6 Simple Habits to Crack any Exam! Competitive exam preparation

Time tends to slip by in seconds when you sit in an exam hall. When we receive our question paper, the first thing we tend to do is check the topics that are less time taking and plan to complete all sections in a given time. That’s what the right strategy, planning, and dedication in competitive exam preparation can make you do.

Every year, lakhs of aspirants dream to be an IAS Officer, Doctor, or Engineer. They study hard to clear some of the most difficult exams that our education system has to offer and none of it is planned in a day. It takes a lot of effort, mental exercise for memory,  self-motivation, determination, and constant support from friends and family to clear just one competitive exam. It’s indeed a tough row to hoe but hoe it, you will.

Being an aspirant, it is important to hold the right habits if you wish to crack these competitive exams and make a future in the field of your choice. 

In this blog, I will discuss 6 simple habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine and enhance your competitive exam preparation. 

Well, you might be wondering how it is possible. Read this further and make note of what your preparation lacks.

1. Freeze your Study Hours

We have 24 hours in a day and every hour is crucial when you have to do competitive exam preparation. These exams require proper attention apart from your regular studies and it is important to designate fixed hours of your day to prepare for your exam and complete the syllabus for competitive exams. For example, you can freeze 2 hours in the early morning to simply devote your time in completing a set target for your daily preparation. 

By freezing these hours and following them diligently, you will not just get hold of your routine but also prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed with the never-ending syllabus for competitive exams. When you study daily at a fixed time, your mind and body get used to the routine. It creates a study environment for better competitive exam preparation and also helps you stay focused during those hours. 

2. Plan your Break Time

“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy” is a popular proverb that you must have heard a lot many times. It’s time that you use it in the right way. Preparing for any exams is more or less an intense mental exercise for memory that eats up a lot of your energy in something as basic as learning a topic. When you study, your brain actively consumes energy; hence it becomes important to allow it some rest time. 

 Remember, preparation for an exam is a game of staying motivated while pushing our limits every day in completing the set targets. Reward yourself when you are diligent in your efforts and learn to take breaks! It not only helps your mind in regaining its consumed energy but also improves your concentration power. 

3. Make Notes. It is essential!

Let’s take a bucket and keep it under a running tap of water. It is understandable that at one point, the bucket gets full and starts to overflow. At this, you either will have to find an alternate bucket or attach another tap to the bottom and use it every day. What will you do? 

It’s important to understand that our memory is limited and our brain works like this bucket which is constantly in the receptive mode to new information. When we attend lectures with focus, our brain is active but cannot retain all the information at a time. Due to such intense mental exercise for memory, we also get distracted at times, even by the slightest of things. However, if you make notes and mark down the essential elements in your handbook, you can refer to it every day until your brain fully retains the information. 

By making your notes and noting down the important elements, we force your brain to remain focused, and hence, this practice will help you in improving memory and concentration power without consuming long hours in understanding the topic. 

4. Read Interesting Books and Articles 

This might sound like a joke when you are already procrastinating to read the pile of resource books lying by your side. However, I assure you that reading things that interest you will have a positive impact on your studying habits. Be it books, novels, newspapers, articles, magazines, or documentaries, just read something different that’s not in your course or syllabus for competitive exam preparation.

Gradually, you will realize that your reading speed has multiplied and your vocabulary has improved from what it used to be. You’ll be more adept at intuitive grammar and be able to discern the appropriate tone and voice.

Remember, not all toppers have to be nerdy. You can act smart too

5. Restrict your Mobile time

We live in a digital age that not only distracts us but also gives us access to unlimited resources when only one or two would do the work. However, it is difficult to stay away from devices when even our education system is switching to more online methods. So, what do we do then? 

Simply restrict your Mobile Use! 

Mobile addiction is a real problem emerging in our generation and leaves a great influence on everything we do. As an aspirant who does competitive exam preparation, it is a crucial device that eats up a lot of our precious time, distracts us from our goals, and affects the intense mental exercise for memory that our brain does. Hence you must set a time limit on its use, make note to switch it off during study hours or ask your parents to control your access to your phone.  

Yes, your device won’t leave you. You will have to make the effort. 

6. Maintain A Planner to enhance your competitive Exam Preparation

Last but not least, create a plan for yourself!! I have said this multiple times in all my live sessions and I will say it again, ‘Failing to plan is planning to Fail’.  

If I ask you about your weekend plan, you might be already booked for a day out with friends or eagerly waiting for a family dinner after a long time. You might also be planning to get your bookings done beforehand, see who all are joining, send invites, look for what to wear, what to eat and the list goes on. We plan a lot before going somewhere out.

But if I ask you what’s your study plan? The following conversation is expected to go downhill.  

So, make note that a planner is needed.

Include a new habit every once in a while that not only helps you grow academically but also leads the graph in helping you achieve overall development as a person. A personalized planner for your competitive exam preparation, that suits your schedule will also help you improve your productivity, enhance your skills and keep track of all your habits.

You can also read- What’s the best study routine for exams to study at home?