Want to study abroad? Here are a few tips to ace entrance exams

With increasing demand for foreign education, the number of students going abroad for higher education has been increasing by leaps and bounds. Nevertheless, the process of flying overseas to study is a tedious one. Apart from the various passport and visa intricacies, a student has to prepare for various exams to be merely eligible for getting into the college and course she or he aspires for.

With the results of various exams like GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS and others being a mandate for admissions, getting a good score becomes a very important criteria for seeking an admission in the university you desire for. Although you may be taking classes from a coaching centre to prepare for these exams, however, in addition to them, you need to organize yourself and take extra efforts to ensure good outcomes.

When you are getting ready for these exams, there are a few things that you must keep in mind. If you are facing problems while getting ready for these exams and don’t know what exactly you should do in order to ace it, then this is the post you should be reading.

Once you have made up your mind to prepare for your entrance exams, the most important thing is to plan your way. A well-laid plan means half of your job is done. Decide on when you want to take these exams and calculate how much time you have for the preparation. Essentially, all these exams require your presence of mind. Studying till the last moment will only lead to stress and strain

Before formulating your preparation strategy, chalk out the syllabus and measure your comfort level for each individual section. In case you are not good at a particular topic, divide your time accordingly and give extra time to those topics which needs extra brushing.

So once you understand on ‘why planning is important’, you should quickly start preparing your study strategy. Make a time table with both short-term and long-term goals which will help you in preparing for the exams. An organized time table will make you more disciplined and will help you get rid of haphazardness.

There are a few points that you need to consider while making a time table.

1. Set realistic goals that you can achieve. Your targets should neither be too low nor too high
2. Block your study hours during those times of the day when you think you are most productive and you can concentrate better
3. Block more time for topics that need more attention

While making a time table is pretty easy, following it can get quite challenging part. Do not procrastinate. The tasks assigned for today must not be pushed for tomorrow.

Think about it. Have you ever heard of an athlete, even the one who is paid millions of dollars a year, playing in a game without showing up for practice? Have you heard of a musician delivering a concert without taking time daily to rehearse? Have you heard of a scientist proclaiming a grand discovery without hundreds of failed trials? All these professionals know that in order to succeed in their professional areas, they have to put in their time.

So say you have put in the time needed for preparation. Are you managing it properly to make the optimum use of it? Time management is one of the most important aspects of exam preparation. It is important that you manage your time wisely and smartly in order to achieve success. Segregate time for study, recreation and other activities in order to avoid chaos and distractions. Studying without proper time management will not benefit you because you won’t be able to organize your syllabus in sync with the amount of time you have.

Instead of going into a study marathon, it is really better to break your study sessions. Though the marathons will help you cover a lot of topics at one go, the downside is that it could really make you tired and frustrated.

While preparing a time table, include recreational activities in it. Also try to shuffle the topics so that you do not get bored. Take time out for reading the newspaper on a daily basis. This will certainly help you prepare for your general awareness section.

While you may already be doing this if you are taking classes at a coaching centre, it is always better that you look for mock papers on similar topics and practice them at home as well. This will not only give you an extra edge over others, it will also help you in improving your speed and time management skills during the exam.

Taking mock tests will also help you master the overall structure of the exam. While it may seem easy, but it will be really hard to go in a produce a good essay in just about 20-25 minutes of time, with no proper preparation. So you will need to figure out how to brainstorm, outline, write and proof read at the right pace.

Apart from studying, you should keep giving attention to your health as well because if you don’t take care of yourself then preparation will be of no use. Eat simple and nutritious food and also ensure that you take god amount of vitamins, serotonin, and minerals in your diet which will help to improve your concentration.

Along with eating healthy food, focus on your physical activities as well. Play your regular sports and games. Dance if you like! Sing if you like! Hit the gym if you like doing so! Keep these activities for brief period during the day to boost your endorphins during your preparations. However, do not overdo it.

With that, we would like to bring the post to a close. If you have enjoyed reading the article and found some benefit from it, do let us know in the comment box below. Also, do not get too stressed and make sure to follow all the points mentioned. If you can keep up with that, you can ace the entrance exams.

Follow your dreams and make the best of your bright future ahead. Good luck!