Time Management Tips for Students Preparing for a Competitive Exam
Time management for exam preparation is a very crucial aspect of any exam; in fact, it is the thumb rule during exam prep. Its importance multiplies greatly when it comes to competitive exams. Covering the entire syllabus and important topics and being on top of everything can be challenging. However, there are ways to handle this efficiently and effectively. Read on to know more.
Prepare a plan and stick to it
Having a proper and detailed plan in place is the first step. Before diving into the preparation, understand the syllabus, know the exam pattern, and be aware of the important topics. That way, you will know how much time to allot to subjects/topics, even allotting time for daily revision. Next, be very diligent about following this plan while keeping it flexible to accommodate other activities.
Made a plan, review it
Now that you’ve made a plan, you must also review it to check its effectiveness. You can do this once you’ve started implementing this plan. Therefore, evaluate how you’ve spent your time throughout the week. A great way is to maintain a record of everything that you’ve done in a week. This way, you can modify and alter the plan, accordingly, updating it whenever needed.
Be more productive
Now that the plan is in place and you’ve evaluated its effectiveness, you must focus on being most productive. This is one effective preparation strategy. So, choose a peaceful study corner and avoid distractions like social media, TV, and other people. This will help you ward off procrastination and focus on your prep. Break up a topic into small chunks and take short breaks in between sessions.
Speed up the pace of learning
Covering the entire syllabus and knowing it well is a challenge. However, many students make the mistake of mugging up the syllabus, which hampers their overall prep. If you indulge in rote learning, you will not understand what you’re studying and forget it quickly. Instead, focus on understanding the topic first, make notes, and revise them to help speed up the learning process.
Learn shortcut techniques
Another crucial time management tip is to learn all the shortcut techniques you can apply. Complex questions are a part of competitive exams, and learning some shortcut methods to tackle these is quite effective. So, practise these techniques while studying so that they become a habit, which will be ingrained in your subconscious. This will help you answer tough questions quickly in the exam.
Practice with online tests, mocks & sample papers
Taking mocks, online tests, solving sample papers, and past years’ papers offer immense practice about the exam. It also familiarizes you with the actual paper pattern in every way while giving you a sense of the real exam environment. Plus, you will learn about your weak areas so you can work on them. Since these tests are time-bound, they will naturally hone your time management skills.
Stay away from peer pressure
Another important habit to adopt while preparing for a competitive exam is to say ‘no’ to your peers. There will be outings, events, projects, study groups, and much more. The temptation to participate in everything will be high. But, learn to turn down invites and avoid taking on more than needed. This will reduce your stress and anxiety and help you to stay focused on your goal.
It’s necessary for students preparing for a competitive exam to hone their time management skills to have an edge over others. Besides the tips we gave, it is also a good idea to join an online coaching programmed to aid your preparation. TG Campus has some excellent online courses for engineering, medicine and law aspirants, among others. An online course gives you access to the best tutors, along with various tests and proper guidance. Time management for students taking competitive exams is the key factor in their success. And there are effective ways to work on this one crucial factor.
