10 best ideas to stay ahead of tight schedule during exam time

Source: http://blogs.utas.edu.au/

Exam time is usually a tensed period for most students. There are always butterflies in the stomach 1 hour before the exam. I still experience it. It’s a normal phenomenon.

In today's fast paced environment, nobody has the time or to rephrase it, Nobody has the skill to manage time. It seems that time flies. It's not the time, it's our management of time. You need to be really organized to study before exams.

This is the time to learn some awesome tips to get ahead of the schedule before exam time. Nothing instills more fear than an international exam.

Everyone is unique therefore, you have to seek your personal best to do well. Always remember the golden rule of 'Practice'. It will help you to achieve your targets in every field of life.

1. Relax and Meditate

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The first thing to do is relax and be calm. You need not to panic. It is your enemy, you have to be brave enough to fight with the nervousness level. Take some time to yourself. Relax and rejuvenate to give a freshness to your brain. Do whatever you like to do. Go for a morning walk, Do some yoga or exercise. This will help you to remain active all day long.

Watch this to relax

2. Make a timetable

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Failure to plan is planning to fail. Therefore, planning is the foundation stone for every task. Start by having a schedule for your study and draw your priorities. List down all the things which you want to do in a day. Write them on a piece of paper. Increase the time for study period and reduce the activities of higher interests and less priorities such as using Social media, going for Movies or parties.

Make a timesheet now

3. Eat healthy

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It happens with a lot of students who are in panic and anxiety, that they start skipping their meals. It is not recommended because you may fall sick. There will be weakness in your body. It is a common saying that a sound mind resides in sound body. If you will take healthy diet you will feel energetic. This will help you to study well. Include healthy snacks like cashew nuts, almonds in your daily diet and exclude unhealthy fast foods and beverages.

Check out this stress buster diet plan

4. Sleep well

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It is highly suggested by experts that one should take 7 or 8 hours sleep. It not only reduces the chances of common diseases but also helps you have a sound mind and body. Take out time for at least eight hours to sleep.

5. Collect important notes

Take the help of your teachers and your friends to collect important notes. You can prepare yourself by collecting information from the books and the internet. Be prepared and start collecting notes one month prior to the exam. Do not wait until the last minute. As haste makes waste. Nothing will comes out to be great in the very last minutes. Preparing ahead of time gives you enough time to plan ahead for the exam day.

6. Make Notes of skeptical questions

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Write down the key notes and highlight questions of doubt. Writing is very imperative for preparation of an exam. It helps you to memorize as much as you can. The more you practice writing, the more you will learn. There might be some questions of doubt. Mark them down, repeat these questions with  your friends and teachers. Take help of books, hop into a library, there will be immense resources to clarify your doubts.

7. Sharpen your saw

This is one of the 7 habits of highly effective people according to the book by Stephen R. Covey. You need to sharpen your tools. Be resourceful, organize and follow your study plan. Manage your time, play, eat and sleep well.  Know more about the book or Get the book now

8. Don't forget to revise

In order to anchor the study material. Revise, Revise and Revise. Revision helps you to make a picture of exactly what you have learned and help you really in the exam. Trust me, if you don't revise it, you will forget 60% of the studied material.

9. Organize your tools

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You are not going for an army camp. But you have tools to take with you in the exam such as pen, pencil, calculator. Look at the instructions manual and get your things packed before the day of exam. You will miss some of your tools if you linger it for the exam day.

10. Appreciate Yourself

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Do not forget to treat yourself after you have followed and managed everything. After the exam, celebrate with your loved ones. Go for party, watch movies and just chill now because you have done this.

Please feel free to post any questions about PTE in the comments section, I will be happy to answer all your questions during the weekends.

Thank you for reading my blog. I will post my next blog in the last week of August to give you more information and content about Pearson Test of English.

11 Quick tips to write a compelling essay in International language test

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11 Quick tips to write a compelling essay in English

There are around 2 million people who give international English language exam with British council only. I am also a student from India. I know about the problems which students face while preparing for their exams.

