The 11 Stages Of Studying For Exams In Malta
With Malta’s glorious summer just round the corner, one last big hurdle awaits students: exams. And while there’s no escaping these next couple of weeks, it’ll definitely help if you’re a little more prepared than last year. Having said that, the mental preparation requited isn’t always something you always manage to achieve.
Trying to study effectively is way harder than people think, and entails various ups and downs. Here are the stages to studying for exams in Malta.
1. Starting slowly, like the turtle
‘Arteries carry blood away from the heart, veins carry blood back to the heart.” You got this.
It takes a while to properly kick off, but then you remember that these are literally the most important set of tests this year, and you quickly start ramping up your efforts.
2. The panic planning
The amount of panic involved in this particular stage depends on how long it’s taken you to actually get here. If you’ve prepared yourself to not follow last year’s mistakes, you’ve long written up a weekly timetable and split the days into hours, even slotting in time to eat and watch an episode as reward.
You can also use FreeHour, a Maltese app, to check how long is left till your next exam through the latest Exam Countdown feature, as well as plan group study sessions with classmates, or slot in a well-deserved coffee break.
If exams are only a couple of weeks ago and you’re only just starting out, you’re probably going to be bargaining with yourself as to how long it’s going to take you to read an entire 50-page chapter.
U le, siegħa u nofs kollox ta.”
3. Watching an episode of your new favourite show
You’d never heard of Rick & Morty before today, but it’s pretty funny – and the science in the show might even come in handy, you tell yourself as the minutes begin to fly by.
4. Watching the entire first season of your new favourite show
“Wow, look at the time. It’s 2am. At least I know about space travel now though.”
You can’t keep doing this to yourself; it’s time to get this show on the road. The clock is ticking.
5. Time to eat
You need to refuel, and a healthy diet is an essential part of any decent study regime.
Chocolate, Twistees, and crepes are not. And once the sugar rush wears off, it is 3am.
6. It’s time for an all-nighter
Sure, it feels like everyone else on this island is asleep, but not you.
You’re ready for a long night of studying ahead. You were born to do this.
7. You remember you’re not alone
Staying up all night to study might not be the most desirable thing in the world, but then you remember that there are dozens out there like you in houses all over the country, and you suddenly feel a little better about it all.
You instinctively reach out for the FreeHour app to find out when your friends are available to chat… then you remember it’s 4am. Of course they’re available to chat, but you should probably hunker down and keep at it. They’re with you in spirit.
It’s almost like you’re a part of some secret organisation of people who will soon be able to properly enjoy summer without having to think about the possibility of resits.
8. Finally getting over halfway through your notes
You have 258 pages of notes that need to be read tonight, and guess who just hit page 159!
9. You feel like you’re the ultimate information sponge
Right now you are so full of information, you aren’t even speaking to people.
Your focused on repeating that rhyme you made in your head to remember all those things you’ve been learning about for the last nine months.
10. A quick flip through the notes right outside the exam room as you ignore everyone
You probably won’t remember anything, but there’s always a chance you randomly have photographic memory.
11. You hear someone muttering something you’ve never heard of before and you try to block them out
Don’t panic.
This subject has so many different topics, you can’t study them all. And it’s ok if someone decided to focus on something entirely different.
You did your best, and you know your selected fields well.
Block it all out and get in there! Summer will be a couple of hours closer by the end.
Tag someone who’s currently going through these stages!
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