We all know how individual differences affect our interests and aptitudes. While some may find mathematics, a breeze while others may find social studies difficult to understand. In the same way exam times and the way we prepare for it may also bring out streaks of our personalities. While some prefer to follow a daily routine of study and stick to it, others perform better under pressure during the last minute.
In this article we will try to understand why and how studying just before an exam is important and how it affects our performance in exams.
We cannot deny the fact that it is always better to prepare a timetable, much before the dates of your exams and follow a schedule where you devote enough time to all subjects. This needs to happen on a regular basis and not just before the exams. Daily studying ensures that you know your strengths and weaknesses, can identify scoring topics and work on topics or subjects that you are lagging behind in.
As the exams draw nearer, the time spent on studying, memorizing and practising increases. Memory theories speak of the ‘Recency effect’. This is studied widely by social psychologists who state that information that is recent is better remembered and recalled than earlier information. While repetition of information is also important for memory, it is due to this Recency effect that we often find that we are able to better recall points from the chapter that is read just before entering the examination hall. Hence, one can give half an hour before the start of the exam to brush up on important topics which one feels have higher chances of being asked in the exam.
We, at St. Mary’s school, English medium school in Kalyan, offer regular tips and best practises to perform well in exams. In our stress- free environment we help the children cope with difficulties and ensure they follow a regular pattern of study, projects and periods of rest.