Have you ever felt like you’re reading for long stretches of time, only to forget everything moments before the exam? Middle and high school students experience this more than most. The key to performing better on tests is to study efficiently, not to study more. Parents’ contributions to this process involve establishing the right conditions and the right frame of mind. This guide focuses on a few simple, scientifically validated strategies for how to study effectively, sessions into meaningful outcomes that improve focus, retention, and confidence before exams.
Winning Strategies for Effective Studying
Would you like to transform your study hours into success on your tests? Here is your guide on how to study strategically and efficiently along with study proven strategies for middle and high school students in India and their parents. Prioritizing these strategies will result in improved concentration, retention, and performance!
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Prepare Your Study Time Table
- Prepare your daily time table, making sure to include school, sleep, meals, and time for play.
- Divide your syllabus into smaller, daily tasks (1 chapter for each subject is a good maximum)
- In each study session, aim for 25-30 minutes of study, followed by a 5-minute break (this is called the Pomodoro technique)
- Parents: Make a plan together; your involvement will help your child feel that the plan is achievable.
- Be flexible: It’s absolutely fine if the time you allocated to a topic is not enough.
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Add Active Learning Components to Your Studying
- Remember to stop reading the textbook and passively take your notes. Instead, write summaries of chapters in your own words.
- Create and colour coordinate mind maps to visually organize and connect ideas.
- Explain what you learned to family members – this is the most effective way to strengthen your own memory!
- Prepare flashcards and test yourself. This will help you identify areas that need improvement.
- Parents: Encourage your child to explain concepts to you.
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Get the Feel of the Actual Exam
- Complete the past 5 years of exam papers in your allotted time for each subject.
- You must not consider a mistake as a failure. Recognize them, as each is a valuable learning opportunity.
- Be sure to develop your answers to the types of questions that CBSE most frequently asks (i.e., multiple choice, case studies, and long response questions)
- Parents: Provide a designated space for your child to take their mock exams.
- Each subject requires you to do one complete past paper each week.
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Fuel Your Brain Right
- Get 7-8 hours’ sleep (cognitive skills improve while we sleep)
- Foods for the brain are: nuts, fruits, yoghurt, and dark chocolate
- Take 5-min break every hour and hydrate (having a water bottle nearby helps)
- Parents: screen time has to be limited, and there are to be zones with no distractions
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Master Smart Revision
- Long-term retention is reinforced when reviewing is done on days 1, 3, 7, and 14. Try spaced repetition
- Combine similar topics for Math then Science then Computer so that you can enhance flow and focus
- For each chapter, prepare summary notes on a single page, including important details and equations
- Every Sunday evening, set aside time to do a full syllabus review so you can assess how much progress you’re making
- Organize topics with different colours to make revision quick and to improve ease of visual revision
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Stay Consistent & Positive
- Track progress in a journal each day
- Small milestones should be celebrated (finish chapter= 15 min break)
- Share success stories with peers, not concerns
- Parents: Effort should be recognized, not just the results
- Consistency is more important than the intensity
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BONUS: Tech-Smart Study Hacks
- Quizlet and Forest (focus timer) are two examples of useful free apps
- Explanation of concepts can be recorded for later replay
- For difficult concepts, try 5-min YouTube videos
- WhatsApp study groups with classmates are good to have
- Phone should be on “Do Not Disturb” when you want to focus on your studies
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Pre-Exam Confidence Boosters
- Get enough sleep before the exam (no staying up late!)
- Prepare your exam kit the day before: pens, water, ID, etc.
- Try 5-minute breathing: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4
- Picture yourself walking confidently into the exam hall.
- Last 30 mins: Only review, no new topics.
At The Adhyayana International Public School (TAIPS), our CBSE curriculum helps students learn how to study through routine and workshop scaffolding. Want to improve your exam performance? Come to our CBSE School.
