/him. Be confident,keep away from talktive and confusive students. Do not study atleast one hour before the examinations.

Even simple breathing exercises can help you deal with stress. The idea is to control the movement of the thoughts in mind. Negative thoughts are the main cause of stress. While meditating, avoid negative feelings and thoughts. Learn how to Relax. During the day, take “mini breaks.” Sit-down and get comfortable, breathe in deeply but slowly, hold it, and then exhale very slowly. At the same time, let your shoulder muscles droop, smile,and say something positive like,“I am r-e-l-a-x-e-d”. Be sure to get sufficient rest. Close your eyes and dream of the happiest moments of the life or presume you are on picnic to hilly places.

Although most parents want their children to stay away from basketball courts and football fields during the exams, it might be very helpful activity that helps you deal with stress. Exercising regularly to increase your cardiovascular movements is a very effective stress reliever. Physical activity always provides relief from stress. You can also try aerobics, walking, jogging, dancing, and swimming.

Never blame yourself for your failures. What ever it is that happens to you is a combined result to your social and academic environment. It is not entirely your fault and hence you must not hold just yourself responsible for the same.

Find someone you can talk to when you are stressed. That person can be friend, your parent, tutor, teacher, or even a neighbour. Storing stress inside you is no solution.

Many people get distressed over things they won’t accept. These are often things that can’t be changed, like someone else’s feeling or beliefs. If you act in a responsible way, the changes are that you will manage stress effectively.

Develop a realistic schedule of daily activities that include time for work, sleep, relationship, recreation. Make a daily “things to do” list. Improve your physical surroundings by cleaning your house. Use your time and energy as efficiently as possible.

A balanced diet will provide all the necessary energy you need to go through the day. Avoid non-vegetarian and spicy food. Use green leafy vegetables with sufficient ‘salad’. When you have to study for longer duration take light food. Heavy food may cause sleepiness and yawning.