HSC is going to be more challenging

You are now in an interesting phase of your life. You have just entered Class XI. These are days when you feel elated that you have switched over to a higher level of learning. The excitement is fine. But along with that you should have a strong determination to excel in your academic work. This indeed is a crucial phase. There are three significant crossroads in the academic life of a person — after the 10th, after the 12th and after the bachelor’s degree. Out of these, the most important turning point is after the 12th. You are heading for that crossroad. You may turn your academic life one way or the other after the 12th.
How you plan to meet that decisive moment? Intelligent planning and effective execution are essential for success in any activity. What are the areas you should focus on when you are on the threshold of Plus-One or Plus-Two studies?
Goal setting
You should have a dream, a goal. In fact, you should have several goals. There should be short-term goals at different stages to reach your long-range goal. Your dream may be to become a thoracic surgeon, lawyer, cinematographer, architect, electronics engineer, journalist, or a great farmer. Right from now, every move should keep the final goal in view.
Concentration
Hold a matchstick in the hot sun on a bright day for a few minutes. Nothing special happens. Now hold it against the sun so that the firing tip is in the focus of a convex lens. In a few seconds the matchstick gets ignited. This is because the thermal rays falling on the lens are focused on the tip. The human mind is similar. If you do a thing with full concentration, you can achieve much. If your mind wanders, you achieve little even if you work for a longer period. Study with full concentration.
When you prepare for an examination, you should have three basic tools — the syllabi, standard textbooks and question papers of the previous examinations. It is a good idea to read the text in advance and go to the classroom, where you would get your doubts cleared by the teacher’s lecture or subsequent interaction.
Timetable
Prepare a personal timetable in the beginning of the year. Earmark more time for subjects you feel are relatively difficult. Make the timetable workable. Arrange the different subjects properly. Provide brief breaks. The study hours should suit your personal preference. Draw up separate timetables for working days and holidays.
Allow time for recreation, general reading, and household duties. Revise the timetable every month, in tune with practical requirements. Make a monthly plan, and an annual schedule.
It is not the duration of time that decides the efficiency of your learning. If you adopt efficient methods of learning, you can achieve more in less time. In other words, you should develop good study habits.
Numerical problems
Suppose you want to study how to solve a certain type of numerical problem. If you just read it from a textbook, the worked-example will give you an impression that the solution is very easy. But when you try to solve a similar problem independently on a later occasion, you may get held up. Try to solve the problem without reference to the textbook. If you get held up at some stage, go back to the book and get your doubts clarified.
Sketches
Studying subjects such as science and technology involve the use of several sketches while explaining ideas and concepts. You have to remember such sketches and draw them in the answer books during the examination. A sketch that appears to be simple may prove to be too tough to be drawn from memory. So you have to practise drawing them, initially by referring to the text and later on independently.
Do not think too much on the time when you should start all these. Never keep for tomorrow what you can do today. There is a fine formula that will help us on most occasions: do it now.
Right style of reading
You need not read aloud, except for correcting pronunciation or appreciating poetry. Practice silent reading; you can adjust the reading speed to suit the topic. If it is easy, you can read fast. Do not move your tongue and lips. Do not read word by word. Do not go for finger-pointing or head swinging. After reading a passage, see whether, you can recall what you read. Write out the points you have gathered. See whether you can describe in your own words what you read. Try to improve your reading speed, without sacrificing comprehension.
Dictionary habit
When you do not know the meaning of a word, refer a dictionary; do not ask someone to tell you the meaning. It is a good idea to use a learners’ dictionary that provides short illustrative sentences to bring out the usage of words. Practise right pronunciation of words.
Mnemonics
What is mnemonics? You know that VIBGYOR tells you the seven colours of the sunlight in the right order. This is a mnemonic. You can make your own mnemonics when you have to remember various points in a specific order.
Make it a habit to note down the important points mentioned by the teacher in the classroom. You need not write the note in full sentences. Keep eye contact with the teacher in the classroom.
Descriptive questions
When you learn essays, do it with full concentration. Write out the points, and if necessary make a mnemonic to remember the points in the right sequence. Try to write out some of the essays, as if you were in the examination hall. Even in the examination, there is no harm in writing the points first and then expanding each point to form the essay. Use simple language and short sentences. Draw sketches wherever possible. While solving numerical problems, write out the relevant steps. If you get held up with a problem, leave that, go to other questions and answer them, then go back and try the unfinished problem.
Entrance examination
Those who prepare for entrance examinations know that the content of the board examination and the entrance tests are the same, but the question styles are different. Entrance tests use objective type questions, usually of the multiple choice variety. Make the studies for the board examination and the entrance tests complementary – one helping the other.
Try to answer both the board examination questions and the entrance style objective questions, as if you were in the examination hall. Analyse your mistakes, if any, during the rehearsals and avoid them in future.
Enjoy examinations
Never get nervous in the examination hall. Keep yourself calm and composed. If you have prepared well, there is no room for anxiety. Plan your work and work your plan. Keep your self-confidence at its peak. Success is yours.