This article is culled from The Excel Guidebook for Students: how to excel in exams, based on ethics compliant principles (Fourth Edition). The Excel Guidebook for Students is published by Exam Ethics Marshal International.
Avoid recurring crises.
When a particular crisis keeps recurring, it means you are wasting time. If you are perpetually late to class, or you keep failing a particular test, then you must be wasting time, somewhere and somehow. It may also be a sign of bad planning and organization. Perpetually misplacing your books, material or personal effects, always lagging behind in assignments are all recurring crises that point to time-wasting.
Never procrastinate.
“Procrastination is the thief of time” is a popular saying. Use your daily planning sheet to ensure that you do each day all the things planned for that day. Procrastination is a dangerous habit. Never put off something you can do immediately.
Say no to unplanned socialising.
Your time table should normally make provision for free time which you can use to socialize. It should not be all work. But you must not get involved in socializing with friends or visitors when you should be studying. It is suicidal to sacrifice your studies because you want to please somebody. Many, otherwise brilliant students spend useful time on unnecessary telephone calls, pinging, travels and in watching useless television programmes. The result is always poor performance. Everything must be done at the appropriate and elected time. There is time for everything. Be bold enough to say no to somebody who wants you to obey the rules of his or her own timing rather than your own. It is also important that you make efforts not to waste other people’s time.
Don’t be a smart phone zombie.
Many students are among the group of people called smart phone zombies. They are perpetually glued to their smart phones while walking, eating or sleeping. They are always on facebook, goggle, twitter, instagram, selfie, etc. Such students appear not to have time for any other thing. The result is resort to exam malpractice which makes matters worse.
Avoid expulsion or suspension.
Disciplinary actions in many schools come in the form of expulsion or suspension. There is no easier way to waste time than to get expelled or suspended. The most common reasons for expulsion in schools are involvement in exam malpractice, indiscipline and disobedience to constituted school authorities.
Manage time well in the exam hall.
Every examination has time limit. One of the crucial factors for excelling in exams is to work within the time allowed, to attempt as many questions as required. Always bear in mind that when you spend the entire examination time answering only one question when you should be answering five questions, you can only get some of the marks for that one question. In the examination hall, good time management is a key factor for success.
Micro Revision.
As you go through your revision, jot down key points on an index card or small piece of paper, (2 inches by 6 inches). This card can easily be carried around in your pocket or handbag. Form the habit of going through the key points when traveling, waiting for somebody, waiting for food to be served and anytime you have a short interval to yourself. With micro-revision, you can save a lot of time as well as consolidate your understanding of key points.
