Ultimate Guide to Score High in Exams

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Contents Understanding Memory...................................................................................................... 3 Immediate, Working, and Long-Term Memory ....................................................................... 3 Declarative and Nondeclarative Memories ............................................................................. 4 How Memories Are Made ....................................................................................................... 4 Remembering a New Face ...................................................................................................... 5 Can Memory Be Improved? .................................................................................................... 6 How to Study & Memorize Effectively ................................................................................................................... 8 Step 1: Preparation ................................................................................................................. 8 Step 2: Record What You’re Memorizing (Optional) ............................................................... 9 Step 3: Write Everything Down + Listen .................................................................................. 9 Step 4: Section your notes. ..................................................................................................... 9 Step 5: Apply repetition to cumulative memorization ............................................................ 9 Step 6: Write it down from memory ..................................................................................... 10 Step 7: Teach it to someone (or yourself) ............................................................................. 10 Step 8: Listen to the recordings continuously ....................................................................... 10 Step 9: Take a break.............................................................................................................. 10 Short Cut Methods: Study/Memorize .................................................................................................................. 11 Technique 1 - Sleep............................................................................................................... 11 Technique 2 – Study Using Brainwaves ................................................................................. 11 Focus Exercise before Studying ............................................................................................................................... 12 Stage 1 .................................................................................................................................. 12 Studying Lengthy Topics with the help of Tree Diagrams ............................................................................ 14 Plan & Organize Your Study Schedule .................................................................................................................. 16 List all the subjects you need to study. ................................................................................. 16 Prioritize your list.................................................................................................................. 16 Divide your available time during the week into study blocks ...................................... 16 Reserve time for non-academic activities. ....................................................................... 17 Fill in your study blocks .................................................................................................... 17 Understanding & Memorizing Programming Codes....................................................................................... 18

Study Tips and Simple Techniques ......................................................................................................................... 19 Android and iOS APPs for Studying........................................................................................................................ 21 Forest................................................................................................................................... 21 Alarmy (Sleep If U Can)- alarm ........................................................................................ 21 Evernote .............................................................................................................................. 21 GoConqr .............................................................................................................................. 22 Revision ............................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Last minute preparation ............................................................................................................................................. 24 The Art of Writing VTU Exams ................................................................................................................................. 26 1. Time management: ........................................................................................................... 26 2. First impression: ............................................................................................................... 26 3. Highlight: .......................................................................................................................... 26 4. Handwriting: ..................................................................................................................... 27 5. Presentation: .................................................................................................................... 27 6. Never leave questions blank: ............................................................................................ 27 7. Don't be disappointed....................................................................................................... 27 8. To-remember list: ............................................................................................................. 27 9. More pages more mark:.................................................................................................... 27 10. Study the repeated questions: ........................................................................................ 27 11. Problem: ......................................................................................................................... 27 12. Eat light: .......................................................................................................................... 27 13. Last 5 minutes: ................................................................................................................ 27

Understanding Memory Fundamentally, memory represents a change in who we are. Our habits, our ideologies, our hopes and fears are all influenced by what we remember of our past. At the most basic level, we remember because the connections between our brains’ neurons change; each experience primes the brain for the next experience, so that the physical stuff we’re made of reflects our history like mountains reflect geologic eras. Memory also represents a change in who we are because it is predictive of who we will become. We remember things more easily if we have been exposed to similar things before, so what we remember from the past has a lot to do with what we can learn in the future. An understanding of memory is an understanding of the role of experience in shaping our lives, a critical tool for effective learning in the classroom and beyond. In this article we will explore how experiences become memories, and we’ll examine whether the way that we create and store memories can influence the way that we learn. Immediate, Working, and Long-Term Memory

Scientists divide memory into categories based on the amount of time the memory lasts: the shortest memories lasting only milliseconds are called immediate memories, memories lasting about a minute are called working memories, and memories lasting anywhere from an hour to many years are called long-term memories. Each type of memory is tied to a particular type of brain function. Long-term memory, the class that we are most familiar with, is used to store facts, observations, and the stories of our lives. Working memory is used to hold the same kind of information for a much shorter amount of time, often just long enough for the information to be useful; for instance, working memory might hold the page number of a magazine article just long enough for you to turn to that page. Immediate memory is typically so short-lived that we don’t even think of it as memory; the brain uses immediate memory as a collecting bin, so that, for instance, when your eyes jump from point to point across a scene the individual snapshots are collected together into what seems like a smooth panorama.

