With 2 more months left till O levels, we know that many of you are trying to ramp up any studying sessions that you have currently. Some of you have been studying at a constant pace, while there are many who are still struggling with basic concepts or doing some last minute cramming.
No matter if you are somebody who is confident about facing O levels yet or are internally panicking as you read this, here are some tips for you to DO RIGHT NOW to prepare for the O levels.
1) CREATE A TIMETABLE FROM NOW TILL THE BIG DAY
The process of planning a timetable helps you to realise the amount of work you have to complete each day to be prepared for the big day. Without a timetable, it is very easy for you to procrastinate and you will tend to push your work till a later date as you will believe that there is still time.
Furthermore, a timetable helps you to study multiple subjects in a day and to ensure that you have sufficient breaks in between studying to maintain maximum efficiency, which are two factors students tend to neglect.
Many tend to just focus on one subject per day, but it is actually easier for your brain to absorb and memorize information if they are of different subjects. There is also no point having a straight 14 hours study marathon if your brain is already saturated midway and you’re not focusing at all. So do remember that breaks are there to help you and not to waste your time.
2) THE TEN YEAR SERIES (TYS) SHOULD BE YOUR BFF
It is common knowledge that exam questions over the years tend to be quite similar with a few surprises. Examiners always like to test on the same concept with just a different phrasing of the question. Since there are 2 months left only, you should definitely be practising your TYS right now. This is because doing it once is not sufficient at all. You should aim to redo the book at least 3 times.
Many students protest about this, as they felt that their knowledge level is still not adequate to be attempting the questions. However, by the time these students feel confident enough, there is simply not enough time left anymore.
Hence, even if you feel unprepared, just attempt the questions and understand the steps behind the solution. It is also more efficient to do so as TYS are usually organized by chapters, and thus, you can get a clearer idea of what you need more conceptual understanding or practice in.
3) MAKE CHEAT SHEETS
Cheat sheets are useful for both everyday uses and for just before the exam. Ever become frustrated because you have seen the question for the fourth time but you still cannot remember the formula to solve that question? This is exactly where cheat sheets can come in.
Throughout your current study period, write down any formulas or definitions you find hard to remember on a piece of paper that is called your cheat sheet. This way, you can always spend a short 10-15 minutes a day reading through this sheet of paper and as time goes, they will be ingrained into your memories.
This is also relevant for questions that you kept getting it wrong. Hence, you can refer to all of these just before the exam as well to remind yourself of the common mistakes you tend to make and the concepts you tend to forget.
4) SLEEPING PATTERNS
If you know that you have many morning exams, please do not cultivate a sleeping pattern of waking up at 12/1 pm daily.
Research has already proven that performance is improved if you studied at the same period of time as your actual examinations. If you want to enjoy this benefit, do start this habit early as there will not be much effect if you just do it one day before the exam.
Also, do you know that humans sleep better in blocks of 3? This is why you might feel more refreshed after a 3 hours nap as compared to a solid 8 hours of sleep. This is because our sleep cycle spans for around 3 hours starting and ending with light sleep with deep sleep in the middle. Wake up in the middle of your deep sleep and you’ll feel extremely lethargic.
That is why you should use a sleep calculator (many available on the internet!) to calculate the most optimum time for you to wake up based on the time you’re sleeping at.
5) JOIN A CRASH COURSE
It might be useful for you to join a crash course where you can consolidate your knowledge, identify your weak topics, and learn how to answer exam questions in the shortest amount of time.
Crash courses, even though intense, are very effective ways to get you up to speed. These classes usually focus on popular exam questions and their solutions, common misunderstanding of concepts, examination tips, and sometimes even provide predictions of O levels questions. You can see why they are so popular nowadays.
So do join one if you feel that you need an extra boost.
“It won’t be easy, but it’ll be worth it”