Have you ever said “I’ll start studying in an hour,” only to find yourself cackling to a video of a turkey on a hoverboard at 1 am, with no work done? Have you ever combed through web pages in search of motivation and study tips, only to find a sponsored Youtuber telling you to buy some new pink pens with which you will get an A*?
Ten viral videos, three new geometry boxes, and a pack of multicoloured pens later, you have probably realized that these tips are a bunch of lies. But don’t worry! Here’s a piece of unconventional, honest advice to help you ace your exams:
It’s the next episode that can wait, not your textbook.
If you just read this and didn’t think it was calling you out, you are lying to yourself. You are only cheating yourself out of time to study if you think you can watch only “one more episode” -we all know that “one more” is realistically around five.
‘You don’t have to start at a “perfect number” time. You’re studying, not inaugurating a temple.
Come on, we’ve all done this. You say, “I’ll start at 9:30,” but then it’s 9:32, and you delay it to 10. And suddenly 10 is too close to “sleeping time,” for you to do anything substantial, so you say you’ll “try and get a head start” tomorrow. Don’t procrastinate, it doesn’t help you.
Your phone is distracting you.
The temptation is real. Even on silent, the fact that you know that there’s a notification waiting to be opened is enough to drive you crazy. Crazy enough to make you succumb to the pop-up and turn away from your book. Listen to your mom and turn that thing off!
Coffee one night before the exam is not the answer.
Cramming information while you’re heavily-loaded on caffeine certainly won’t help you. It’s a crutch that may work once, but it will only harm you the second time around. Caffeine storms up the body’s internal clock, and it makes you sluggish and sore- definitely not something you want to feel before an exam.
If you follow these tips, you should be well on your way towards that perfect score. But remember, at the end of the day, one exam doesn't define you. However, these tips will help you manage your time and stress, so use them to your advantage!
Image source-freepik
