The two words that are being hurled frequently at exam goers these days are “Concentrate” and “Relax”, both difficult to practice, yet being vital determinants of a good examination performance.“Concentration” is the proverbial hippopotomus, easy to recognize, but not always easy to understand and master. Students often remain buried in their books for long hours, with little going into the heads or staying there! Remember, concentrating is about focussing the mind, not merely looking into books or repeated reading.
This simple 2-minute technique helps improve cncentraion.
Close your eyes and visualize the blue sky in your mind for just 2 minutes. Every time a passing cloud comes between you and the sky, consciously ignore it, and bring your focus back to the blue sky that lies beyond the cloud. Hold your mind in control there for just 2 minutes and don’t let it waver. It sounds simple but may take time to master! If you are able to do it, you will probably be doing very well in the exam as you have good mind control. Repeat this 5 -10 times a day. The blue sky is the information that you need to grasp from the books, and the clouds are the distractions such as fear of failure, anxiety, events going around you, that block your concentration. If you fancy an object or a picture of a deity, instead of the sky, suit yourself. The method and the outcome will remain the same.
The next thing to remember is that most exams test your active memory, not your passive one. Hence, repeatedly going over the same pages may not be enough. I remember a college friend who used to spend long hours before exams lying in bed looking at the ceiling, training his mind to recall all the points on each topic, drawing diagrams and labelling them neatly, all in his mind! He could reproduce them accuratey on the answer paper as well, and is now a celebrated cardiologist in San Francisco.
“Concentration” and “relaxation” sound incompatible as studies have shown that blood pressure rises when a person does mental maths. Nevertheless, one can learn to destress while concentrating. Soothing background music works with many. You could also consciously relax the muscles of your face, unclench your fists, wet your mouth with saliva, apply gentle pressure on your eyeballs or take a few slow deep pranayam-style breaths while studying or writing the paper.
Packing your pen kit and admit card, and sleeping atleast 6 hours the night before are of proven value. A breakfast is a “must” as it ensures uninterrupted supply of glucose to the brain during the exam.
To nurture a feeling of curiosity or adventure about what lies ahead in life can be helpful. I recall how disappointed I had felt when I failed to get into the IIT. Now, as I tend to the ailing and get lots of blessings in return , and as I write this column, I realize that God had dened me my IIT wish because he had a more grandiose plan for me. Find out what life has in store for you beyound this exam!This simple 2-minute technique helps improve cncentraion.
Close your eyes and visualize the blue sky in your mind for just 2 minutes. Every time a passing cloud comes between you and the sky, consciously ignore it, and bring your focus back to the blue sky that lies beyond the cloud. Hold your mind in control there for just 2 minutes and don’t let it waver. It sounds simple but may take time to master! If you are able to do it, you will probably be doing very well in the exam as you have good mind control. Repeat this 5 -10 times a day. The blue sky is the information that you need to grasp from the books, and the clouds are the distractions such as fear of failure, anxiety, events going around you, that block your concentration. If you fancy an object or a picture of a deity, instead of the sky, suit yourself. The method and the outcome will remain the same.
The next thing to remember is that most exams test your active memory, not your passive one. Hence, repeatedly going over the same pages may not be enough. I remember a college friend who used to spend long hours before exams lying in bed looking at the ceiling, training his mind to recall all the points on each topic, drawing diagrams and labelling them neatly, all in his mind! He could reproduce them accuratey on the answer paper as well, and is now a celebrated cardiologist in San Francisco.
“Concentration” and “relaxation” sound incompatible as studies have shown that blood pressure rises when a person does mental maths. Nevertheless, one can learn to destress while concentrating. Soothing background music works with many. You could also consciously relax the muscles of your face, unclench your fists, wet your mouth with saliva, apply gentle pressure on your eyeballs or take a few slow deep pranayam-style breaths while studying or writing the paper.
Packing your pen kit and admit card, and sleeping atleast 6 hours the night before are of proven value. A breakfast is a “must” as it ensures uninterrupted supply of glucose to the brain during the exam.
To nurture a feeling of curiosity or adventure about what lies ahead in life can be helpful. I recall how disappointed I had felt when I failed to get into the IIT. Now, as I tend to the ailing and get lots of blessings in return , and as I write this column, I realize that God had dened me my IIT wish because he had a more grandiose plan for me. Find out what life has in store for you beyound this exam!
Published in HT City Hindustan Times (Lucknow edition) dated 07 March,2010.
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