Declarative and Nondeclarative Memories

Another way to categorize memory is to divide memories about what something is from memories about how something is done. Skills like catching a baseball or riding a bicycle are called nondeclarative memories because we perform those activities automatically, with no conscious recollection of how we learned the skills. Declarative memories, on the other hand, are memories of facts and events that we can consciously recall and describe verbally. Categorizing memory temporally and functionally makes sense from the clinical and biological perspective; patients with various amnesias may have difficulty with one particular type of memory and not with others. Moreover, scientists have discovered that different brain structures are specialized to process each category of memory, suggesting that these categories are not merely convenient for discussion, but are based in the biology of how we remember. Understanding how memories are formed in each category and how some memories move amongst categories can help to focus strategies for improving memory and learning. How Memories Are Made

Modern computers encode memory as a vast array of independent, digital bits of information that are “randomly accessible.” Functionally, this means that your computer can bring up your best friend’s phone number without accessing any information about what your best friend looks like or how you met. The human brain stores memory in a very different way; recalling your best friend’s phone number may very well bring to mind your friend’s face, a pleasant conversation that you had, and the title of the movie that the two of you are going to see. While computer memories are discrete and informationally simple, human memories are tangled together and informationally complex. Our memories are rich because they are formed through associations. When we experience an event, our brains tie the sights, smells, sounds, and our own impressions together into a relationship. That relationship itself is the memory of the event. Unlike computer memories, a human memory is not a discrete thing that exists at a particular location;

instead, it is an abstract relationship amongst thoughts that arises out of neural activity spread over the whole brain. But how is the memory relationship actually made? The process from both a biological and a behavioral perspective is critically dependent on reinforcement. Reinforcement can come in the form of repetition or practice; we remember that two plus two equals four because we’ve heard it so many times. Reinforcement can also occur through emotional arousal; most people remember where they were when they heard that John F. Kennedy was shot because of the highly emotional content of that event. Arousal is also a product of attention, so memories can be reinforced independent of context by paying careful attention and consciously attempting to remember. Remembering a New Face

Reinforcement is important in forming memories because it moves the memory relationship from short-lived categories to longer-lasting ones. For example, if you met a man called John Byrd at a party, you’d see his face, hear his name, and you’d be aware of the social context of the event. At first this information is loosely held in immediate memory, just long enough for the event to play itself out. Immediate memories are held in various modality-specific regions of the brain, meaning that immediate visual memory is probably held in visual parts of the brain, immediate auditory memory in auditory parts of the brain, and so on. If you paid attention during the introduction, the relationship between sight, sound, and awareness is brought together into working memory, somewhere in the prefrontal lobe of the brain. When the event moves from immediate memory to working memory, certain features will be lost. You probably won’t remember background conversations from the party, and you may not remember the color of the Mr. Byrd’s shoes. The loss of distracting information is an important feature of human memory, and is critical for efficient storage and recollection of experiences.

At this point you might rehearse the event by saying the name to yourself, or by making up a mnemonic (John Byrd, who has a big hook nose like a bird). The mnemonic and the rehearsal cause the memory to move from working memory into long-term memory, a change that starts in the brain’s hippocampus. The process of converting working memory into long-term memory is called consolidation, and again, it is characterized by the loss of distracting information. Several days after meeting Mr. Byrd you may not be able to remember what color his tie was or whether he wore a wristwatch, but you will still remember his face, his name, and the person who introduced you to him. The consolidation phase of memory formation is sensitive to interruption; if you are distracted just after meeting Mr. Byrd, you may have trouble remembering his name later. So to recap, the event of meeting John Byrd started out in immediate memory, spread out in various modality-specific regions of the brain. Reinforcement through attention caused the relationship between sight, sound, and context to consolidate into working memory in the prefrontal lobe. Further reinforcement through practice caused more consolidation, and the most critical relationships in the event (the name, the face, and the context) were tied together in the hippocampus. From there, the memory relationship is probably stored diffusely across the cerebral cortex, but research on the actual location of memory relationships is still inconclusive. Can Memory Be Improved?

