So, it's exam time again. Have you done the necessary work to get good marks? Sleeping with the textbook under the pillow (枕头) doesn't work. The best way is to space your practice out, rather than cram(塞) it all together. Just as a scientist called Tom Stafford advises, if you organize five hours of study into one hour a day, you'll remember more than if you study for five hours on one day.
▲ Get pens and paper and start working! Students who can test themselves earlier will be better at retrieving the knowledge from the memory and keep it in the long run. John Dunlosky, a professor in the US, suggests that "you start by reading a textbook with your favorite pens and colors, and then write down the important ideas on small cards. While doing so, you actually try to test yourselves on them."
Good revision (复习) should give you confidence, but if you are still worried, it's not harmful to follow some special customs. In Japan, it seems to be a tradition for students to eat Katsudon before a test. This is a bowl of rice with egg and pork pieces. The name of the dish makes people think of the word "katsu", meaning "winning". For some students in South Korea, the key to success is not washing their hair before an exam, because they believe they could wash all the knowledge out of their heads. And in different parts of the world, there are always those who believe in their "lucky underwear".
The bottom line is that you need to study, eat a good meal, sleep well on the eve of the test, and believe that your efforts will pay off.
Good luck in your exam!
