Wednesday, April 25, 2012

How to solve multiple choice questions


How to solve Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ’s)

Multiple choice questions are the questions which have four or five options. And you have to select the right option out of the given options. This type of question is nowadays used in almost all competitive exams and in school and college exams too.

Preparing for the MCQ exams

Unlike essay exams the preparation for an MCQ exam is totally different. In the essay type question, by just having the main headings you can write the whole answer by jotting down your own ideas. But when you are preparing for the MCQ exam, then you need to go through the whole book. Only then you can score very good marks, otherwise you will only get passing marks. So when you are studying from the start of the session then you need to underline all the important lines of the chapter from where the question can be framed. This underlining of the important lines will help you a lot during the exam time. And by just by reading these lines you will be able to prepare for the exams. This is the most effective way to prepare for the MCQ based exams. The other way for preparation for MCQ based exam is to go through all the previous years’ papers and solving them in the given time frame will help you a lot. When you are going through the old question papers, go through all the options which are given in the questions. By doing so, you will get an idea of the part of the chapter from which the question is asked. Sometimes you will find reframed questions from old question papers with the same options. So be ready.  Because the examiner can ask the question from any part of the chapter of the book, you need to prepare from the entire book.

Starting a multiple choice exam

First of all you should fill all the details asked in the Candidate identification grid. While filling this information you should be very careful, because sometimes the wrong information means cancellation of your answer sheet. So be careful while writing the details of personal information. While filling the answers, make the circle in a proper way. If your circles are not properly rounded, then your answer will not be considered and no mark will be allotted for that particular answer. While filling the answers, fill them carefully, sometimes in their hurry students fill in the wrong answers. Sometimes one wrong answer leads to the wrong answers of many more questions. How does this happen? For example you have filled the question-5’s answer in the circle of answer- 6, and so on; in this case all the answers you mark will be wrong after five. In such a case if you find the mistake then try to change the answers quickly and if time is not sufficient then you need to ask for extra time from your invigilator to rectify the mistakes. So it is very necessary for you to be careful while filling the answers.

Some quick tips for MCQ exam

  • Be sure to fill the answers of every question, if negative marking is not there. And if negative marking is there then answer only those questions about which you are sure.
  • Fill the answers carefully at the right space.
  • Completely erase the wrong answer.
  • Be sure not to mark two options for the same question. This will cancel your marks for that question.
  • Work fast during the exams, first solve the easy questions.
  • Underline the keywords in the question booklet. Words like many, some, none, always, never, more, best, bad, sometimes, less, are a sample of key words which can help you to understand the question fast.
  • Mark the questions which you want to reconsider.
  • Check all the answers and personal information before handing over the filled sheet to the examiner. Mark the answers on the question paper also so that you can check it with your answer sheet.

Reconsidering questions and changing answers of MCQ’s
Some research has been conducted on the issue of changing the answers of MCQ’s. The results of the studies suggest that if you have a good reason or a strong idea that the other answer choice is correct, then you can change it.

Monday, April 23, 2012

How to keep yourself active

 

There is a story about the fresh fish in Korea. Korean people always like to eat fresh fish. But there is a problem; sea near to Korea did not have many fish from decades. So the Fishermen of Korea decided to bring the fish from far away sea water. But there was a problem with far away sea water fish. Once they were brought to cities, the fish were not fresh, and Korean did not like the taste. The fishermen got a solution of this problem, they installed freezers in boats. Now the boats can go for farther distances and can stay longer there. However, the Koreans were able to distinguish the taste of fresh and frozen fish, and they did not like the frozen fish.
So, the fishermen tried one another technique to keep fish fresh. They installed some fish tanks in boats. They would catch a fish and stuff them in water tanks. But, in tanks fish used to move for some time after that they stop and become inactive.  They were tired and dull, but still alive. Unfortunately, the Korean can still taste the difference.  Because the fish did not move for many days, they lose their freshness.
Now the Korean companies were facing a big challenge to supply fresh fish to the market. All their previous attempts were failure. They were looking for some new approach to solve this problem.
So, ultimately they got a solution:
To keep the taste of the fish fresh, the Korean companies still keep the fish in water tanks. But, now they did a trick. In the tank they put a small shark. Now this little shark used to eat some fish, but it keeps active the rest of the fish. This way the Korean fishermen were able to supply fresh fish to their countrymen.
 The lesson we get from this story is that to keep ourselves active we need to continuously challenge ourselves. Otherwise we will become inactive and dull and will not be able to achieve much in our lives.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

How to overcome shyness

Shyness is a problem in which a person find it difficult to talk with new people and even he has many other fears like what other people will say when he will do a certain type of work. Shyness hinders a persons growth, it stops him/her taking actions. It is very necessary for students and college going students to overcome shyness. Here, I am giving 10 tips to overcome shyness.