The end result of all of this moving across categories is that humans are good at remembering a few complex chunks of information while computers are good at remembering many simple chunks of information. It is a lot easier for a person to remember four photographs in great detail than it is to remember a list of forty two-digit numbers; quite the opposite for a computer. Also, because we form memories through consolidation, attention and emotional arousal work together to determine what features of an event are important, and therefore what features will be remembered. From a practical perspective, that means that we can remember something best if we learn it in a context that we understand, or if it is emotionally important to us. It is a lot easier to

remember that the hypophysial stalk connects the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland if you already know a lot about neurobiology. But it’s also an easy fact to remember if you’ve ever had a loved one who suffered from a tumor near that part of the brain. Mnemonic strategies, contextual learning, repetitive rehearsal, and emotional arousal are all good ways to ensure that we remember the things that are important to us. By focusing our learning strategies on the strengths of the brain’s memory systems, we may be able to learn more information in a shorter amount of time in a way that is useful to our lives. That focus requires understanding the limitations of our memories; the human brain is not good at remembering long lists of unrelated numbers, dozens of nonsense words, or lengthy grocery lists. While the brain has an extraordinary ability to remember many events in rich detail, the neurologically appropriate strategy for life’s most mundane memory tasks may require little more than pen and paper. Source

How to Study & Memorize Effectively People like to joke that the only thing you really “learn” in school is how to memorize. As it turns out, that’s not even the case for most of us. If you go around the room and ask a handful of people how to memorize things quickly, most of them will probably tell you repetition. That is so far from the truth, it’s running for office. If you want to memorize something quickly and thoroughly, repetition won’t cut it; however, recalling something will. The problem is that recalling something requires learning, and we all learn in different ways. Below are some universal steps to mastering the art of recalling so that you can start memorizing a ton of data in a short amount of time. Before we start, you need to establish something: are you an auditory, visual, or experiential learner? If you’re an auditory learner, then the most effective way for you to grasp information is by hearing it. As you can imagine, visual learners favor seeing something in order to learn it, and experiential learning types are more akin to learning from events and experiences (or, doing something with the material). Most of us are a combination of at least two of these categories, but I will denote which step is most favorable to your most agreeable learning style so that you can start to memorize things quickly and efficiently. Step 1: Preparation

To optimize your memorization session, pay close attention to which environment you choose. For most people, this means choosing an area with few distractions, though some people do thrive off of learning in public areas. Figure out what is most conducive to your learning so that you can get started. Next, start drinking some tea (if you are in a habit of it). I could link you to mounds of scientific studies that confirm green tea as a natural catalyst for improving memory. Mechanically speaking, our ability to recall information comes down to the strength

between neurons in our mind, which are connected by synapses. The more you exercise the synapse (repetition), the stronger it is, resulting in the ability to memorize. As we get older, toxic chemicals will damage our neurons and synapses, leading to memory loss and even Alzheimer’s. Green tea contains compounds, however, that block this toxicity and keep your brain cells working properly a lot longer. Step 2: Record What You’re Memorizing (Optional)

This is especially useful if you’re trying to memorize information from a lecture. Use a Mobile Recorder App to track all of the acquired facts being spoken and listen to it. If you’re trying to memorize a definition or an entire concept, record yourself reading it aloud and listen to yourself speaking. Obviously, this is most helpful for auditory learners, but it’s also handy because it ensures that you’re getting more context from a lecture that will help you learn the information faster. Step 3: Write Everything Down + Listen

Before you start trying to recall everything from memory, write and re-write the information. This will help you become more familiar with what you’re trying to memorize. Doing this while listening to your recorded voice can also help you retain a lot of the data. This is most useful for experiential learners. Step 4: Section your notes.

