15/01/2016
It would not be wrong to call Summative Assessment II, the second innings of a cricket test match. How? Well, you have played before on the same ground (in your SA I exam). You have seen the total runs you scored before (in your result-card). And, now you know how to play this game better because you are playing for the second time (the forthcoming SA II).
The experience and the result card you gained after your Summative Assessment I is your own Aladdin’s lamp. All you have to do is to rub that lamp the right way in order to perform well in your SA II.
Here’s a few ‘tips’ to gear yourself up for your upcoming Summative Assessment II:
1. Utilise your experience:
No one knows you better than yourself! Your teachers and parents may guide you, but at the end of the day, it’s ‘you’ who has to prepare and perform in the examination. Therefore, results are the best when you guide yourself!
Should you study in the morning or late into the night? It’s up to ‘you’ to decide. There is no point sitting at your study table at 4:30 am and yet dozing. Maybe you are an owl and not a lark!
So, the experience you gained while preparing for your SA I can help you know yourself better. By knowing yourself, what we mean is-
a) understanding how your body and mind work
b) comprehending how much your mind can easily grasp at one time
c) calculating how long you can comfortably study without feeling exhausted
d) assessing how much portion of a concept your mind can easily retain till the time of examination
e) assessing how many times you need to revise the concepts
2. Result-based assessment:
You have already seen your SA I result cards. It is time to look at it close and hard. Here is what we mean: But instead of just ‘observing’ them, take them to the next level of ‘assessment’. This assessment does not involve grieving over the fact that you couldn’t score well. Rather, assess yourself before letting others assess you!
Tips
Ask yourself:
a) Could you have scored better?
b) What kind of mistakes did you make the most while writing answers?
c) Which subjects require the most and the least of your attention/time?
d) What did your teacher advise you while handing over the report card?
3. Manage your time well:
The terms ‘exam’ and ‘last-night cramming’ have almost become synonymous.r. No matter how many timetables you make and paste behind the doors of your rooms, you still find yourself rushing hurriedly through the important topics a night before.
Here are the quick Merit-tips to help you manage your time better:
Tips
a) Make a study plan: Even if you feel that you will not be able to stick to it, yet it’s important to make a written study schedule!
b) Keep it in sight: You may paste your study plan on a wall near your study table or on your dashboard. For the reason that what’s in sight is in the mind.
c) Schedule your preparation at least two weeks before the examination: Formulating a study plan is practically your first step towards the actual preparation. It should be done at least two weeks before.
d) Divide up your hours: Allocation of your study hours to the subjects should be based on the weightage and time demanded by the subject. (Do not forget to include short breaks. They are essential.)
e) Revision is the key: A day before the exam is the revision-time. The learning part should be done a week before the exam.
4. Prepare strategically:
It is vital to formulate a proper strategy, based on the five questions provided under the section ‘Result-oriented assessment’. This pre-planned preparation includes focusing on the key topics, setting time-targets, and writing a practice exam.
Some of the tips for you are:
a) Begin with the most difficult subject: It’s totally understandable that the subject you find the most difficult scares you away. But when you have to encounter that subject anyway, then why encounter it a day before?
b) Get your concepts and ideas clear: Your teachers, tutors and Meritnation are always there to help you understand the basic academic concepts better. Making summaries, annotated notes and mind maps are some of the helpful methods in memorising what you have studied.
c) Practice all the questions in your course book: Go through all the practice questions given at the end of the chapters, including solved examples and box information.
d) Do not use more than one reference book: It is being advised to not use more than one book for reference. Using more than one book may confuse you.
e) Self-test your progression: There are several mock tests, sample papers, previous year question papers available on Meritnation.com. You may review your progression using various strategies, which depend upon your learning style.
5. Beat the pre-exam jitters:
Well, those exam-morning jitters are not that uncommon. A little nervousness is indeed motivating, but too much of it can lead to several adverse effects.
So, here are some -tips to soothe those butterflies fluttering in your stomach.
Tips
a) Stay calm: When you know you have been preparing for weeks for this exam, so you should not be so tensed about it. Try to be confident and calm.
b) Do not skip your morning meal: Do take your first meal in the morning before the exam. It kick-starts your brain and makes it exam-ready. Try avoiding caffeine as it tends to make your thinking less clear.
c) Do not withdraw socially: Sharing your feelings with your friends and family is the most relaxing thing for your ‘tensed-up’ brain.
d) No last-minute cramming: We understand that you often lose your calmness before the exam and land up cramming up those topics that are not even relevant. This makes it difficult for the brain to recollect what it absorbed a day before.
e) Avoid discussing the question paper after the exam: This is what we all do every time when we walk out of an exam – asking our friends what did they put as answers for certain questions. There is no point worrying about what’s done and dusted, when you have the next exam to prepare for.
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