By: Valerie Vida Winardi, Junior College 1 Logic

As the Mid-Year Examinations season draws nearer and nearer, with every passing second, just one more week to be exact, it surely is due time for everyone to start revising and preparing for what's to come. So take this article as a reminder for you to start your revision, as soon as possible, and maybe even a guide, when you're stuck and not very sure of what to do.

Here are some of my tips for you:

#1 Create a study schedule that suits your individual needs.

First and foremost, work out how much work you have to do and the amount of time you have to do it all in. Then, start breaking it down into separate chunks for each separate subject. Make going through a few of those chunks everyday your goal, and mix and match your subjects to avoid getting disinterested with what you're revising. Leave as little as possible, to the last minute, because in most cases, you will regret it.

Alongside that, ensure that you've set up a study environment that suits you! For some people, a quiet and tidy environment may suit them best, but that may not be the case for everyone. Some people prefer working with music in the background, or with their work piled up all over the table, for further visual confirmation of what they've done so far, to use as motivation. So whilst you still have the time, fool around with different set ups and learn which one you learn the best in.

#2 Check that you're caught up on all the materials!

Go through your notes and ensure that you haven't missed out on anything. If you have, quickly get to it as soon as possible, before you forget. As you're skimming through your notes, you may find that you've come across a term or entire subtopic you may not understand. Get to it as soon as possible, by perhaps reading through your textbook or searching it up on the internet. If you still do not understand it, find a new source of information.

There are certain topics that may prove difficult to understand with mere words, so visual aids may be especially helpful. Create mind maps and diagrams, or even print them out. They don't even have to be tidy- what matters is that you understand.

If there's still enough time left, perhaps you can set up study groups with your friends to compare notes and check if you're all up to date on your understanding. Just make sure to keep yourselves on track and that you don't end up just chatting.

#3 Put in effort as early as now!

Cramming it all in one day, before the exams, can lead to extreme burnout and anxiety. Give yourself time to process the mounds of information you'll have to keep in mind for the exams. The sooner you start revising, the more time you have to take it all in. If you've revised everything by the time exams come- even better. All you've got left to do is read through it all once more and ensure you're all set for the exams.

#4 Start cutting down on your extracurriculars!

Studies from reputable sources state that taking up too many extracurriculars, especially during the weeks leading up to your mid-years, will lead to stress. For certain people, they may be outlets of negative feelings, but even then, too much of the said activities will take up much of the time you need to revise and in the end, lead to stress once again. As much as possible, cut down on it as much as possible, but make sure to still work it into your schedule to keep your mind healthy and at ease. Studying for hours on end with no breaks for doing things you enjoy will only lead to you not enjoying your revision time and thus, not being able to take in the material as much as you'd be able to if you were enjoying it.

#5 For those under the IGCSE and the A-Level curriculum, past year papers are your best friends!

One of the most effective ways to prepare for your exams is to go through past year papers, so you can learn the rough formulation for what your exams will probably be like. Luckily, for those of us under the IGCSE and the A-level curriculum, we've got plenty of that to study from. So take as much advantage out of it as you can! It'll all pay off in the end, and you'll be able to understand the questions on your exams much easier.

I hope that these tips will be able to help some of you out on your exams, and they'll go through seamlessly. Good luck!