Now that you have everything written down in one set of notes, separate them into sections. This is ideal for visual learners, especially if you use color coding to differentiate between subjects. This will help you break everything down and start compartmentalizing the information being recorded in your brain. Step 5: Apply repetition to cumulative memorization

For each line of text, repeat it a few times and try to recall it without looking. As you memorize each set of text, be cumulative by adding the new information to what you’ve just learned. This will keep everything within your short-term memory from fading. Keep doing this until you have memorized that section and you are able to recall the entire

thing. Do not move on to another section until you have memorized that one completely. This is mostly visual learning, but if you are speaking aloud, then you are also applying auditory. Step 6: Write it down from memory

Now that you can recall entire sections, write everything down from memory. This will reinforce everything you just have learned by applying it experientially. Step 7: Teach it to someone (or yourself)

The most effective method for me when I was in school was to teach the information to someone else. You can do this in a variety of ways. You can lecture the knowledge to someone sitting right in front of you (or the mirror, if you can’t convince anyone to sit through it) and explain everything extemporaneously. If what you’ve learned needs to be recited verbatim, then do this in front of someone as well in order to get a feel for what it will be like to recite the text to the intended audience. My favorite method for this is creating tests for other people. Take the information and predict what questions will come out of them. Use multiple choice, matching and so on to present the data in test format, and see how someone else does. All of this is experiential learning, since you are actually practicing and manipulating the concepts you’ve learned. Step 8: Listen to the recordings continuously

While doing unrelated tasks like laundry or driving, go over the information again by listening to your tape recordings. This is certainly auditory learning, but it will still supplement everything you’ve shoved into your short-term memory. Step 9: Take a break

Finally, let your mind breathe. Go for a short time without thinking about what you just learned and come back to it later on. You’ll find out what you really know, of course, and this will help you focus on the sections you might be weakest at. Source

Short Cut Methods: Study/Memorize Technique 1 - Sleep

1. Record whatever you have to memorize. For example, you can record all the important definitions from a particular chapter/unit. 2. Listen to the recording once. 3. Just before you fall sleep put on the headphones and Listen to it and may be let it repeat once again. 4. Soon as you wake up, listen to the recording again. This makes the memory firm in your mind. And you can easily recall during exams. Technique 2 – Study Using Brainwaves

If you have troubles focusing while you study. Put your headphones on with brainwave sounds, which helps you improve concentration and study more efficiently. At the root of all our thoughts, emotions and behaviors is the communication between neurons within our brains. Brainwaves are produced by synchronized electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating with each other. Brainwaves are detected using sensors placed on the scalp. They are divided into bandwidths to describe their functions, but are best thought of as a continuous spectrum of consciousness; from slow, loud and functional - to fast, subtle, and complex. It is a handy analogy to think of Brainwaves as musical notes - the low frequency waves are like a deeply penetrating drum beat, while the higher frequency brainwaves are more like a subtle high pitched flute. Like a symphony, the higher and lower frequencies link and cohere with each other through harmonics. Our brainwaves change according to what we’re doing and feeling. When slower brainwaves are dominant we can feel tired, slow, sluggish, or dreamy. The higher frequencies are dominant when we feel wired, or hyper-alert. You can download the following file and use it while you study. Download Alpha Brainwave Frequency

Focus Exercise before Studying In all the practices to develop concentration. It is gazing that reigns supreme, this exercise will help you develop a one pointed concentration. You may have various experiences as you progress in this practice. Stage 1

Draw or print a black circle of 2-inch diameter on a white background. Stick it on a wall, or place it such that it is at the level of your eyes and 3 feet away from you. Keep the lights dim and gaze at the circle without moving your eyes or even blinking them, your eyes might water during the initial days. You can close your eyes and start again. As you continue to gaze with concentration, the black circle will seem to start forming a white aura around it. Concentrate on this white circle now. When the white circle vanishes, concentrate on the black circle again and repeat the process. Practice for not more than 10 mins a day at the beginning and gradually increase the duration. Download Concentration Image or use the dot in the next page. After you complete this exercise, you will be able to focus better on studies. And cover more topics in less time.