1.      Understand Your Shyness

Try to understand your shyness. What is the situation which makes you shy, try to understand it and then take advice of your parents or teachers.

Seek to understand your unique brand of shyness and how that manifests in your life. Understand what situation triggers this feeling? And what are you concerned with at that point?

2.      Learn to Like Yourself

You should remember that you are the unique person in this world. Practice appreciating yourself and liking the unique expression that is you. Give yourself a treat for your achievements.

3.      Releasing Anxiety through Breath

Whenever you are feeling anxious or not feeling good about yourself practice to become more assertive in order to overcome this problem. Take deep breaths and day all is well.

4.      Releasing Anxiety through Movement

One way of viewing anxiety is that it is blocked energy that needs to be released. We can release this energy through physical movement.

Exercises like jogging or walking will help to re-channel some of the blocked energies, but also helps by pulling you out of the situation and shifts your state of mind. This refreshed state of mind will help by adding perspectives to things.

5.      Visualization

Visualization helps us to overcome our negative pictures. Visualize yourself in the situation as a confident and happy person helps to shape your perception of yourself when you are actually in the situation. Close your eyes, sit back somewhere relaxing, listen to some relaxing music, imagine yourself in a scene or situation and see yourself the way you would like to be. Get all your senses involved to make it real.

6.      Affirmation

Positive words carry incredible energy. What we repeatedly say to ourselves, gets heard by our sub-conscious mind, and it acts accordingly. If we repeatedly tell ourselves that we are incapable, and too shy to do anything, we will become increasingly aware of evidence to back up this ‘fact’, and our actions will always match what we tell ourselves. Similarly, if we repeatedly tell ourselves that we are capable, confident, and wonderful human beings, our unconscious mind will likely surface the awareness that gives evidence to this new ‘fact’. While, we can’t lie to ourselves, positive visualization and affirmation are helpful in placing us along the road of positive thought patterns.

7.      Accept Rejection

Accept the possibility that we can be rejected and learning to not take it personally. Remember, you are not alone and we all experience rejections. It is part of life and part of the learning process. The key lies in how you handle rejections when they come. It helps to be mentally prepared before they happen. Never take it personally. It was not your fault. It just wasn’t meant to be. The scenario was not the best fit for you.

8.      Stop Labelling Yourself

Don’t label yourself as a shy person. You are you, you are unique, and you are beautiful. Can’t we just leave it at that?

9.      Practice Social Skills

Like any other skill, social skills can be learned through practice and experience. The more you put yourself out there, the easier it becomes next time. If you have a hard time knowing what to say, you can practice what to say ahead of time.


10.  Seek and Record Your Successes

As you overcome this condition we’ve been labelling as shyness, you will have many wins and realizations about yourself. You will gain insights into the truth behind social scenarios. You will start to view yourself differently and come to recognize that you can become comfortable and confident. When these wins and realizations happen, make sure to keep a notebook and write them down. Keeping a journal of your successes will not only boost self confidence, but also shift your focus towards something that can benefit you.

Friday, April 20, 2012

How to become a favroite student of your teacher

Here are 10 tips to become a favorite student of your teacher:

  1. Always come to class on time. Most of the teachers notice and recognize students who are always on time and ready to learn.
  2. Come prepared. Have all of your notes, homework and any other material needed for class.
  3. Try to sit in the first two rows of the classroom. Sitting in the front of the room, not only will make you stay awake, but the teacher will notice you.
  4. Pay attention the class when a teacher is teaching. This will reflect that you are interested in the subject. Teachers like the students who pay attention in the class.
  5. Don't make noise in the class by unnecessary chatting while teacher is in class. Normally, talking before/after the bell is okay but don't be too loud. Teachers appreciate students who are quiet and hard working. Be attentive, not talkative, while you're in class.
  6. Ask the relevant questions in class. It will help you to create a good image in the eyes of a good teacher.  
  7. Help the teacher whenever he asks for a volunteer.
  8.  Actively participate in the various cultural and non cultural activities of your school or college. 
  9.   Make your parents go to parent teacher conferences. Advise them to ask how you can do better at the subject.
  10. Thank you your teacher when he is leaves the class after teaching. 

