As the Covid-19 pandemic lingers on, with all the restrictions to contend with to prevent its ravaging effects, schools are gradually planning resumption and new strategies to cope with the pandemic. This is really difficult to orchestrate for school administrators who are working relentlessly to meet up with various guidelines issued by the governments and education ministries regarding students returning to school. Students, on the other hand, especially those in Africa are also worried about the months of missed classes and the exams that are facing them in the future. In Nigeria for instance, on 27th July 2020, the Federal Ministry of Education announced that exit classes should return to school on the 4th of August 2020 to complete their course of studies and exams. Among those affected were candidates preparing for the West African Examination Council (WAEC ). These are senior secondary SS3 or grade 12 students. Other institutions are also preparing to bring back students to prepare for their exams, such as the Nursing Council exams. This is a challenging time for many students who have been staying at home for 4 months without lectures or classes. In addition, the distractions at home made it almost impossible for many to concentrate and study.
Many students may be contemplating malpractice as the only means of guaranteeing good performance in the forthcoming exams. Be that as it may, this article is to motivate you and to remind you that the time you spend now studying is the predictor of your future performance. Malpractice will only create a negative effect on your future.
Many studies have been conducted on time spent studying and student performance: Gbore (2006), Ukpong, and George(2012). All agreed that attitude toward study time shows a strong relationship with the academic performance of students. Adeyemo (2005) concluded that students’ academic achievement was the outcome of a combination of study time behavior and other factors in any course of study. Time spent studying, according to Adeyemo, goes beyond merely reading pleasure. In their research in the University of Oyo Nigeria, Ukpong and George(2012) stated that the academic performance of the long study time behavior students was significantly different from their short study time counterparts.
These and other studies have shown that there is a positive relationship between study time and students’ grades. A regression analysis shows that as the study time increases, grades also increase
On the contrary, the more time a student spends on social media amounting to a decrease in study time, there is also a decrease in performance or grades.
My dear student, there is no need to panic at this point. This is the time to manage your time and spend less time on social media or hanging out. To manage your time in a good way, you must have a clear purpose of what is important to you in your studies and why you need to pass your exams. According to Kearns and Gardiner (2014) students are not able to manage their time when they do not have a clear purpose for their study. Lack of purpose leads to getting distracted and interrupted easily, being unorganized, and not able to plan and prioritize. This is the time to schedule your time and work towards the deadlines, especially if you have those exams in view. Correctly estimating the time needed for a task is positively related to perceived effectiveness (Kearns & Gardiner 2014).
Practical guidelines:
Draw a personal time table and study according to the exam time table. Spend more time on those courses that you find difficult to understand. Utilize the lesson or exam preparatory classes offered by the school. Disassociate with unhealthy friends. Form study groups with friends who are committed to the same goal as you are. Buy textbooks that help you summarise or that give key points. Above all pray for Divine Wisdom.
There is no magic in passing any examination. The magic is the time spent on studying. Students who perform excellently in any exams aren’t those with two heads. Intelligence without hard work leads to failure, so don’t say, he or she is more intelligent. Time is simply the magic. Exam malpractice can only earn you grades but not knowledge. Education is not about your paper qualifications but about your knowledge that is put into solving practical and real-life problems. It is about your overall refinement as a person. If you have a clear goal of what you want to achieve in life, do the best you can and your best will lead you to success.
I wish you all good luck as you prepare for your exams and pray that Divine Wisdom will enlighten all of you who are preparing for any exams in Africa, Nigeria, and all over the world.
Futher readings : 10 ways to conquer exam stress:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/news/education/exam-stress-10-ways-to-control-it-1.2968358%3fmode=amp
References
Adeyemo, C. (2005). Test anxiety, cognition, study habits, and academic performance: A prospective study.
Advances in Test Anxiety Research, 7, 221-41.
Gbore, L. C. (2006). Measuring between free time availability and student performance perceptions. Marketing Education Review, 12, 21-32.
Kearns., H. & Gardiner., M. (2014). “Is it time well spent?”, The relationship between time management behaviors, perceived effectiveness, and work-related morale and distress in University. Retrieved from https://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=113&sid=0b528855.
Ukpong, D.E., & George, I.N.(2012) Length of Study-Time Behaviour and Academic Achievement of Social Studies Education Students in the University of Uyo.International Education Studies; Vol. 6, No. 3; 2013. ISSN 1913-9020 E-ISSN 1913-9039