Studying Lengthy Topics with the help of Tree Diagrams Many times there appears a question for which we will have to write pages and pages of answer. But we miss important points and spend time trying to recall. For such topics it is best to prepare a tree diagram or something like a block or flowchart. Once you study the topic clearly. You have to make the tree diagram for it, and all you will need is the flowchart to remember the concepts and write it again. Therefore, for every lengthy concept make a tree diagram, and during revision, all you will need is to just take a look at that tree diagram.

Example 1:

Example 2:

Plan & Organize Your Study Schedule

List all the subjects you need to study. List out all the units/module you have to study for each subject. Prioritize your list Ranking each class in importance will help you figure out what subjects you need to devote the most time to and which subjects should get your best time slots.

Put a number, starting with one, next to all of your subjects or exams. If you need the most time for math, give it a one. If you need the least time for history (and you have five subjects to study for), give it a five.  Take into account difficulty of the subject or exam.  Take into account the amount of reading you will need to do.  Take into account the amount of reviewing you will need to do Divide your available time during the week into study blocks Before you go on, you need to divide up your available time during the week into study blocks. After you do this, you can go and assign your blocks to a subject.

 The trick to creating a study schedule is to plan to study the same time every day so you actually have a schedule you can memorize without constantly checking.  By creating a routine, you’ll build a positive study habit. Check if there are times or days of the week you can always study during. For example, you may be free 3-4 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. If possible, try to schedule your studying then, because a regular, set routine can help you get into a studying mindset and into one more quickly.  Schedule study sessions in 30 to 45 minute blocks. Shorter time blocks are easier to find and to schedule than longer blocks.  Create blocks for all of your available time.  If you have a certain amount of time before an exam, create a reverse calendar instead of a weekly schedule.

Reserve time for non-academic activities. While blocking off time for each subject, you also need to make sure that you are reserving time for family, friends, and rest. This is because you won’t be able to succeed at your studies unless you create a healthy balance between your personal life and your academic life. Fill in your study blocks Once you’ve got your schedule blocked out and you know what you need to schedule, fill in your schedule. Write down which subject you are studying in each session. This will help keep you on track, create checkpoints for the material, and allow you to organize your textbooks and study materials ahead of time.    

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Buy a daily planner or something similar. You can also use a basic notebook. Program your schedule into your smart phone, if you have one. Only plan for a week at a time first, until you've figured out how your schedule works. Prioritize studying for approaching exams. Divide all of your studying up into the limited amount of time you have and spread the material out over the time you have before a given exam. Prioritize courses you are doing poorly in or are determined to ace.

Understanding & Memorizing Programming Codes It sometimes happens that you forget the code you very well knew. This is because you are unfamiliar with the programming language. The idea is to break down the programs into functions/tasks. Convert each set of programming code into a sentence. Split a large programming code into multiple programs. Having a clear algorithm and flowchart will also aid in remembering the code. Understand each part of the code and give it a small description Practice makes perfect, before actually staring to memorize programs make sure you are perfect with the syntax. Repeated recall, write down the program you learnt after an hour and try your best to recall. And then go through again, this makes for a perfect memory. Repeat if necessary. During Exams, if you do forget the program, always write a flowchart and the algorithm. This way the evaluator will know that you know the program.

Study Tips and Simple Techniques Take a walk. Before studying, head outside to enjoy the weather for at least twenty minutes. Research has shown that exercising before an exam or a study session will help your memory and brain. Save enough energy for studying so that you do not feel fatigued. Highlight When studying, using different study methods will help the information stick to your head. For example, speaking the facts out loud rather than reading them will boost your chances of later recalling it. As you study, highlight the points that you remember before focusing on the ones that you don't. Listen to the Right music Using the correct type of music during your study sessions can improve memory skills. Keep the volume at an appropriate level to avoid becoming distracted. Be sure that the songs you play do not contain words or loud melodies. If you find that the music proves to be a distraction, turn it off or change the song. You can use the Alpha Brainwaves Music provided in the Chapter Short Cut Methods. Take study breaks Although you may be tempted to plow through the information, taking breaks allows your brain to absorb and process the information. Giving yourself time to relax will also boost your motivation and focus. Participate in relaxing activities for short periods of time before returning to the books. Use scents or tastes to spark your memory. Spray an unfamiliar smell during your study sessions. When the exam comes, using the same scent will improve your ability in recalling information. This method can also apply to chewing gum. However, be sure that you have permission to chew it during the test; otherwise, it may be confiscated and you'll find yourself in trouble. Another way to use smells to boost your memory is to spray perfume on your lessons (a different one for every subject). Before your test use that bottle on yourself.

