Exam time is incredibly stressful and we're usually short of time when it comes to preparing for them. What can you do in that situation? Well, you can make arrangements for your study material and then sit down and try to cram it all in. Does that paint a happy picture in your mind? We hope not. 

You cannot read or memorize everything in a limited period of time. Time management is crucial here. You need to be smart, not hard on yourself for losing precious time over unnecessary priorities.

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This is what you gave to do.

1. Focus On The Big Questions

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- Try and go through older question papers (preferably one from the previous year) and try to figure out what are some of the main concepts that have been used to frame the high marking questions. Focus on them, not on the little ones. 

- Next, don't waste your time searching for a solution on the internet or practicing each question by yourself, instead, go to a friend who can teach you those concepts in nearly an hour or two. Listen to him/her carefully. Ask him/her to show you how to approach and solve the question verbally. Also, chose a smart friend and not someone who does not know how to teach properly. Otherwise, he/she will only waste your time.

- After that, verbally go through the concepts he/she just taught you. Ask questions if you are stuck. Now, practice those same questions on paper, by yourself. Once you are done with a chapter, take a walk and try solving that question in your mind.    

Also, when you are reading a chapter, do not just keep on reading at a length but try to take a break once in a while. Close the book and try to remember what you just read. Learn in chunks. Every time you complete reading a topic, close the book and try recalling what you just read. This is the easiest trick in the book.

2. Learning in Chunks

Chunking basically means dividing something into various groups. Try remembering this - 9-1-4-6-5-7-3-2-4-1. Not so easy, innit? Now try remembering this phone number: 914-657-3241. Easy peasy! Right? That's the magic of remembering things in chunks. Want to know why? Because our brain is better at remembering stuff in chunks that it is in remembering threads of information. We're just built that way.   

A memory is stored in our brain in the form of a particular set of neurons (just like chunks) and that's what makes them easy to recall. The more you practice on chunk memory the stronger it gets.

Here is a figure on what a chunk of our memory looks like.

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3. Switch On Your Diffused Mode

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You see, we have two modes that we work in. One is the 'Focused mode' which is the dominating factor when we are trying to concentrate on something. The second one is a 'Diffused mode' which lets our mind wander and allows our brains to function in a way that it creatively selects the best possible group of neural chunks. That is where the magic begins and where you'll find the solution to a problem you thought was unsolvable. There are many ways to switch from your focused mode to diffused mode and back and that is the technique you need to learn.

4. Switch Up Your Surroundings Once In Awhile

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Now, there are two advantages of this practice.

One is that with new surroundings you can minimise the distractions you are surrounded with all the time when sitting at your usual place.

Second is that this way you develop a brain muscle to sustain and thrive under pressure too. Like when you will be attempting the paper in your exam room, you won't be surprised as you have already have had already warmed up for the situation by regularly changing your surroundings.

5. The Hard-Start-Jump-To-Easy-Technique:

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Students are often advised to start with an easy question so that they do not get demotivated at the beginning of the test, but this is not the best practice at all. Instead, start with a difficult problem and if you get stuck, quickly switch to the easier once. Then get back to the difficult problem again. Now, this switch activates your diffused and focused modes which are very important to solve the most difficult problems on your test sheet.

Here are other such six deep learning techniques that could also come in handy.

6. Follow the 50/10 rule

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As the name itself suggests, you need to switch modes again. Study hard for at least 50 minutes and then relax for 10 minutes with activities suggested here in the article. Your willpower is the weapon and your precious time is at stake, so choose your priorities wisely. 

Before taking this break, make a mental note of the formula or the question you are stuck on and then indulge your mind some other activity. When you get back to studies, you may see that the answer to that question automatically or magically appears in your mind. That's the power of this technique.

Also, if you are looking to get better at certain things, here are 6 intellectual habits that could make you a 'superhuman' 

7. Caffeinate

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Caffeine works by changing the chemistry of your brain, blocking the action of a natural brain chemical that is associated with sleep. If you need to stay awake then there is no harm putting your body cleansing ritual aside for a day or two. You need two hours more to complete your task at hand so you have to stay awake. Other than that, the coffee you find in Protein Bars, Decaf Coffee, Non-Cola Sodas, Ice Cream & Yogurt, Candy Bars, Hot Chocolate, Fancy Water and more is enough to keep you awake.

8. Try To Remember Stuff To Build Your Own Mind Palace

Have you ever struggled to memorize things that were crucial to remember at a certain point of the time? If you've answered yes, then here is your solution. Here you can learn how to develop your own mind palace. Check out the video below for a clearer picture.

9. Study With A Friend

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If you are short of time then this technique should work best. Three, or four of you can focus on one chapter each and they can teach it to the other three. You'll get more work done his way.

10. Get Enough Sleep

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By sleeping enough, I am not suggesting you should go to sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours. Basically, one sleep cycle is completed in one and a half hour. So when you sleep in a cycle of 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6. 7.5 hours you will wake up feeling fresh. 

If you are struggling to wake up on time? Here is a little science to help you out with that.