To succeed in any endeavour what a person needs is the right effort in the right time, and in the right direction. If we were to draw a rough comparison, we are saying that to reach a certain destination one needs velocity. Velocity is a combination of speed and direction. If your speed is excellent but your direction is not pointing towards your goal, you are bound to reach somewhere else. Similarly, even if your direction is right but you lack speed, you will never reach your goal on time.

        A student is a person who studies. To understand as to who a student is, we have to understand the process called ‘studying’.

Studying is a process that involves two stages :

1. Receiving

2. Comprehending

During the receiving stage, a student is primarily involved in collection of information. This information is sourced through various channels, including classroom lectures, tutoring sessions, reading books, surfing the internet, audiovisual media and discussions with friends and family members. These activities require skills such as note-taking skills, writing skills, etc.

Comprehension is stage two in the studying process. It requires a student to understand what has been received. Without understanding, there is no studying. There are many well – wishers who advise students to focus on understanding and not just memorizing. But unfortunately, there are very few who can answer the following question :

How do we understand and measure our level of understanding?

If a student has understood a particular topic, he or she must be able to perform the following activities:

1. Translate – From one language to another, from numeric to textual and vice-versa.

2. Interpret – Establish a relationship with new or existing knowledge.

3. Extrapolate – Solve problems and apply to new situations.

Let us begin by surveying the study skills that are prevalent today. Habits and skills are not developed overnight but once they are accumulated, they as easy as counting to ten because even unconsciously your mind is programmed to follow them. Hence, we would encourage you to start working on them with dedication as soon as you come across a skill which you feel will help you score better in Boards.

Attitude

To achieve success with a positive attitude is easier than complaining about it and slogging over it. The following tips will help you view yourself from a new prospective. 

v  Take Control: The first thing is to take control of your learning process.

v  Constructive Comparison

v  Follow the Right Way

v  Develop an Interest

v  Acquire the Necessary Skills

v  Positive Attitude leads to Positive result .

Goal Setting

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. So, If you would like to succeed in BOARDS your first task should be to define a goal. Effective goals have certain characteristics attached to them. As:

*  Clearly Defined

*  Challenging Yet Realistic

*  Divide in to Sub-Goals

*  Goal Dynamics

*  Well Planned

Time Management

This section will empower a child to understand the techniques used to manage time in an effective manner.

The following are a few ways to deal with it.

1. Eliminate all Excuses

2. Positive Thoughts

3. Don’t get scared

4. Keep clear, achievable and realistic goals           5. Break-up the job in to manageable chunks

6. Get organized                                                                   

7. Take a stand

8. Use prompts

9. Reward yourself

Reading Skills

SQR – A Reading/ Study System

One of the most widely used methods used by instructors to teach reading skills to students is Frank Robinson’s SQ3R method. Its beauty lies in its effectiveness and systematic approach to reading large volumes of factual information. We detail the steps in this method and persuade you to start practicing them immediately.

Survey – Gather the information necessary to focus and formulate goals.

1.    Read the title – Help your mind prepare to receive the subject at hand.

2.    Read the introduction and / or summary – Orient yourself to how this chapter fits the author’s purposes, and focus on the author’s statement of most important points.

3.    Notice each boldface heading and subheading – Organize your mind before you begin to read – build a structure for the thoughts and details to come.

4.    Notice any graphics – Charts, maps, diagrams, etc. that are there to make a point – don’t miss them.

5.    Notice reading aids – Italics, bold face print, chapter objective, end-of-chapter questions are all included to help you sort, comprehend and remember.

6.    Question- Help your mind engage and concentrate.

The mechanics of Reading:

·            Read

·            Recite

·            Recall

·            Remember

·            Review

Improvement of Reading Rate

There are three main factors involved in improving reading speed:

            1. The desire to improve.

            2. The willingness to try new techniques, and

            3. Motivation

Remembering skills

You can remember facts if you need to remember them and if you want to remember them.

‘Physical fitness increases the efficiency of your lungs and your heart. It helps you to control your weight and is an aid to you in controlling emotional tension and anxiety. It also helps you to withstand physical fatigue.’

·         Association

·         Visualization

·         Concentration

·         Repetition

Improving Long-Term Memory

1.      Frequently review your notes underlining the important words and terms. Practice writing the definition of terms that you find difficult to understand.

2.      Try using related and familiar examples to understand complex information. Then, teach your classmate who experience difficulty learning that material.

3.      Make a chapter-wise ready reckoner of important points / concepts and review the list in association with your detailed notes.

4.      Make an effort to apply learnt knowledge in novel situations, problem solving activities, or to understand a new / related topic in the subject.

5.      Develop a list of Familiar analogies to understand difficult concepts. This will help you recall quickly and efficiently.

6.      Take a lot of tests regularly to practice recall of information.           

Note – Taking skills

The 5 R’s of Note – Taking

            1. Recording

            2. Reducing

            3. Reciting

            4. Reflecting

            5. Reviewing

Keeping in view the above purposes, good notes should be:

·         Organized

·         Complete

·         Clear and Legible

·         Expandable

Listening Skills

v  The desire to become a better listener

v  Stop talking

v  Focus on the teacher

v  Get all the main points

v  Do not argue mentally

v  Avoid jumping to conclusions

v  Avoid getting distracted

v  Attitudes

Test Talking Skills

Scoring higher in test does not depend entirely on what you write and do during a test. It has a lot to do with your pre-test strategies.

Keeping this entire scenario in mind, the following three are the stages that we will discuss in more detail:

·         Pre-test Preparation

·         Test Writing

·         Post-test Analysis

Few more tips for examinations:

Ø  Make a test calendar and put it on a wall. As soon as a test date is announced mark it on the calendar.

Ø  Make a list of all the tasks you must do to prepare for the test.

Ø  Go through the topics that are the most important and prioritize your study tasks with the most important ones first.

Ø  If you do not know how a study schedule, refer to the chapter on time management.

Ø  Here is an outline which might be useful:

REMEMBER:

Ø  Practice Seriously

Ø  Practice Regularly

Ø  Record Feedback

Ø  Keep Timed Practice Sessions         

Understanding Test Anxiety

·         Test anxiety is a common phenomenon among students appearing for the Board Exams. The main reason being social pressure and fear of Failure. Ideally, Examination should be a positive learning experience; one in which students recognize their goals and feel competent. However, students rarely treat exams as a satisfying or even a challenging experience and crash with Test Anxiety. Try some tips to reduce or eliminate it. As:

·         Preparation Matters

·         Lack of control

·         Social and Peer Pressure

·         Time Management

·         Design a Strategy

·         Ignore other Test Takers