For example: for math you used vanilla during the studying, and when you inhale that odor again, you will remember the important math equation you were supposed to know. Remain focused on your study topics. You should keep your attention on important facts while avoiding the unnecessary ones. Avoid over-studying and filling your brain with useless information. Many people have a tendency to focus on unnecessary facts, resulting in them forgetting the essential material reviewed before. Memorization is made difficult because of this. Study in the same position. Research has shown that your mind retains information easier when you are in the same position that you take your exam in. Adjust your surroundings and seating position so that

you are in the same one when you take your test. For example, if you are going to be tested at a desk, study at a desk. Sleep. The week before the exam, be sure you receive adequate amounts of rest. Six to eight hours of sleep per night is essential for energy and good health. Getting enough rest on the night before the exam is even more important. Although you may be tempted to stay up and cram, your brain will not be able to retain the information properly. You'll also be depriving yourself of rest, which leads to a lack of energy and focus. Ensuring that you have enough sleep will guarantee a better performance on your test. Source

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Android and iOS APPs for Studying Forest Have you ever been addicted to your phone and just cannot put it down? Forest provides an interesting solution to beat your phone addiction. You can plant a seed in Forest. In the following time, this seed will gradually grow into a tree. However, if you cannot resist the temptation and leave this app to check Facebook or play a game, your tree will wither away. With this interesting mechanism, the sense of achievement and responsibility will drive our users to stay away from their phone with no pain.

Features • A self-motivated and interesting way to help you beat phone addiction • Stay focused and get more things done • Share your forest and compete with friends • Track your history in a simple and pleasant way • Earn reward and unlock more tree species • Customize your whitelist: Leaving Forest and using apps in whitelist won’t kill your tree. Download via Android Play Store Download via iTunes Alarmy (Sleep If U Can)- alarm Alarmy (Sleep If U Can) is the innovative solution for those who just can’t seem to get up on time, even with an alarm clock. This app has been cleverly designed to force you to get out of bed. You set it up by registering a photo of an area or room in your house. Then once the alarm is set, the ONLY way to make it stop ringing is to get out of bed and go take a photo of the registered area.

Tip: to force yourself to study may be take a picture of the Book you have to Study in the morning. Download via Android Play Store Download via iTunes Evernote Evernote gives you the tools you need to keep your work effortlessly organized:

• Write, collect and capture ideas as searchable notes, notebooks, checklists and to-do lists • Take notes in a variety of formats, including: text, sketches, photos, audio, video, PDFs, web clippings and more

• Use camera capture to easily scan and comment on pieces of paper, including printed documents, business cards, handwriting and sketches. • Clip and highlight articles from the web for academic research • Access and highlight searchable documents • Plan and collaborate for better academic group work • Discuss and annotate notes and drafts Download via Android Play Store Download via iTunes GoConqr The GoConqr app helps make learning easier. Access great learning resources like Mind Maps, Flashcards, Quizzes, Slides and Notes, or use the GoConqr app for social learning and connect and collaborate with friends, classmates and learners in Groups.

Say hello to: • A truly collaborative online learning experience • Easy access to millions of amazing learning resources • Tailored to your needs – receive suggested content on your personal Activity Feed • Learning on the go – take all you need on your mobile device • Access study resources that offer a far more visual learning experience • A powerful, intuitive and flexible study app for greater study success • Freedom to study online or off • Quick, free and easy to install, set up and get started Download via Android Play Store Download via iTunes

