Drag this to your home button to see the latest Candymag.com exclusives as soon as you open your browser. 
21 Comment(s)
There’s at least one in every class. While everyone’s fingers are crossed, waiting in absolute terror for the results of a particularly nasty math quiz, they’re the kids everyone prays their scores would be. They’re those seemingly special breed of people whose report cards aren’t hidden from their parents for one simple reason--they’ve got nothing to hide. In fact, they want to show it. Yes, you know who I’m talking about. They’re the A students, the smarties, the geniuses- or whatever other name you’d like to call them. And pretty soon, all their secrets for their high exam results will be revealed.
- Listen to the teachers. Look, that interesting little bit of news about Taylor Lautner’s abs can wait, okay? I know it’s hard to concentrate when your seatmate is whispering into your ears such life altering news, but your teacher might be saying something important that would come up in the test, which most probably has absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Lautner.
- Know the coverage. As obvious as it may sound, knowing the coverage is an important detail that is easily overlooked. An unfortunate student has lost sleep, pouring over the wrong chapter, and afterwards hurling her book in frustration upon learning that of the twenty chapters she read; only one will come out.
- Don’t cram. Ah yes. This is the curse of virtually all students. We cannot count how many innocent test takers have fallen prey to this habit called cramming. (Yours truly included.) A test due one week from now? Start studying already! Trust me, you tell yourself it won’t, but it will. The work will just keep piling and piling ‘til you realize that you don’t know where to begin, and that you’re buried in two hundred pounds of papers. Take it from me; that is not a pretty sight.
- Know your weaknesses and strengths. Unless you are Batman, Phineas, or Optimus Prime, you fall under the category of normal human beings. I hate to break it to you, but as your average joe, you’re most likely not perfect. Therefore, it is important to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. What subject are you good at? At the same time, what subjects don’t you break a single sweat over? As they say, knowing is half the battle.
- Get help. Which leads us to the other half of the battle. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is next to useless unless you do something about it. Don’t be afraid to seek help in those topics that make your nose bleed. Ask teachers, parents and friends. Don’t be embarrassed of hiring a tutor. You could even organize study groups, and you and your friends can bond over Algebra, History, Chemistry, and what not.
- Set aside time to study. It is a fact that there are only twenty four hours in a day. I know that Facebook or Gossip Girl or hanging out with friends or stalking your crush is an integral part of every teenage girl’s life. But without setting aside time to study, these other activities, will eat your study time. So set aside time to study each day.
- Plan your study. You’ve set aside time to study, but now you got to plan it. Make an outline of the things you have to study, so that you can accomplish more. If you’ve set aside one hour, then space your topics in such a way that it fits in an hour. That way, you study smart.
- Focus. Staring blankly at Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere for two hours, with your mind focussed solely on how it should have been Chuck and Blair just won’t cut it. You have to set your mind to it. It’s hard, but with a little perseverance, you’ll get the hang of it. Start by turning off the television, your cellphone, and yes, even Facebook when you are studying. Find an environment that is conducive for learning,comfortable and has good lighting. (It would be useless if you damage your eyes and are virtually blind when taking the test)
- Absorb. Although we often thank the heavens for the invention of multiple choice type tests, there still exists their scarier test brethren- essays. And this type of test requires that you have an understanding of the question, not just some random names and dates floating about aimlessly in your head.
- Get enough sleep. The zombies in Plants Vs. Zombies were only cute in the confines of your PC screen. You wouldn’t want to look like that on the day of your test. You’re face would scare away the good marks. Seriously though, your mind works better when your fully awake, so getting some good old fashioned beauty sleep is good not just for your complexion, but also for your test. Don’t forget to relax too. Wrinkles from stress would scare away even the zombies.
- Have fun. Make the most out of your study time and enjoy it with your Cream-O Cakewich.
So are you ready to ace that those exams?