Caution

Even if you do all the above mentioned steps, you still not become all of your teachers favorite. It all depends on the personality of each teacher.

 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

How to set up a study group

Study groups are a good way for small numbers of students to work together. These groups can
range in size from two or three students to six or more, but they shouldn’t get much bigger. When a dozen students try to work together regularly, they’re likely to have scheduling problems and get distracted more easily.
Students in study groups meet regularly to discuss class work and help one another with assignments and
lessons. A good way for these groups to function is to choose one group member to set an agenda for each meeting, based on the class’s current lessons and assignments. It is up to the group to decide whether the same person should take on this responsibility regularly or rotate the job among all of the study group members.
Study groups have clear benefits. Members of small groups are apt to share the same attitude and motivation toward their studies so they are able to focus without being distracted by someone who may not be interested. Also, one group member may grasp certain class material more thoroughly than the others and so can help those who need assistance.
Those who need assistance in one area may, in turn, be more knowledgeable about other points and return the favor. When you set up a study group, you must arrange a few things at the beginning. Members of a new study group should get together after school to work out the details. They need to decide when and how often to meet. Meetings work best when they take place on the same days and times each week, though adjustments can be made. Next, the group should decide where to meet. Meetings can rotate among the homes of the members, but if one member has a perfect place to work and volunteers it, that can be even better. All group members should share the responsibility of providing snacks or refreshments, if there are going to be any, and the responsibility for cleaning up after sessions. At that first meeting, everyone should write down his or her address and phone number on a contact list. A group member with a computer can make copies of the list so that every member has the information.
If the group has trouble staying focused because a particular member or members cause distractions the group’s makeup may need to change. When they are properly organized, study groups can help the performance of all the students involved.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Tips to control your mind for study

 
To study effectively it is very necessary to control your mind. Because a controlled mind only can give you desired results.   Here are some ways through which you can control your mind.
  1. Weed out petty negativity: The best way to practice this is to make watertight compartments for your mind. I know  it’s easier said than done but  this is  a sure shot way to overcome distraction. Say, you’ve a personal problem that constantly distract you from your study; you need to  solve the  problem first, before you begin study. One's the problem is solved tell yourself that you’ll not allow anger/negativity to bother you.  
  2. What distracts you? Identifying distracting thoughts is the most important way of controlling the mind. Figure out why you’re not able to focus or pay attention and what keeps your mind per-occupied? Give yourself time to identify these thoughts and write them down. After you’re through with writing them, see them objectively and then you know why these are disturbing and harmful for you. Encourage self talk to overcome this. Once you start doing this regularly, you’ll know how to eliminate these thoughts from your mind. 
  3. Meditate: Remember, meditation is for the mind, what food is to body. It helps in a holistic way, re-energizing you and thereby helping you to control your mind. Learn to relax and meditate even while working. Close your eyes for a while and try concentrating on an object. If you can concentrate for some time, you’ll be the master of your mind very soon. 
  4. Know yourself well: To keep your mind in control, you need to know yourself . You’ve to be aware of who you are and your study goals. Then you can ask your mind to follow you, otherwise, you’ll blindly follow an in disciplined mind and in the end, go nowhere.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

A book worth reading for all students

Dear friends

Recently i have published a new book for students. This book is very helpful during your school and college years. Many strategies about the study and personal development is given in the book.

If your want to purchase it, you can follow the following link to purchase it. It is available on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Study-Made-Easy-ebook/dp/B007NW01NE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334548511&sr=1-1

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Time saving tips for students

Here are 10 time saving tips for students.

  1.  Reduce the number of your TV watching hours.
  2. Use waiting time effectively- take some book or handy notes with you and read them while waiting for a bus or something else.
  3. Reduce the number of useless phone calls.
  4. Set a fixed time for the Internet use; don’t waste time in useless chatting and checking e-mail.
  5. Use travel time effectively- if you get a place to sit, you can read small topics and if you are in crowded bus or train then carry palm size cards with new terms, formula, and other memory chores so that your sitting or standing time becomes learning time.
  6. Learn to say no- for example, a friend of yours would like you to see a movie with him tonight. You made social plans for tomorrow with your friends and tonight you were going to study. You really are not interested. You want to say no, but you hate turning people down. Politely saying no should become a habit. Saying no frees up time for the things that are most important.
  7. Avoid useless chatting with friends.
  8. Avoid playing lot of games on computer; it is also the biggest time waster.
  9. Make a diary of task you want to achieve during the day. It will help you to utilize your time effectively.
  10. Notice the useless activities during the day and try to minimize them. It will save enough time for you. 

