How To Plan Your Study For Olympiad Exams
How To Plan Your Study For Olympiad Exams
Have you enrolled in any Olympiad Examination and are now clueless regarding the preparation? Do not worry, we got you covered! These examinations are at a higher level of difficulty and hence require proper planning and management of time. To be better equipped for this examination, here are preparation tips for the Olympiads.
a. Choose the Olympiad Subject wisely
The first and foremost step is to decide in which subject you would like to appear in the Olympiad. This choice should be made after giving much thought to it. Choose the subject only if you find it interesting and can study it in depth with a higher difficulty level.
b. Gather all Relevant Study Material
Instead of studying from random sources at random times, gather all study materials like textbooks, test papers, mock tests, test packages, etc., beforehand. Gather the best books and study materials for your preparation to avoid any inconsistencies. This would help you stay focussed on the syllabus throughout your exam preparation.
c. Familiarize yourself with the Olympiad Exam
Familiarize yourself with every aspect of this exam. Whether it is the exam pattern or the marking scheme, the level of the questions or the most asked topics, everything should be clear to you beforehand. For example, say you want to appear in the Bloom
Mathematics Olympiads (BMO), then for classes 5 to 12, the question paper consists of 50 multiple choice questions and the time limit is 60 minutes.
d. Time management (between school curriculum and olympiad preparation)
Olympiad examinations are very different from regular school examinations. The preparation for both varies too. While the school curriculum is simpler and has a direct question-answer approach, olympiads test you on your understanding of the concepts. This requires thorough knowledge of each topic mentioned in the syllabus. This takes a lot of time and if not properly balanced, can lead to frustration and exhaustion. To avoid this, one must try to dedicate at least one hour to the olympiad exam preparation every day.
e. Make a schedule and stick to it
Plan your schedule and stick to it so that you have ample time for revision. Preparing early is also an advantage as it gives sufficient time to understand the concepts and practice well. Follow your timetable religiously to avoid last-minute confusion.
f. Build a strong conceptual foundation
Since these exams test the understanding of the concept, one must focus on the concepts rather than rote learning. The questions will test your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. So, one must focus on understanding the concepts and their application. This is the opposite of school-level academics where direct questions are asked in the examinations.
g. Practice previous years' papers
Extensive practice is a must before appearing in olympiad examinations. Since the questions asked test the understanding of the concept, students need to practice through test papers and mock tests to test their understanding of the same. Anything not revised regularly is easily forgotten. Make sure you revise previously studied topics regularly for maximum retention and to get good ranks in Olympiad.
h. Avoid distractions but find time to relax
Plan your schedule in such a way that you incorporate small breaks of about 10-20 minutes between study hours. Go for a walk, practice breathing exercises, play with your pet, or listen to music but avoid long breaks (more than one hour). Make sure you stay away from distractions during your study hours.
i. Adopt a Healthy lifestyle
Just studying without taking care of your health is an effort gone in vain. Make sure you eat nutritious food, sleep well, and stay focussed. Staying positive helps in not losing confidence during preparation. One can practice positive affirmations to stay calm too.
Thus, planning for olympiads is a little different from routine school exam preparation. With little extra effort and time management, one can easily excel in these examinations. Using time wisely and adhering to the schedule strictly, one can not only prepare for olympiad examinations, reap the benefits of the Olympiad, and also discover their true strengths.
