Why students fail?

I know you would have liked for me to tell you the single most important reason why students fail.

But failure isn’t something you bumped into or it just happened; it is a process. In a similar way winning and being successful can become a habit, so too is failing.

Understanding where you have gone wrong is one of the first steps in moving from a state of failing to being successful. I have outlined six main areas that I believe will help you better prepare for your upcoming exams. Just how well you apply the tools below could actually determine which side of the fence you end up on.

 Lack of adequate planning

I have always heard the saying, if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.Planning for your exams include from preparing your pen, ruler and geometry set days before the exam, to planning your answers while in the examination room.

Failing to plan properly will make you more anxious and doubtful of your ability.
Don’t just rush into things.

Stop! Take a deep breath and spend a little time to plan your study and revision schedule.This could go a long way in helping you to manage your time efficiently.
Planning to read over your notes each day is a good habit to develop.

Tip: Always do the most important things first. Plan before you start, and don’t leave the more important things at the mercy of the less important stuff.

 Poor time management

Students often times postpone learning. This is often done especially when the topic is either difficult or we just don’t seem to grasp it immediately. This will have the effect of students using their study time to learn something that should have already been covered.
If this is you, don’t panic.

Just as you would plan your study and revision times, you must also set aside time for learning new materials that you either did not previously cover or wasn’t grasping too well.

Some subjects require more attention than others and it is usually good to split subjects into weak and strong areas. If you do fairly well at Chemistry and poor at Mathematics, then you would want to spend a little more time practicing math.

Practice, Practice, Practice
Do a lot of past papers and practice often. I found that sometimes questions are repeated in future exams with just minor changes.

Study guides and books with worked answers in the back are great, but only if you use them for help and not as an easy way to get your assignment done. Don't let a book or classmates do your work for you. Do not copy someone else’s work either. They won't be available during the tests, which usually count for a big portion of your grade.

Notice I said practice, not cram.
Caution! Don’t fall into the trap of devoting all your time to a subject you love and enjoy doing.
Share your time based on where the need is greater.

Focus – Put your heart and mind into it
A part of managing your time properly is to ensure that your heart and mind is into what you are doing.
Find the right place and time that will make you be at your best. Here are a few simple and effective steps you can take to better manage your study time:

 Turn off the TV.
 Tell your friends you are studying and that you will not be accessible during certain hours.
 Get rid of all possible distractions.

As a teenager I have always found it difficult to switch off the TV while studying. But, I later on told myself that the Movie Makers already knew just how they were going to earn their living. Therefore I needed to take a conscious decision to pass my CXC. This I knew would have given me a head start in life. Find something to motivate you.

Tip: Be discipline, get use to it, you will need it throughout your entire life.

 Procrastinating

You should never do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? Wrong!
“I will look at this tomorrow”, is always the easy thing to say.
Remember we said earlier that failing is a process? Get into the habit of passing exams and studying properly. I need not say anymore.

Tip: Stop procrastinating – Yesterday you said you would have done it tomorrow and tomorrow you wish you had done it yesterday.

 Poor eating and sleeping habits

Develop good eating and sleeping habits. You will do yourself more harm than good trying to study when you are tired and exhausted. Know your body and how it responds to certain foods. An empty stomach in the exam room may be just as bad as having too much to eat.

Doing regular physical exercises helps with the flow of blood in the body and mind.

Tip: Always have a good meal, not too heavy and not too light. Also taking sweets to chew on during the exam is a good way of replenishing your energy.

 Quitting too quickly

Never give up while the exam is in progress. If you keep worrying over what you cannot do, you might end up doing poorly on areas that you thought you could have done well.
Things to always do in an exam:

 Write clear and easily understood answers.
 Review your answers.
 Make sure your handwriting is legible for written papers.
 Corrections should be neat.

Tip: There are many times I believed I failed an exam only to get the results showing that I not only passed but got a good grade too. Don’t fail yourself, keep going, you can do it.

 Fear of exams
The sixth and final reason why students fail is due to the crippling effect of fear on the mind.
If you are like me, then you never really get to like exams. In high school I was always afraid of exams and this was evident in my many trips to the bathroom. I have since changed my attitude.

I have now adapted the “I can approach”.
Your attitude towards your exam could determine if you have a mind block during the exam.
RELAX!
Things are never as bad as we imagine them to be. I have always found that praying help me to focus and relax, especially just before I begin writing my exam paper, you can try it.

Tip: Be calm, be cool and always do something to relax your mind before and during the exam.