You
too can secure + 81/100 in the examination
Ramachandran
V
Yes! I
repeat that you too can secure + 81/100 in the examination… exhorted Guruji
But how Guruji?
Is there a quick and easy solution? asked Chaela
Definitely
not. You have to plan and work hard for it from day one. You have to think,
visualize, dream and pursue it to its logical end.
Think, visualize and dream
That is right
Guruji. But what is so sacrosanct about this +81?
Basically
there is nothing so sacrosanct about this +81. One should have some base mark
to adjudge the performance. That has been arbitrarily chosen as 81. I do agree
that +81% is slightly on the higher side.
Guruji! There is
a general talk now a days that standard of education is going down and that the percentage of students
passing the final exam is very low. Can
you please explain the reasons?
There
are many reasons - as such it can’t be discussed in detail now. But I will like
to mention some important points in this connection. Many parents are
compelling their wards to take up courses in which they are not interested.
This leads to some sort of conflict and is reflected in the pass percentage.
Another important reason is that while the students are told what to study and
the teachers are told what to teach, neither of them is told how to learn and
also how to teach. Teaching is an art and learning is a process which requires
proper guidance and training.
O K. Now I
understand. Can you please tell me now how to reach and cross the barrier of +81?
Chela asked.
Yes, but
before going into the details of what to do, you have to understand how the
human brain works.
Brain
and Memory
The human
brain in an adult person weighs an
average of 2% of the person’s body weight. The normal range is 1-2 kg.
Brain size does not determine intelligence. The major players in the brain are nerve
cells called neurons. On an average human brain contains around 100 billion
neurons. The key to our intelligence is not the number or the size of these
neurons but the connections between them.
Brain development in a foetus
is first concentrated on making neurons with
out much networking. After birth,
however, the rate of neuron creation slows down while the rate of connection
skyrockets. It is normal for each neuron to become connected to between 10,000
and 100,000 with others. Over a period of time, neuron creation stops
altogether and then actually goes into reverse as nerve cells gradually die.
Just a few years ago,
scientists thought that neurons worked like computer circuits. This would have
meant that neurons are only ever on or off and that they have no individual
ability to carry more detailed information. Now we know our neurons are far
more advanced than this. In addition to sending a signal, neurons can carry
information about the strength and qualities of the signal and influence the type
of reaction they generate in other neurons. One neuron can even modulate the
signal being sent between two other neurons. In fact, the communication between
neurons accounts for the majority of the brain’s activity.
Memory is a holistic neural activity,
involving many different areas and processes of the brain. There are two types
of memory – Short Term (working) memory and Long – Term memory.
Brain
and Memory
Short Term Memory
It is the
brain’s system for remembering information “in use.”
Most people can hold only five to nine items in their short term memory at one
time. If they try to remember more than that, they will forget the facts.
Long Term Memory
It is that
part of memory storage system that has capacity to retain information over an
extended time. There are three types of long term memory. Procedural memory
represents skill learning which is memory with out verbal mediation. Example: learning how to drive a car. Such
memories are slow to acquire but resistant to change. Declarative memory is
memory of facts and figures. It is quick to acquire but quick to forget also.
Remote memory refers to memories that were acquired early.
Both long
term and short term memories are composed of three processes- encoding, storage
and retrieval. These processes take place at various locations of the brain,
often simultaneously.
Guruji! You have
explained in detail the working of human brain and how the memory works? Can
you tell me in short how I should proceed further so that I can study well and
score good marks in the examination?
Yes! My child,
I am coming to that point.
To
perform well in an examination, you have to answer the questions correctly. For
this, first you have to study and understand the subject thoroughly and then you
have to call back from your memory what you have learnt earlier.
Study
involves listening attentively to the talk by the lecturer in the class,
reading further the topic and repetition of the subject matter so that it does
not fade out from memory.
It can
be seen that memory plays a very important role as far as the performance in
the examination is concerned.
A
systematic and methodological study of
the subject is the most important one.
Methods and Procedures
- Have a separate notebook for
each subject. During the course of teaching in the class, listen carefully
and note down the salient points in the note book.
- At the end of the day,
elaborate the points noted in the class with reference to a standard text
book.
- Write the key
points/summary on to a cue card.
- On week ends read the cue
cards.
- Record your notes on a
digital recorder or mobile phone. Listen to them in your spare time and
try to memorise the matter.
- Make mind maps as a memory
tool. Mind maps are graphical illustration of a subject.
- Try to answer questions
given at the end of a chapter. Also do more problems for practice.
