Teentalk

If you ask the toppers of recent years they all would give you different answers as how they managed to score so well. However, one thing that would be same in all of them will be a Strategic plan. So if you haven’t made a plan yet, we are here to your rescue.

Know your tasks: Understand the syllabus of your exams then figure out most important parts of it.  Also know your strength and weakness in each subject.

Plan: Allocate time and plan for your studies. Make daily and weekly time tables. If you have studied theory subjects like history or languages for an hour, switch to some practical study like maths, grammar, and diagrams. New Stimuli means your brain is back to focus with high concentration. Understand how much of your syllabus is done and how much needs to be revised

Study Smart: Make mnemonics, flash cards, mind maps, revision charts, flow charts etc to help you remember study material easily and for a long time.

Plan + Practice: This is specifically for practical exams. Don’t ignore practical exams as they add up in your overall score.

Write – Write a lot, solve last few years ISC question papers along with setting timer in alarm clock. 

Allocate time to Rest / Recreation / Rejuvenation – Allocate time for some hobby activities and physical play every day to keep your mind and body healthy and focused. Breaks in between studies are necessary.

Cut out on Technology / Social Media – Restricts your mobile / tab / computer usage for whatsapp, games, facebook, instagram, twitter etc.  This will help you avoid any additional personal stress and distractions.

Eat Healthy balanced diet: Quit eating junk/fast/oily/ready to eat food items and go for a healthy and balanced diet plan. Stick to simple healthy home cooked meals to enhance your memory concentration and help you your best performance in exams.

There are three most known Education Boards in India, namely, State Boards, CBSE and ICSE. Each of the Boards have their own merit and demerit, which will depend on the student and his strengths, weakness and plans. One merit for some child can be demerit for another.

Below are some of the points to ponder while deciding. Syllabus is highly comprehensive and competitive in ICSE, little less in CBSE and lesser in State Boards.

CBSE Board:

• The board conducts two examinations — the All India Secondary School Examination, AISSE (Class X) and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination, AISSCE (Class XII).

• This board should be most preferred one for you if you have a transferable job as CBSE schools are there in almost every city in India.

• CBSE board approves both, English & Hindi as medium of instruction in class.

• This board is renowned for emphasizing on subjects like Science and Maths.

• CBSE is completely affiliated to Government of India and is approved for all central schools, Kendriya vidyalayas  in the country.

• The entire syllabus and curriculum is recognized by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training).

• Another advantage of CBSE board is that, it’s syllabus is followed by most of the competitive exams like JEE Mains (Previously conducted as AIEEE) and Advanced, NEET(National Eligibility and Entrance Test) previously conducted as AIPMT (All India Pre Medical Test).

• CBSE syllabus is more theoretical based and puts less emphasis on improving practical knowledge of the students. Though the curriculum is application oriented, it is not based on real-life concepts and does not provide scope for effective understanding.

• Education cost is bit on higher side and is highly competitive too.

ICSE Board: CISCE, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations

• The essential pillar of ICSE board is it’s syllabus. The syllabus is comprehensive and structured to provide more practical knowledge and helps to build analytical skills in students.

• ICSE exercises only English as a medium of instruction in class and also emphasizes more on the subject English.

• The curriculum is fruitful for students who are interested in the fields of Humanities and Management. Offering a variety of languages such as Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and others, ICSE even includes creative subjects like fashion design, agriculture, home science and cookery for innovative minds.

• Passing ICSE exams are highly difficult and competitive due to result of strict and rigid internal assessment

• ICSE syllabus and teaching makes a student fit for the corporate world. They tend to opt for management studies and be good managers in future with good leadership qualities.

• CISCE syllabus is recognized by many foreign education academies. Hence, if, as a parent you move to various countries for work, ICSE board can be ideal for your child.

• ICSE syllabus is perfect to opt for scholarship examinations attuned to the world education standards.

• Education cost is bit on higher side and is highly competitive too.

• Please keep in mind that ICSE is a non-governmental education board and that after Class 10, ICSE converts to ISC (Indian School Certificate).

State Board

• Each state has its own educational board and the curriculum is set by the state education body.

• State language is compulsory if you choose to study in a school that follows the state board.

• The advantages of opting for this board are lower fees, thereby making it affordable for people coming from different socio-economic backgrounds, including the marginalized communities;

• Studying in State Board is less stressful, since the syllabus is relatively easier and the structure of the curriculum also allows you to focus on extracurricular activities like sports.

• It is not favourable for parents with transferable jobs

• Some state schools in small towns and rural areas might also lack in basic amenities

• It is advisable to study in State Board if someone has any neurological obstacles as learning disability or autism or physical obstacles like hearing impaired or blind or speech issues etc

• It is also recommended to study in state boards if one wishes to be participating in district – level, state – level or national – level in any sports.