Last Updated on October 18, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford
The session is the season of superstitious and tired students: you are working at the limit of your abilities and a little hope for good luck. To be able to systematize all this chaos, so that the question of how to pass the session on excellent marks without stress and overwork did not occupy your head – we have formulated for you ten useful tips.
1. Prepare throughout the semester
Something we’ve already talked about many times in our articles. Before you take exams, you need to come to terms with one fact: the session will happen anyway, whether you’re ready for it or not. So accept the inevitable and try to clarify incomprehensible questions, take notes of lectures and learn a little, but every day.
A month before the session divide your tickets by the number of days – this way you will learn the material better and avoid stress and lack of sleep.
2. Set clear deadlines for assignments.
I had a classmate who could write a ten-sheet essay in two hours. And the work was brilliant, with the highest score. The secret was simple: he set himself burning deadlines. A critical situation helped him carve out a spark of inspiration that in other circumstances would be asleep. Actually, not everyone like him. Maybe some people prefer to use law assignment help, for example, if deadlines is hot.Â
Make a plan for yourself to turn in tails, retakes, etc. Break down the big work into smaller pieces, set a deadline for each, and move forward with the plan so you can see your problems in time. Late delivery of one piece won’t get lost in the chaos of preparing for the session.
3. Don’t overestimate your memory.
Write down all important information. What you remember now, in five minutes will simply slip your mind, especially in preparation. Make notes, set reminders on your phone, systematize everything by dates and time.
4. Concentrate on the task.
If you are working in parallel with your studies, it is better to take a vacation for the time of active preparation. Double workloads and fatigue can cause serious psychological problems and illness. Talk to your family, take off your daily responsibilities, and worry that you can postpone.
5. Don’t waste time on social media and games.
Prioritize properly. You’ll still have time to check your VKontakte feed and like pictures on Instagram. Even if your tower is attacked by orcs, failing the exam isn’t worth it.
6. Don’t be a perfectionist.
Perfectionism is the enemy of productivity. The critic living in your head prevents you from moving forward. You have to learn the material, but you can’t get hung up on one task, it’s better to come back to it later.
7. Switch over, do a reset.
When your brain gets tired, you stop absorbing information. Even if you got a good night’s sleep, after 3-4 hours of incessant cramping, your head feels dull, the words are swimming, and you can forget about productivity. At such moments, you need to take a break for half an hour. It is best to go outside for some air.
8. Communicate with the teacher
Showing interest in the subject, you not only eliminate gaps in knowledge but also better remember the teacher. It’s harder to give a bad grade to a student who has demonstrated well than any other student. Don’t be shy to ask and clarify. Advise and give your opinion on the subject matter.
9. Never give up.
Self-doubt and self-doubt are a student’s greatest enemies. Do not call yourself stupid under any circumstances! Anyone can blow their self-esteem with the bent of a vicious critic-your job is to find your strengths. Reward yourself for your successes, emphasize your accomplishments, and set new goals.
10. Calmness. Only calmness!
Excitement and stress cannot be avoided, but you can minimize them and keep yourself healthy. Before the session, everyone’s knees shake.
To overcome fear, try to imagine yourself in 10 years. Will this issue also worry you? After all, this is just one of the challenges of your life. You have to learn to take control, not to tremble in the face of adversity, but to embrace it and cope with it perfectly!
Your main weapon is knowledge. If you are ready and know the material, you have nothing to fear. And if you’re not ready, reread the previous rules.Â
Related: The Most Time Consuming Activities in a Student’s Daily Routine
How to memorize more tickets
And one more little tip hack for those who are preparing for the session – several techniques for memorizing tickets. The general principle is the same: for better perception of information, divide the amount of work into blocks – so it is easier to remember the material and see the problem areas.
Method “3, 4, 5”.
We divide the time before the session into three segments. For example, 15 days in each. In the first segment, we study the material superficially, “for three”.
In the second – we improve our knowledge.
In the third – polish to “five”.
Especially good for those who have difficulty for a long time to concentrate on one question. You will not need to sit for hours over a single ticket monotonously memorizing it.
The “Bacon and Eggs” method
The principle is simple: you learn difficult and “less tasty” for your topics first, and easy subjects last.
For example, you are a humanitarian and the exact sciences are very difficult for you. Start with those, and leave history and languages for later.
A great option for students who have disliked subjects. After such a difficult start, everything else will seem less scary.
Be confident in yourself and your abilities. Fracture big tasks into small ones and set your standards high – that’s the only way to develop. And remember: your abilities are limited only by yourself.
In conclusion, a few general rules. They are very simple.
- Never, under any circumstances, convince yourself: “I’m stupid, I’m dumb, I’ll never make it. I’ll fail the exams, I’ll get expelled.” NEVER!
