Formula For Success

Education Times, Lead Story

Formula For Success
Ever wondered about the studying techniques that set the toppers apart? We spoke to a few toppers and got them to share their formula for success.

Another academic year has started off at full throttle- out come the crisp textbooks and notebooks. Everyone is charged up to face new challenges in school and each one has promised themselves to perform better than the year before. But as extra-curricular activities slowly trickle in, studying or revising daily lessons seems boring and is swept under the carpet until the examinations come storming in.
University toppers of ‘Generation Y ‘ however have a new mantra for success. “Try and make sure that you understand the subject you are studying,” they all profess. It makes studying enjoyable rather than a tedious mugging-up session each time.
Zubin Kuvadia, who topped the HSC boards in the Science faculty maintains that you must understand the subject before getting down to studying it. He dedicated long hours solving and practising problems in Chemistry and Physics rather than merely mugging up the formulas. “Solving papers of the previous 2-3 years was of immense help as it gave me a fair idea of the paper pattern followed in the Boards.”
ICSE top ranker of Mumbai, Ruchita Mucchala on the other hand attributes her success to effective time management, “I had charted out a schedule with my mom’s help and followed it diligently. That is how I made sure that I covered my entire portion way before the exams.”
Recently announced SSC topper Mallika Gharpure accedes with Ruchita. “If your study habits are not scheduled evenly throughout the year, you will perform badly in the exams.”
As exams edge in, the pressure to achieve a good score is of prime concern and students begin to lose their cool. Zubin handled the mounting pressure of scoring well in PCM by regularly talking to himself. “I kept reassuring myself which enhanced my self confidence and helped me maintain my cool throughout the exams.”
Do you find yourself saying the following things? Do not worry –you are not alone!!
But here are some pointers to working it all out.

Get this right!
“This stuff is so boring, I can hardly keep awake!”
You will remember more readily material that is interesting to you, so work on creating an interest in the subject. The material is easier to remember if it is meaningful to you. Try to see how your lessons are relevant to everyday life and can be put to use.

“There’s way too much to remember…”
You cannot hope to remember every piece of information that you encounter. Select the most important ideas and information and learn those. Don't overload your mind with details.

“It’s on the tip of my tongue, but…!”
When you are determined to remember, your attention will be better concentrated and you will tend to remember more effectively. Be confident that you can remember it.

“I just don’t know where to begin”
Material that is organized in a way meaningful to you will be easier to remember. Prioritise the information from most important to least important. Outlining or summarising is one way to do this. Also divide material into manageable chunks which can be learnt one at a time.

“I spend hours studying but it gets all boggled up”
Study smart, not hard. Associate the information with something else. Associate new material with related facts you already know.

“I’m gonna stay up all night ‘til I get this”
Study throughout the term, not just before each test. Keep studying as you go along. Review each subject at least once a week. Begin with an hour or two a day about one month before the exam, and then increase study time as the exam approaches. Recall increases as study time gets spread out over time.

“I’m confident about what I’ve studied. Then do I need to do mock tests?”
Take practice tests as you study. Test yourself, or ask a friend to test you. This will help you get used to being tested and should desensitise you somewhat to the actual thing.

“I’m really tensed. Got butterflies in my tummy. Is that a sign of not being confident?”
When you enter the classroom, remind yourself that you feel confident and relaxed. However, a little amount of tension is good, as it keeps you more focussed. Avoid last-minute studying and shut out the conversations of others who are doing this.

“Is there a way of tackling the exam paper?”
Be calm when you receive the question paper. Read the instructions and questions carefully. Do the easy questions first; an "easy" point counts as much as a "hard" point and generally takes less time. Review your answers carefully. You may remember a fact or idea, correct a wrong statement, find a mis-marked answer, or discover you have been caught by a trick question.

“I know I cannot handle this anxiety myself. But how can I tell this to anyone?”
Talk about it. Share your feelings of anxiety with someone skilled at helping others: a counsellor, a tutor. Exploring the problem with someone can help you understand why you are fearful can provide support, and can help you work towards a solution that works out perfectly for you.

(YoungBuzz is India’s premier career guidance company. For more information call on 24904111 or log on to www.youngbuzz.com)