Revision Keep a revision book for each subject. As you study each concept in a subject, just write down the key points in the revision book. Therefore, before the exam you can just revise this revision book and retain good memory. 1. Make a revision timetable Allot time for each Subject, and more time for subjects you are weak in. Keep theory Subjects revisions towards the end, as this helps retain the memory until exams are over. 2. Solve Previous Question Papers This is the reason why some students always score high. They always prepare well for questions that have been previously asked. Solving question papers also improve the confidence in students to face the examination 3. Make many short notes and write roughly Making notes is by far the best way to memorize lots of information. We all have been there, sat down reading a textbook and lying to ourselves that the time is being used productively - it is not! The best way to memorize information is by making notes over and over again. It may be incredibly tedious but the thing is that the most successful candidates often make as many as three sets of the same notes in a run up to the exams which help them to memorize the required information. 4. Set Goals and targets for each day Set goals for each day and make sure that you are on track. And if you won’t be doing a second revision, it’s best to write down whatever you are studying, this helps in remember better.

Last minute preparation Focus on your weak spots. Because you are studying at the last minute, you will not have time to go through all of your class material or your study notes. Instead, you should read over the class material and identify any topics you struggle with or have trouble recalling. You should then focus your studying on brushing up on your weak spots so you are better prepared heading into the test

You may take a practice exam and note questions that you did poorly on or scored low on. You may then focus your studying on these questions so you do not have any weak spots going into the exam. Make a mind map. You can also study quickly and efficiently by making a mind map, which is a study tool to help you remember the connections and links between certain concepts or terms. Mind maps are useful if you have already taken notes on the course material and are looking for ways to organize this material to remember it better and recall it during the test. You can draw out a mind map on a piece of paper or use mind map software on your computer to help you study. Use flashcards. You can also use a tried and true study tool, flashcards, to create an efficient, last minute study session. You may use colored flashcards to write down different terms or phrases to help you prepare for the exam. Flashcards have been shown to improve your memory recall and help improve your visual learning abilities.

For example, you may write down certain terms that will be on your test on the flashcards. Then, write the definitions for the terms on the back of the cards. You can then test yourself on the terms or ask a friend or sibling to test you on the terms to ensure you get the definitions right. Try audio or visual aids. You may also lean on audio or visual aids to help you study at the last minute, especially if you tend to learn better from visual or audio cues. Using audio or visual aids may also help you recall information more quickly and more effectively than reading information on the page.

You may listen to a recording of yourself reciting definitions and terms from your textbook or listen to an audio recording of the course materials and take notes on the audio to help you remember the information. You may also try watching videos that relate to a concept in your textbook to better understand the concept. You should search online for educational videos and use them to help you study at the last minute.

Start from the beginning Don't focus on the little details though! Concentrate on the bigger picture -- highlight the important facts that you think could be on the test. Also remember to look closely at the vocabulary! It will obviously help your understanding if you know what a word means.

Read the chapter summaries (they usually do a good job at summarizing the important points). If there are no chapter summaries, then skim through the text and write down key ideas. Prioritize. This is the most important part of cramming. You have a very limited amount of time -you must use it as efficiently as possible. Get down to the nitty-gritty and only study what you think is worthy of being on the test. Focus on the main ideas and learn key formulas. Skip the details for now and only come back to them if you see that you have time after you have learned the key points. Don't attempt to learn everything; focus on things that will get you the most points on the exam. If your professor said the essay will be 75% of your grade, you're best off preparing for that and skipping the multiple choice. Write out important info or recite small bits out loud. This will help your brain process the material better. If you just skim your textbooks or notes you probably won't remember anything!

If you're lucky enough to have an insomniac for a roommate, grab them. Ask them to listen to you spout off about certain concepts. Relaying information to another individual is a surefire way to guarantee you understand the ins and outs of the ideas. Go to bed. If you stay up all night you will be so tired in the morning, chances are you won't remember anything! Get up in the morning about 30-45 minutes earlier and familiarize yourself with the highlighted parts of your notes and textbooks. If you made flashcards, go through them again.

Try to get in at least 3 hours; that's one full sleep cycle. Waking up in the middle of one less than well-rested will be detrimental to your test score. Eat breakfast. You've heard from everybody that a nutritious meal before an exam will help you use your brain better. Stick to a fairly normal breakfast (you don't want to get sick) and don't load up on anything too heavy if you have anxiety.