My previous blog post was all about PTE and how you can prepare for this test. Pearson test of English is a latest exam for the students who want to go for overseas studies. It becomes difficult for the students to crack the IELTS exam. Majority of the institutions have the criteria which demands a certain band score level for the students to qualify for the admission in the foreign university. The students from North parts of India find it complex. They try to take the IELTS test again and again. I know some of the students who used to book 5 test dates at a time. I know it’s too much. Yes, guys and girls if you do not want to take this test repeatedly. You should try PTE. It’s a life saver. You can achieve desired results with the help of PTE.

The major concern for most of the students is how they can improve their writing skills. In order to improve writing skills you need to follow the following tips to write an attractive essay which can result in better score in IELTS or PTE.

The tips to enhance your writing skills are:

1. Be positive

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It is important to write in a positive perspective. Writing in a negative manner may portray you as a pessimistic person. You should always think positive. It gives a sound vibe to the examiner. Try to avoid the use of socially unacceptable words in the essay. It is an international test. So, it will be better to be aware of your language and tone of the paragraphs. 

2. Write to the point

It is always encouraged to write to the point. You need not to write crammed sentences in the essay. As the checker of this exam are quite familiar with the repetitive sentences. If you are talking about the same point again and again then it will not make any sense. You might have heard about this common saying that Do not beat about the bush, come to the point. Therefore, you should also write to the point.

3. Synchronization

The word synchronization means matching, here matching is in the sense of relation. Are you relating the first paragraph of your essay with the second one and the next paragraphs. If your paragraphs are following different directions then you may loose marks. The paragraphs are interdependent upon each other. Always look for the right balance of all the words and phrases while writing.

4. Prepare in advance

The first rule of every exam is preparedness. You should always be ready to prepare in advance. If you have not prepared for the exam. You will find difficulty in writing an essay. There are number of books which are available in the market and on Amazon which you can refer to prepare for an exam.

5. Enrich your vocabulary knowledge

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To write a compelling essay, you must have knowledge of the topic, ideas to write down and rich vocabulary. The only friend you can rely upon for the enrichment of your vocabulary is your very own dictionary. Maker it a habit to learn  at least five new words from the dictionary. Use google to help you out in knowing the meaning, pronunciation and use of these words.

6. Use idioms

Learn idioms. They are interesting and easy to use. You can use them appropriately to enhance the quality of your writing. I personally like to use idioms a lot. But there is a caution. Do not use them inappropriately and unnecessarily. The examiner may feel it as a crammed content and you may loose marks. Learn idioms now.

7. Use connectors or fillers

The use of connectors not only join two sentences but also makes more sense to your writing. There are number of connectors which can be used to improve synchronization of one sentence with the other. Learn new connectors and it's usage by searching more about them on google. Check some connectors

8. Use examples

Examples are your helping hand. They always saves you. You can write and go on and on with examples. Give real life examples, show your knowledge about the field of your interest. It is better to give explanation with instances which you see in your daily life. Increase your knowledge about the current affairs by reading newspapers.

9. Simplicity is key

You heard it right. Write simple sentences. I am not contradicting my point of vocabulary. Simplicity means write simple phrases which are grammatically correct. Do not run after the sentences which are made by using complex vocabulary and have no meaning. Be aware of those errors. Use simple language to express your opinions.

10. Write small sentences

The major change which I have absorbed to improve my writing is to make small sentences. In North America, people use short sentences. Try to make a sentence of no more than 35 words. A sentence more than 50 words is supposed to be a long sentence. So, try to avoid those long and dull sentences. Switch to small sentences which are useful.

11. Proof read

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No matter how smart you are, you will make mistakes. Everyone does. To err is human. It is better to proof read your work. Make sure you double check your spellings and articles before leaving the exam hall. Do not use the spelling which you are not sure of. Use synonyms if unsure.

These are the tips you can use to ace in the exams of writing. Please feel free to comment on this blog. If you have any question , ask in the comments section. I frequently check my blog posts and will give a prompt reply to all my queries.  If you like my blog, please share it on social media. Thank you for reading my blog.