Time management plan makes you stress-free during Board Exams

It's natural to be concerned about exams, especially when you're under stress from school or parents. Anxiety can make you feel anxious or depressed, which can disrupt your sleeping or eating habits. The pressure to perform well in the exam might cause a lot of stress for the student. Students must maintain calm during their preparation as well as when taking the exam, as stress can negatively impact results. To relieve exam stress you can take the following steps:

l Maintain a routine by eating and sleeping at roughly the same times every day. Eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals, grains, nuts, and protein. Eat small portions at equal intervals, drink 2 to 3 litres of water daily

l Get the proper amount of sleep at Night. The day prior to the examination, sleep by 10pm so that you are fresh in the morning. This allows your brain to rest and remember what you've learned. Allow yourself proper time to rest-try some relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or music listening.

l To stay fit and active, it is recommended to engage in any form of exercise three or five times per week, such as jogging, biking, walking, or aerobics. An active mind and body are always relaxed, which promotes clear thinking and renewed focus

l It is understandable that you may have many unanswered questions about your future in this unprecedented time. At such times, it is prudent to seek the advice of your parents, teachers, or a career counsellor.

However, Time management is also a vital element to consider while preparing for board exams. Organizing your time allows you to think about it strategically and makes you tension free, and even if you have to change your study plans, having previously identified your tasks and assignments will benefit you more. Students should need to master this art before sitting in the examination hall with a pen and paper in their hand.

The following are some time-management ideas for board exams:

Make a daily schedule: While studying for board examinations, most students wind up staying up late.However, if you plan your day and stick to it, you won't need to. 'Religiously' create a seven-day timetable to begin. The subjects and chapters of each subject that you wish to cover on a given day, as well as time slots and breaks, should all be included in your daily schedule Topics or subjects that you struggle with will take longer than those in which you excel. As a result, you'll need to give them more time.

Practise writing quickly: You can practise writing quickly by answering more practice problems, sample papers, and previous year's test papers. Select a time restriction for each question and attempt to stick to it. Then see if you can finish your paper within the time constraints. You must improve your writing speed while maintaining legibility. If you don't practise your writing speed before the exam, you could be surprised at how tough it is to write swiftly and cleanly under the time constraints on the exam day.

Prioritise the following questions: After thoroughly reading the entire question paper, mark the questions about which you are most certain and will be able to finish in less time. After you've finished these questions, you can use the remaining time to try more difficult ones.

Be realistic: Assign a time limit to each question so you can stay on track to finish the paper. Get a sense of what kinds of responses you can realistically compose in the time you have. Avoid writing irrelevant text that has nothing to do with the question's topic. Keep your responses appropriate and informative. Do keep in mind the weightage of the question while answering it, as in one mark you are supposed to answer it in one sentence or with one or two key words. Do keep 15 min for your revision and tallying the question paper so that you don't skip any part of the question.

Eye on the clock in the exam room: The most important thing should be to decide how much time you want to devote to each question as you read them. The marks assigned to each question should ideally determine the time allotted. The greater the grade, the longer the duration. If you have 180 minutes for 100 marks, you can spend about one and a half minutes on each mark. Make time for each question while considering all of these factors and stick to your schedule. Check the time after you have finished each question, if feasible.

(The author is the Principal KIIT World School Gurugram)