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10 Common Mistakes Students Make While Studying for Exams

Every student takes tension about examination preparation and tries every other tip and trick to improve their academic grades. While most students buckle up to beat the academic pressure, with the examination stress, students often make certain mistakes that impact their performance negatively and grades. Students tend to get confused among the hassle-bustle of the preparation, following time-table, sticking to the plan, studying complex topics, revision, and much more, Thus, it is important to identify the common mistakes that we often unknowingly commit and avoid them to improve our overall academic preparation. For this, we have listed down 10 common mistakes students make while studying for exams to help you avoid them and make you exam-ready for the upcoming examination schedule.

Here are some common mistakes students make while studying for exams:

Not Revising - 

Students often underestimate the importance of revision and practice. Most students want to cover more syllabus at the end time and even end up picking up on fresh and complex topics. This affects the information retention power of the students, leaving them to forget everything during exams. Revision helps reinforce concepts and improve memory retention.

Not revising the topics can lead to remembering fractions or no information you acquired while preparing for exams. You must save some time prior to the examination to revise it better. This will help you remember all the freshly acquired information and perform better in exams. Whether you leave the 20 percent portion of the syllabus, remember to revise the remaining 80% timely for better results.

Procrastinating - 

Often, students leave studying tough topics for later and procrastinate until the last day, which negatively impacts academic preparation. Postponing studying for later can lead to stress and anxiety, which further degrades your confidence level. Also, some students forget everything they have learned in the last-minute hassle. Some might even fall sick because of exam anxiety and examination pressure. So, whenever you are creating an exam timetable plan for yourself, stick to that rather than procrastinating to get better results.

When you work according to your pre-decided plan, there is no gap left in exam preparations and you also get time for revision.

Being distracted - 

Another mistake that students make is getting distracted by multiple things during study time. Distractions from social media, games, and messaging apps can waste study time. Often students get engaged in their mobile phones, social media, and other things which impact their concentration cycle and lower their grades. 

Students can turn off notifications, use website blockers, and designate specific study hours to create a distraction-free environment. In case you need breaks, do not get engaged in your mobile phones or TVs, rather give a break to your eyes. Try standing up and moving a little to improve blood circulation. This will provide you with proper relief and mental break and also blood circulation will enhance your concentration level. 

Panicking -  

A lot of students face anxiety and fear of examinations, which leads to panic and restlessness in them. This feeling negatively impacts a child’s mindset and doesn’t let them study properly. Anxiety can cloud judgment and make it difficult to think clearly. Another reason for panicking can be not preparing for the examinations on time and leaving everything for the end time which creates stress. Not following the timetable and procrastinating are the main factors that create panic among students. 

To combat this, students can practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing, and positive visualization. If you have a phobia of exams, practicing these techniques will definitely provide you with some relief. 

Ignoring Previous Papers -  

One of the biggest mistakes students make is not testing their knowledge before exams. It is always important to evaluate whatever you have learned to understand how much you remember, what you have learned so far, and how well you can answer the questions. Sometimes the questions in the exam paper are tricky and based on the concepts that need practice. Past years' question papers can provide insight into the exam pattern and question types. 

Also, by attending to previous papers you can track your time of finishing with exams. Accordingly, you can enhance your performance. Ignoring the previous year’s question paper will steal the opportunity to understand the question paper format and question types.   

Ignoring difficult concepts - 

Students end up studying in chronological order rather than on a priority basis. Most students pick up the notes and syllabus in the book in chronological order and do not prioritize tough and important topics in their study pattern. This consumes a lot of their time and they end up leaving the important topics. Some students who do not wish to go through the hard work of giving time to understand complex topics ignore them. This will take up a large portion of marks off from your plate. 

Students often ignore concepts they find difficult to understand, which can lead to lost marks in exams. Always prioritize the portion of the syllabus that carries higher marks to clarify most of the topics that need your attention the most. You can also start with what has been taught at the last which are usually the important ones. 

Not having a plan - 

The biggest mistake is not knowing your goals or not having a plan. Students just start up studying randomly without any plan or strategy which lowers their academic preparation. You must create small goals to work towards them in the given time. Students who may not know what their goal is, end up wasting their time and aren’t able to finish up with their syllabus till the last. 

Thus, you must create a plan and goal to prioritize everything important to you. This will help you cover everything in time and focus on all the important topics. 

 

Memorizing Over Understanding - 

During the exam crunch, most students prioritize cramming facts rather than gaining a thorough understanding of the concepts. This is the biggest mistake and approach that students opt for to swiftly move through the syllabus. However, most students instantly forget whatever they have crammed a few moments earlier. With such a vast syllabus, it is not possible to remember all the crammed material and it creates confusion among students. 

Furthermore, examination patterns have changed over the years, and questions these days are based on the concepts and not just plain definitions that most students chum up. Thus, it is important to focus on a deeper understanding of the topics to get better results. Plan your study schedule on time and stick to that to avoid last-minute hassle. When you start early and stick to the systematic pattern, you won’t have to memorize things. 

Using the wrong study method - 

Not every exam pattern is the same and thus using the same study method is not the right approach. Most students end up using the same study format for all of their examinations, which degrades their performance in exams. For example, for - MCQ-based questions, trying flashcards might be the right approach, but using them for long-conceptual-based topics won’t work. Students may use the wrong study method if they are stuck with the same study pattern. 

If you are preparing for conceptual-based questions, you must use a different approach that helps you clarify your understanding. Using the wrong study method can get you into trouble. If you are preparing the same way for short one-word questions the same way as long ones, indeed it is going to consume all the crucial time of your preparation, leaving you stuck in between. Always use a thoughtful study method as per the question paper format. 

 

Following peers -  

Another mistake that sets students back in their exam preparation is peer pressure. Often under the influence of social circles, friends, groups, peers mates, students end up following them rather than doing what is best for them. Students may follow their peers instead of doing what's best for their well-being. 

For instance, your friend might be able to revise the concepts through the last exam time but you need more time to get through the syllabus for a deeper understanding and remembrance. But under the influence of your peer, you also might end up starting at the last time which will degrade your performance in the exams. 

Conclusion 

We have listed a majority of the mistakes that students commonly make while studying for exams. If you have identified any of the mistakes that relate to you, it's better to eradicate them to expect better performance and marks in exams. Also, if you are looking for any further academic assistance, the best way is to consult with your teachers, parents, home tutors, etc. You can always reach out to the private tutor at your home if you do not understand any concept or need any other assistance. 

In case you need a personal tutor, look out for the best home tutor-providing platform. One such tutor-providing platform is OTOO.