NINE WEEKS INTO THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR, SOUNDING THE ALARM FOR PURPOSEFUL READING AND TIME MANAGEMENT

It is the ninth week into the academic calendar, which means exams are here. If you still deceive yourself into believing that the school will adjust the calendar to suit your “we resumed late” complaint, you might be in for a surprise. In a matter of weeks, students will find themselves in exams halls, heads buried in answer booklets, pouring out all they have learnt in thirteen weeks. It is; therefore, important to sound the alarm for purposeful reading and time management.
Now, more than ever is the time for students to take reading seriously–and not just reading, purposeful reading. Often, smart work has been observed to be more helpful to students than hard work. This is not to discredit hard work or students who work hard on their studies. Students must; however recognize that working hard alone is not enough. A student must work smart as well to be record huge success. A student who stays indoor, reading throughout the day, without taking a break may be working hard but not necessarily working smart. Some students have even made it a habit to embark on marathon studying, eating little, sometime not taking their baths, as they move from the reading halls to the exam halls and back to the reading halls again. Now, this may not seem entirely bad, but taking care of one self during xam is equally needed as much as studying for that exam. It therefore cannot be overemphasized that studying smart will require a student to put strategies in place for studying, while keeping other aspects of their lives balanced.
Proper time management is one of such strategies a smart student should consider in their preparation for exams. While it seems like there is never enough time to study for tests, meet deadlines for assignment, prepare for exams and attend to other commitments, time management always comes to the rescue. Time management simply allows a student to organize and divide time between important tasks. Asides allowing students to work smarter, possessing time management skills is a great addition to a student’s skill set.
While a student who studies really hard may not consider time management, time management affords the smart student the opportunity to study effectively. Often times, in the rush to cover a course, students throw effective studying into the wind and resort to cramming. Cramming may permit the student to cover a lot, it is however not a smart approach to studying. The student is likely to easily forget what has been crammed. This is probably why most students forget all they have gathered about a course minutes after leaving the exam hall. Cramming also attests to the lazy habits of students to cover all that has been learnt in thirteen weeks, in a few hours.
To curb the menace that comes with cramming, purposeful studying provides a lasting solution. Purposeful studying will allow a student to study smart, while applying basic skills such as time management, studying to comprehend, and studying to apply. When students study purposefully, they not only deal with the problem of cramming and forgetting, they also able deal with the anxiety that comes with exams, at least to the barest minimum. The usefulness of purposeful studying cannot be overemphasized as it builds students who do not only know theories but are practical in their application of those theories.
In all, it is important for students to live a balance life between academics and other commitment, as the exam frenzy is gradually sets in. Purposeful studying and proper time management come to the rescue.