Think about this: The more food you eat before your exam, the less you will be thinking about how hungry you are, so help yourself by just eating something before your exam so you can stay at least somewhat focused.

The Art of Writing VTU Exams Scoring in an exam is not all about studying and preparing for it! which was covered in the previous chapters. The way you write down the answers on the paper is what really matters. Even though you pretty well know the answer, you must be able to convince the evaluator first. Presentation of an answer is very skillful attribute to have. If by good presentation you get 1 extra mark every answer, you can do the math as to how much it will add up in the final marks. As soon as you get the question paper, spend 10 minutes reading and analyzing the questions. Group the questions you know thoroughly, write down their numbers in the answer booklet and keep the remaining for the end. Among the answers you know, write the short ones first. Like the numerical problems that you know and short answers and definition, this will not only boost your confidence but also give a good impression to the answer sheet evaluator. Sometimes students in a hurry students write the wrong answer, you are asked specific question on a topic, anything you write apart from it carries no mark and is just a waste of time. Before answering the question, just think about all that you have to answer. Many times when you start writing an answer you very well knew, but all of a sudden forget it. Therefore, you can write down small points/headings with a pencil, so that you don’t forget to include them and later erase it. Some questions will have two parts, do not forget to attend the other. Have a good introduction to the answer, try to use the exact same definition/sentence from the preferred textbook in the first line, and make sure every new paragraph starts with a key point. The following are some key point taken from VTU CAMPUS APP 1. Time management: There will be 5 units/modules to attempt, so give 30mins time limit to each module. And you will be left with 30 minutes at the end, which you can use either to check or write answers to unknown questions. Always keep the unknown answers to the last, this way you won’t spend too much time on it. It is very likely that you will remember them towards the end of the exam. Sometimes just remember answers just as you exit the exam hall. 2. First impression: It is always important that you get a good first impression from the evaluator who will correct your paper, therefore make sure you write answers you are most comfortable with. 3. Highlight: In VTU as you all know correction will take place online in selected colleges, the invigilator gets a scanned copy of your answer sheets, so at an average it is said that an

invigilator takes only 3-5 minutes to correct an answer booklet. Therefore, when you write answer, always underline the important/key words in your answer. 4. Handwriting: Alright, you had marks for handwriting in school, but believe it or not most lecturers give more marks for an answer that is written neatly than the ones that are of the same content but shabby. Ask your friends who have a good handwriting, on ways to improve yours. 5. Presentation: The way you present your answers also matter, make subheadings in each of your answers and try your best to add figures and key points wherever and whenever necessary. Figures carry a lot more weightage than the writing. 6. Never leave questions blank: Come on! There are no negative marks, so never leave any questions blank, you can write answers to these in the last 30 minutes that I told you to spare. 7. Don't be disappointed: If you could not do a subject well, don't be disappointed because it will only ruin the next exams to come. Stay cool, you have done your part! 8. To-remember list: Have a ‘to remember’ list from all the units/modules you studied, use this to revise before you enter the examination hall. 9. More pages more mark: This might not always work, but it will work if the subject is only theory, so make sure your answers are big. Imagine you wrote 35 pages, one mark for each page will give you the passing marks. 10. Study the repeated questions: Study repeated questions from the previous question papers, more than 50%-80% or even 100% of the questions would have been asked in the previous exams. Some students only study the important questions and manage to get 60 and above. But this might not always be the case, once in a while some question papers will be totally out of the world which most of you would have experienced at-least once. Yeah memories! 11. Solve Numerical Problems: Don't know the exact solution? First write down all the data given in the questions and write all the equations you know from that unit. Do some math and write down some answers, you will probably get 2 or 3 marks instead of 0. Better right! 12. Eat light: Don't have a heavy meal before you write your exams, especially if it is in the afternoon, because digestion requires energy and decreases the amount of energy supplied to the brain. Do some walking around or little exercises to get you brain in the active region! 13. Last 5 minutes: It is recommended that you do not study in the last moment just as you are about to enter the examination hall. Because it sometimes causes you to forget and lose confidence and you start to believe that your memory is fading away.

**ALL THE BEST**