You think you are putting all the effort but still not getting the expected results? Well, you might be making some mistakes or not doing exactly what you should.
FSc board exams are very tricky, even trickier than MDCAT because you need to take care of your paper presentation along with concepts and preparation. Also, the FSc score makes up 50 percent of your aggregate so you can definitely not afford to lose marks in this section.
Here are a few things you might not be doing and hence, not getting desired results. Let's see what those things are.
1. Are you doing enough Self-Study?
As an FSc student, you don’t get to learn every chapter of the book in an equal manner. Some chapters get ignored compared to others that you know really well and you only need a little revision.
You should take the lead of your own journey and whatever areas you feel you are lagging on, work on them NOW.
Instead of dragging yourself with the usual course of taking written exams, have some days off and do some self-study. Because the only thing you should be doing in your board exam is; REVISION, not LEARNING.
Remember do not only focus on hard work only but take hard work and smart work both, hand in hand.
If you want in-person guidance on how to do self-study and need proper schedule, then talk to our counsellor now.
2. Are you studying from Past Papers?
Believe me studying from past papers works WONDERS!
Especially the MCQs portion. I totally recommend you solving past papers’ MCQs for all the subjects because they’re repeated very often and also give you an idea about what kind of questions are given in the board exam.
Also, look for the essays given in Urdu and English past papers because they can be repeated too.
So, all-in-all you get a holistic idea about the questions to expect in board exams and you will be mentally prepared for them.
3. Ignoring Practical's Preparation?
Practicals carry a whole 90 marks in your FSc exam and a lot of times students don’t pay enough attention to them and end up losing marks in this section.
It’s very difficult to take time out of your MDCAT preparation later on for practicals’ preparation so you should be prepared beforehand. Even if you take out just a single day and give a read to the practicals, it’ll be a lot easier to retain in the second read.
Practicals are not really difficult but if you’re planning on covering the entire syllabus just a few days before the exam, it’s not going to work. So at least go through the following areas before the board exam so you wouldn’t have a lot left after exams.
-Salt analysis (Chemistry)
-Floral families (Biology)
-Graphs from 1st-year portion and circuit diagrams from 2nd-year portion (Physics)
4. Do you also rely on Pairing Scheme of Questions?
Board administration hasn’t promised to follow the pairing pattern strictly in the papers, so give yourself a little margin while preparing according to the pairing scheme.
This does not mean that you should ignore pairing scheme altogether, but instead of preparing yourself for just 3 long questions, prepare two more chapters AT LEAST, so you might be able to attempt the long questions in case pairing gets a little changed.
5. How is your Paper Presentation?
Paper presentation is extremely important in board exam and this is not something that’ll take a lot of your time. Just the right amount of practice and you’ll be able to attempt your paper with much better presentation.
We’ve given a few examples here that you can follow to make your paper more eye-catching.
6. I know you are not practicing Diagrams:
Some diagrams are really important and they hold marks in the long questions, especially in the case of Biology and Physics. Don’t expect yourself to learn the diagrams perfectly by just looking at them. You have to practice making them (it won’t take more than an hour).
You wouldn’t want to lose marks due to a little mistake in a diagram while attempting long questions. Here are some examples:
7. You should give Authentic References in Essays:
References make a really good impact on the examiner, especially in the essay questions of Urdu and English subject. Highlight them with marker and they’ll surely guarantee you extra marks in the exam.
Here are a few examples of how to include references in your paper.
8. Some students change ink pen right before the board exam:
This might sound a bit too much, but this can cost you a lot. Fsc exams require you to write a lot and write too fast. You have to fill 30-32 sheets within two and a half hours with proper presentation and neat writing.
So make sure you don’t change your pen two or three days before the exam. Your ink pen should be smooth and easy to write with.
9. Draining yourself too much Before Exams? Not a good Idea!
Don’t ruin your sleep cycle before the exam or don’t overwork yourself. You have to be in the best mental state for your exam in order to give your hundred percent. So save a little energy for that drill.
Take a day or two off, go for a walk, sleep well, meditate and prepare yourself mentally for the exam. You have to give your best!
10. Are you avoiding the Distraction?
Do yourself a little favor, eliminate everything from your routine that you think distracts you from the study. You cannot expect yourself to concentrate when your phone is beeping with notifications from different apps or if you have 50 unchecked messages. Let go of such distractions before the board exam so you develop a habit at the right time.
-Mute your group chats and turn your notifications off on phone.
-Install a time management app on your phone.
-Make friends with motivated people.
-Keep reminding yourself why you’re doing all this.
Final Thoughts
These points are not just for reading purposes, but penned down from the experiences. So you'd better learn from others' experiences rather than experiencing something awful yourself.
Apart from the points mentioned above, remember, when you learn a concept, practice it by writing it down and you will feel a visible difference in retaining the information for longer. Make sure you are practicing full length papers, with the timer on.
Last but not the least, don't forget to evaluate yourself, especially on the questions you attempted wrong. Learning from mistakes will eventually help you not repeat them and hence, you will clear your exams in flying colors!
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