- Know your worth and respect yourself. Keep in mind: any assessment – a conditionality.
- Set the bar high for yourself. After all you are a creative person, and in the creative personalities, as you know, not everything always goes according to a template.
- Never tell the examiner: “I’ve read it all, but I don’t remember anything. In that case, you have wasted your time on notes and books: it would be better to do something really useful or at least go for a walk.
- Remember: you are exactly how you want to see yourself!
BONUS: How do I fight laziness and find motivation
I have not finished my outline, deadlines are burning, and deadlines are looming at work, but laziness is stronger. There are so many things to do – to check your mail, to browse Instagram, and there and the kettle has boiled over. How do you pull yourself together and how do you fight laziness? And where to find motivation when you need it so much? There are answers to these questions, but first, we have to forget about laziness and finish reading this article.
Why do we get lazy
Before you start fighting laziness, you need to find out what keeps you from sitting down and getting things done. Ask yourself, why can’t you get things done? Could it be because of one of these reasons?
- Fear of failure. You are not confident in your abilities and are simply afraid that you will fail. This gets in the way and the task becomes impossible. That is why it becomes more and more difficult to get down to it.
- Fatigue. Five hours of sleep becomes the norm? Study and/or work during the day and freelance work at night? That’s all cool, but fatigue has not been eliminated. Fact: Most lazy people are lazy because they’re banally tired.
- Perfectionism. Some people aren’t afraid to do poorly-they’re afraid of not doing enough perfectly. But isn’t it easier to start doing the work ahead of time so there’s time to improve? Think about it.
- Lack of motivation. No good motivation – no resonance to do things. That is, you understand that you need to do something, but you can not bring yourself. The only way out is to find a goal.
- Discard negative thoughts and fears. Concentrate not on the result, but the process. What will you lose if you do not get it the first time?
Looking for motivation
Starting a new task is difficult. Especially when you don’t have a clear plan. But once you listen to yourself, set a specific goal, and find an incentive, you’ll start doing everything you can to make it happen. Here are five ways you can find that incentive:
- Find a benefit for yourself. Think about what you’ll gain by completing the task. Clean your apartment – you’ll be in a clean room and stop breathing dust. Rewrite a lecture from a classmate, so you’ll consolidate the material and be ready for the exam on this topic. Go for a run in the morning, you’ll get the figure of your dreams, you’ll recharge your batteries, and you’ll take care of your health.
- Write out a plan. It is better to write it on a large board so that it is constantly before your eyes. It’s a special kind of fun to cross out the completed points with a marker and get to the next stop sooner.
- Looking at others. Latching onto your favorite blogger on Instagram? He’s got the life of a fairy tale. So is your neighbor’s. Maybe it’s time to get off the couch and take action. Are you any worse? You can do the same, and even better!
- Read books and watch movies. Naturally, those that motivate. From movies: “October Sky,” “The Social Network,” or, for example, “Pay the Other One.” And from books: “The Pencil of Hope” by Adam Brown, “What Will You Choose” by Tal Ben-Shahar, or “Dream No Harm” by Barbara Sher. If there is no time for books and movies, at least watch on YouTube short motivational videos of some coach – many bits of help.
- Reward yourself. Try to encourage yourself every time you complete the task at hand. This can be something tangible (learned 3 tickets to the exam – bought a chocolate bar), or intangible (wrote a paper – went to sleep in the afternoon).
Getting rid of laziness
If you have found the stimulus and motivation, the only thing left is to say goodbye to laziness and start doing great things.
- Start with the interesting part. For example, you are writing a diploma. Do not like the introduction and do not know where to start – leave it for later. Write something in the main part, get into the process. A successful start will increase your motivation for the next steps.
- Think about what it is that prevents you from getting started. Outline the problem and think of ways to solve it. Get a pen and write a detailed plan. It may not be as bad as you thought.
- Divide the task into several smaller ones. Planning apps can help! If the task is to clean your apartment, write it out item by item: mop the floors, wipe off the dust, wash the dishes, clean the bathtub. After each task is done, put a checkmark next to it. And don’t forget the reward! Two things done – have some tea and candy and get back to work.
- Visualize the dream. Don’t forget the motivation. Write 5 articles → get 5 thousand → buy yourself a jacket.
- Get rid of all the distractions. Cannot work at home – go to the office. A hand reaches for the phone – turn off the Internet, or even the phone.
- Alternate work with rest. No one is forcing you to do everything at once. Start small. Do 5 slides in your presentation – great! Rest for 10 minutes and then go back to work.
- Form new habits. The human mind likes to work on proven patterns. Get in the habit of squatting 20 times at 10 a.m. In about three weeks (that’s how long the average person forms the habit) it will become a regular thing. Most importantly, no laziness.