Monday, April 9, 2012

How to overcome pear pressure






Here is a great video on how to overcome pear pressure in School and college life:





Sunday, April 8, 2012

How to discipline

Here I am giving you some methods using which you can make yourself more disciplined and can get more success in your academics and life by putting disciplined efforts.

Planning- To be organized first of all you need to do some planning of your entire day’s activities. In the previous chapter I have given you a study plan. Use this plan to design your own study plan and daily activities plan. Follow this plan and at the end of the day check your progress with your plan. Compare your day’s activities with planned activities and if any grievance is there identify that grievance and remove it the next day. This is the best way to make yourself disciplined.

Execution- Whatever activities you planned in the planning part if you do not have the willpower to execute those activities, then the whole process of planning will be a waste. So you need to develop will power to follow your planned activities.

Timing- Fix a particular time for every activity. And try to finish that activity in the given time. Follow this timing each day. Like if you have fixed 6 to 6.30 as the time for physical exercise then finish your exercise every day at the same time. By doing an activity regularly everyday, you will become accustomed to doing that activity. After some time without putting much effort you will be able to do that activity everyday.

Continuity- You need to maintain continuity in your daily activities. Until and unless you follow your daily planned activities, you are not going to be disciplined. To become disciplined, continuity should be there.

To be disciplined, you need a lot of courage and willpower. Until and unless you put your sincere efforts in the direction of self discipline, you will not be able to achieve it.

How to prioritize study time

We can  divide priorities as:
URGENT – must be done now.
IMPORTANT – must be done soon.
UNIMPORTANT – must be done eventually.

In our daily life we come across many works which are useful or unuseful. According to the urgency of work we need to prioritize our work.

Same equation apply to the study also. We should give maximum time to the difficult subjects and less time to the easy subjects.

At the time of tests and exam we should prioritize or study time. We should divide our time as urgent for less studied subjects, important for studied subjects and unimportant for well studied subjects.

This will help you to prepare well for your exams. 

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

What are learning styles



A learning style is a way of learning. Different people have different learning styles. Your preferred learning style is the way in which you learn best. Three learning styles that are often identified in students are the Auditory Learning Style, the Visual Learning Style, and the Tactile/Kinaesthetic Learning Style. Read, the below mentioned article to identify your preferred learning styles.

Auditory learning style
Auditory learners are those who learn best when they hear the information. Have you observed yourself learning best when a teacher lectures in class or during class discussions? Do listening to audio tapes help you learn faster? Do you find yourself reading aloud or talking things out to gain better understanding? If the answer of these questions is yes, then you are probably an auditory learner.

Visual learning style
Visual learners are those who learn best when information is presented in visual format such as pictures or diagrams or in a written language format. Do you learn faster in classes in which teachers provide clear handouts, and make extensive use of an overhead projector, do a lot of writing at the chalkboard,? Do you try to remember information by creating pictures in your mind? Do you take detailed written notes from your textbooks and in class? If the answer of these questions is yes, then you are probably a visual learner.

Tactile/Kinaesthetic learning style
Tactile/Kinaesthetic learners are those who learn best in practical  learning settings in which they can physically manipulate something in order to learn about it. Do you do well in classes in which there is a practical lab? Do you learn best when you can move about and handle things? Do you learn better when you have an actual object in your hands rather than a picture of the object or a verbal or written description of it? If the answer of these questions is yes, then you are probably a tactile/kinaesthetic learner.

You may be still confuse about your learning styles. Because we do not only use a single learning style, but a mix of all these three styles. The only thing we can observe is that out of these three learning styles, there will be one which we use more often and which gives us maximum learning. So try to identify your best learning style and then use that style for your benefit. When you choose a major and future career, keep your learning style firmly in mind.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Request for Comments

Dear readers,


We are sharing valuable information about the various study matters. I request your to leave comments on the topics, which you think is valuable for you. As well as you can also ask me about your study related doubts.


 Regards

Pradhumn Kumar