Your board exams are here. You have been preparing for them for your whole academic year now. Some of you started your preparations even before that. Now it is time for you to prove how well you understood all that you were taught by your teachers, and score a great percentage. The importance of these exams has already been drilled into your heads. You know that your school score will help you get a better college. In fact, if you opt for a masters program later on, a high score in your board exams will give you preference there as well. So what can you do now, that will help you perform better?
With so little time on your hands, it is imperative that you set your goals straight. What is it that you are hoping to achieve? Do you have a concrete plan regarding what you want to do after these exams are over? Will you be moving from 10th grade to 11th and need to pick a stream? Or will you be starting college and need to make more concrete career decisions?
Your goals will decide your success
Believe it or not, what you want to achieve will help immensely. Your goals will keep you motivated and give you the focus that you need at this point. They will ensure that you do not give up or get discouraged. Even the goals that you set right now can be of two types. You can have short term goals which are immediate in nature and deal with the exams themselves. The other kind is long term goals which factor in things like your life plans and career priorities.
So which kind of goals should you be picking?
Do you pick short term goals that give you a sense of urgency and encourage you to work harder? Or do you aim for the longer term prospects and carefully plan out your career? But why compromise at all? Get the best of both worlds! Pick a goal that not only pushes you to work harder, but also helps you keep focused on the task at hand. Combine your immediate goal with your long term vision and you will be able to create a definite outline for your career.
Start with the immediate challenges
Your exams are days away. You have no doubt created a timetable for yourself right now. Now it is time to follow it. Your goal right now should be to get as much study hours every day as possible. Set time aside for sleep, food and some general rest. Also keep at least an hour where you can go out for a walk and take a break. Make sure that you follow your own short term plan. Inculcate discipline or you will find it very hard to achieve what you have set out for.
Combine it with your grander vision
Focus on your strengths. There will be some subjects that you will not be so good at, while there will be a few where you can score well with little effort. Decide a general career direction, so that you know which subjects will affect your career the most. Then make these subjects a priority. If you struggle with them, set aside more time for them. The knowledge that these subjects will affect your future will help you stay focused and disciplined.
So now you know how to set goals that help you succeed, start right away. Remember, success is about being in the right state of mind, and having the right goals to pursue helps you be more positive and confident!
