Joint workshop on psychological issues in child education and child-parent relationships.

By Dr.B.M.Khadilkar, ( 418 3117.

Guidelines for Exam. Preparation:

Dear inspired students,

I am sure you have been trying new methods of study management and have been benefited to the extent of your sincerity in adopting these methods. Your exams are approaching, you may now begin to feel pressure. You will make up your mind to study more seriously. However, you may fail to do so for a number of reasons. May be you are not getting tensed or you may be too tensed. May be you can not begin due to your parent’s nagging or you may be feeling that you can not succeed to their expectations. You may be feeling confused as how to start and what to start? Or may be your fear for your forgetfulness is disturbing you. Or there may not be any particular reason. Whatever may it be, you can not afford any more delay. Your schools may have already finished the portions and may have started revision. Now, while you are reading, take a deep breath, slowly and steadily. Tell your-self that you are becoming serious and are deciding firmly that you will do your best in this exam. Stop! Don’t just read. Tell your-self. Trust me. It will do a magic. Every morning and evening take the following oath. Visualize that you are saying following words and you are listening to it too. ‘Beeeeee happy’. Relax. Now you are feeling relaxed and calm. Say, " I will start studying for my examination from now onwards. The moment I finish the oath, I will sit with a note-book and start. I will do my best in this exam. I am going to study for my own sake, not for my parents. I will certainly feel happy and relaxed when I will be able to study properly. I study for my own happiness. I will not waste my energy & time in fighting, getting angry or arguing with my parents and other elders. Why should I do something which is harmful to myself? I feel very happy now on my decision to start studying. I feel proud of this and will tell my friends that I have started working hard." Congratulation to you. Relax again and repeat the oath.

Are you sitting now with a note-book or some papers? If not, please do. Write down your crude plan point wise. No of hours: Calculate and write.(At least 6 to 8 hours for holidays and 4 to 6 on working day.) Thus for a weak of five working days, one half day, one holiday- (4 x 5 )+ (5 x 1) + 6 = 31 hours.

Each day- available hours: 24 hours. Sleep minimum 6 hours, maximum 8 hours., Remaining 16. Calculate total hours available before exams. Keep 10 to 12 days for revision only. No new thing in these revision days. Calculate time available for new study (first study for exam.). Plan crudely the time to be given for each subject depending on your own perception. This may differ from person to person. Don’t imitate others for planning. You can revise your plans after a few days. In this case rewrite. You can not do anything well unless you exactly know what to do.

Night readers (better time than early morning, but don’t change abruptly if you are not) :

7.30 P.M. to 9.0 P.M.---- New topic.

9.0 to 9.30 mentally inactive period. Adjust dinner, watch T.V., listen to music, etc.

9.30 to 11.0 night------ New topic. If different than above choose non identical one. Language after science. Mathematics after language. Chemistry after biology, but not physics after maths, not English after Hindi. ( to avoid interference.)

11.0 P.M. to 11.20 mentally inactive period. But do not do relaxation at night, you will sleep. Wash your face with cold water, you will feel fresh.

11.20 to 12.0 night revise what you did between 7.30 to 9.0 .

12 night to 7 A.M. sleep. (Never sleep after 8.0 A.M.)

7.30 to 8.0 revise the matter studied at previous night between 9.30 to 11.0. Just brush through. Don’t bother if you have remembered to your satisfaction or not.

8.30 to whatever time you may have before leaving for school----- Maths or science problems. Solve don’t just read, or equetions in chemistry, write don’t just read.

After coming from school 1.0 hour to 2.0 hours recreation, just relax, don’t think abuot exams. Take a nap if you can. You will study better if your brain is fresh i.e. not tired.

On half day school day: Additional two hours for study. Revision or new topic.

On holiday add two more hours. Take rest after half an hour after lunch for one hr. To one & half hr. Use 1/2 hr. After lunch for revision or problem solving. An hour after half an hour after lunch is dull. Don’t study as brains bloodflow is lesser than otherwise.

Remember, 1.5 to 2.0 hr. followed by 30 min. Mentally inactive period. However if you are successful in concentrating for more time you may continue.

Every day 5 to 10 maths problems and 5 science (physics, chemistry etc.) problems solving. Make a chart of different formulae on a foolscap paper, just read every day once. Just write once a three days. Hang them in your room if possible.

Every day two sessions of new study and two of revision.

Sunday and holiday only revision of the whole weak + problem solving, old question paper solving in writing .

New learning ------------------First revision within 2 to 12 hr. after learning. Second revision within 36 hours. Third after 4 days. You may convert one new learning session during 7.0 to 9.30 in to a revision session for once or twice a week. Every time your revision time should decrease, i.e. second revision should take less time than the first one & third still lesser than the second.

This is a guideline time-table. You may alter as per your requirements and capability without violating the principles of memory. If you are morning readers adujust last session accordingly.

Last week or 10 days before exam only revision.

• While studying, read questions first & then the lesson. Read, understand, recall, write should be the sequence of new study. Avoid studying from guides unless you have read the lesson for at least 2 to 3 times, and unless you are comfortable with its language.

Try to maintain the same place of study. Eat high protein food. Don’t overeat. You may eat more frequently. Do not take any memory pills. Trust your memory. Do relaxation (at least short one) thrice a week. Do not practice relaxation in the last week and in exam week without cassette. During exams take 6 to 7 hour sleep. Feel confident. You can only recall if you clearly know what to recall ! While writing exams write question nos. & sub-question nos. in the margin very very clearly.

Earn your success. There will be a great sense of satisfaction in earning your own success. Success will only depend on your preparedness and not on luck. Feel free to contact me in case of any difficulty or if you feel you can ring me even to chat.

Thanks for co-operation. We will be proud of your hard work. Don’t compare your-self with any body, just try your best.

J J