You too can secure + 81% in the examination

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

1. 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.
2. At the end of the day, elaborate the points noted in the class with reference to a standard text book.
3. Write the key points/summary on to a cue card.
4. On week ends read the cue cards.
5. Record your notes on a digital recorder or mobile phone. Listen to them in your spare time and try to memorise the matter.
6. Make mind maps as a memory tool. Mind maps are graphical illustration of a subject.
7. Try to answer questions given at the end of a chapter. Also do more problems for practice.
8. Set aside regular time for study. Plan to have a break after every 45/60 minutes.
9. Form a friends’ study group. Share your notes, thoughts and ideas.
10. Have a trial (model) examination. Try to answer previous question papers.
11. Get enough sleep so that you feel refreshed in the morning.
12. Engage your mind always in some activities. The old adage ‘Idle mind is devil’s workshop’ is perfectly apt. Have a hobby.
13. Practise affirmations/autosuggestions.
14. Each day set  aside  time of about 30 minutes for some sort of physical exercise and about 15 minutes for yoga and meditation.
15. 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!