An academic comeback: locking in for mid-year

By Nur Najah Cemilya Putri Imany Bt. Yusree Putra

“No one ever feels prepared for exams, but time doesn’t wait for us to catch up. It simply moves, whether we’re ready or not.”

For me, the beginning of the school year felt like rainbows and sunshine; for some students, a new year meant a new chapter in life. However, the excitement slowly fades away when examinations begin to roll in, especially the mid-year exam.

In the beginning, I was losing focus because I was distracted and procrastinating on my work and studies. Whenever I said to myself, “I’ll study after this last episode,” it became tomorrow, and tomorrow might as well be never. With homework piling up, motivation became harder to maintain over time. As the examination dates grew closer day by day, I realised that I had to do something with the little time I had left. It’s either now or never. I had to study consistently to get the best results, and this time I could not afford any distractions. Here are a few things that helped me study better:

The blurting method

I’m sure most students are familiar with this method due to how effective it is. All you need to do is study the required chapters, and once you have stored the information in your brain, take a sheet of paper and a pen, then write down as much as you can remember. This way, it forces your brain to rethink what you have just studied so you won’t easily forget during the exams.

Then, after you have written everything you can remember, use a different coloured pen to write the rest of the information that you left out. Using a different coloured pen will help you identify which part you need to focus on more. However, for subjects like Mathematics, it is recommended to do plenty of exercises to familiarise yourself with the questions, formulas and shortcuts.

Getting enough sleep

Our bodies need enough rest to process information effectively, and this mainly happens when we are asleep. Getting enough sleep is also crucial so that you won’t fall asleep when you’re taking the exam. A 2019 study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) proved that “better quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep correlated with better grades”.

In fact, they found that nearly 25% of the variance in academic performance was attributed to sleep. Essentially, cognitive gains happen when you’re asleep, which is necessary for you to recall what you studied, by strengthening yourself the synaptic connections that were active during awake periods.

Holding on to your faith

No matter how much effort we put in, there are times when we feel stressed and overwhelmed. Praying gives us strength, peace, and confidence to face challenges with a calmer mindset. It reminds us that while success requires effort and discipline, we should also place our trust in God and believe that every hardship has a purpose. In the end, balancing hard work with faith has helped me stay motivated throughout my mid-year examinations.

Reflecting on my journey, my mid-year experience was more than just preparing for exams. It was a lesson in discipline, consistency, and self-growth. From struggling with distractions to finally deciding to “lock in,” I learned that an academic comeback does not happen overnight. It takes effort, sacrifice, and the willingness to improve little by little each day. As the year continues, I hope to stay consistent, keep improving, and become a better version of myself both academically and personally.