- Set aside regular time for
study. Plan to have a break after every 45/60 minutes.
- Form a friends’ study
group. Share your notes, thoughts and ideas.
- Have a trial (model)
examination. Try to answer previous question papers.
- Get enough sleep so that
you feel refreshed in the morning.
- Engage your mind always in
some activities. The old adage ‘Idle mind is devil’s workshop’ is
perfectly apt. Have a hobby.
- Practise affirmations/autosuggestions.
- Each day set aside
time of about 30 minutes for some sort of physical exercise and
about 15 minutes for yoga and meditation.
- Follow a daily time table
– On the first day it will be a challenge, on the second day it will
become a practice and on the third day it will become a habit.
Improve your Memory
As
mentioned earlier, for performing well in the examination one has to recall
from memory what has been read and learnt earlier. It is a fact that everyone
will not be having a photographic memory; but of course one can improve their
memory by taking some concrete steps.
Tips
-
Memory,
it is being told, is the child of concentration. As such when you are studying a
subject or listening to a lecture in the class, pay complete attention to it and
not get distracted in any way.
-
Convince
yourself that you have good memory. Erase the negative thoughts from your mind.
-
Revise
and repeat the subject matter you want to remember. Flash cards are useful in
this connection. Write the question on one side of the card and the answer on
the otherside.
-
Take
slow and deep breath in between.
Guruji! You just
mentioned about revision. Can you elaborate it further?
Yes. As shown in the
chart diagram below, without revision, we forget 82% within 24 hours.
We remember better at
about 10 minutes after the learning finishes as it needs a few minutes to
store, organize and integrate the different items.
Please note that the
memory decreases sharply after initial learning. We remember only 18% after 24
hours.
So, you must revise in
a systematic way to get the maximum benefit from your hard work.
Guruji! Now I
understand the importance of revision. In other words, one has to read the text
and notes further. What is the proper method of reading?
You
must adopt correct method of reading so that you can get full benefit out of
it. In brief they are:
Reading
- the correct steps
1. Highlight. As you are reading, highlight the important
points you want to remember or the words or ideas that you need to understand.
2. But don’t over highlight. Marking
everything with a highlighter defeats the purpose of making important text
stand out. Make sure you only highlight the truly important parts.
3. Take notes. Write the points in a
notebook or on scratch paper while you are reading.
4. Stay focused. If you feel your mind
straying while you are reading, stop, regain your focus,
and start again. Be sure to backtrack to the point at which your focus began to
soften.
Guruji, you have explained
correct reading procedures and steps to improve memory. But it is found that students of engineering disciplines
generally do not perform well in subjects that involve mathematical problems.
Quite right my boy! While the
students do perform well in theory papers, they do not come up to the desired
level in solving mathematical problems. You must understand that problems are
not to be read but to be done. As such, one must do as many problems as
possible.
Guruji! Now
please tell further the correct steps to perform well in the examination.
That
is quite correct. After all, the most important duty of a student is to perform
well in the examination. The following are the steps in this connection-
Examination Tips
Don't panic on exam day. On the
night before the exam, and in the morning, go through your notes a few times.
Make your own review. Write
your keywords in every topic and use different colors of ink for easy
recognition. When you create your review, use all the resources you have
available. Make sure to personalize it, so that you can enjoy it!
Try and have all your study
notes completed at least 2 weeks before the exam. This allows you plenty of
time to work through for revision and go over and re-read anything you're a bit
hazy on.
In the lead up to exams, try
and get your hands on some exam papers of previous years. Doing these before
the real exam will give you an idea as to what you'll be up against and will
highlight anything you still need to revise.
Don't stress out, it makes your
mind work slower.
Reproduce the academic material
from memory to monitor retention levels at regular intervals as a sort of
self-testing mechanism.
Find as many associations or
ways to connect the new information which your brain is acquiring with the
information which is already securely entrenched in your brain to foster
cohesion in your arsenal of knowledge.
Adopt passionately creative
methods of memorizing related information using numbers, acronyms, mnemonic
poems, wild stories and mental pictures
to truly bring the material alive in a virtually unforgettable way.
Plan effectively the time
available for answering the questions as otherwise you may run out of time. Try
to answer easy questions first in order.
During the exam, avoid blanks.
Try as hard as you can to make an intelligent guess. Take the closest answer
but remember not to take too much of your time in answering one item. Go back
and review your answers if you still
have time.
Students with
their degree certificates
during
convocation
Always have a positive
attitude. Prepare for the worst but expect the best!
Be relentlessly confident in
yourself and your abilities!
