Students have been in school for close to three months now. This is around the time when exams arrive. Teachers concentrate on how to handle the period while students study hard to pass the exams. This week will see students scratching their heads in an effort to recall that particular answer to an exam question. It will not be new for a student to watch another staring at the ceiling while another concentrates while scribbling an answer on the answer sheet. Some students will complain of how time allocated for a certain exam was not enough while others will say the time was too much. For those that complain of lack of time, it could be due too the time they spend staring at the ceiling or sometimes realising late that the answer they had written was off the mark (and sometimes spending long trying to decide which is which). On the other hand, those that complain of having to much time, could be either the exam being a walk in the park or having nothing to write. Whatever the scenario, towards exam time, students become extremely busy. Rosine Munezero, a senior six student at Ecole Technique St. Joseph said that it’s toward examination time that you see all students concentrating seriously. She explained that the best and ‘worst’ students will be seen busy reading their books. “Examinations do not know who one is. You need to read hard in order to perform well,” she said, explaining that even if this is the first term, a student wouldn’t want to perform poorly. “If a student performs well in the first two terms then his or her chances of passing final exams are high,” she points out.“There are no miracles for passing examinations,” she underscores. Adolpha Gasigwa, in senior three at APE Rugunga Senior Secondary School, said he is ready for the exams which will begin on Wednesday. “I am prepared for the exams,” he said confidently. He explained that this is due to the fact that he has been reading his books and is now targeting which specific questions to handle in case he ‘spots’ correctly. “I just have to decide which areas to handle when they appear in the examination,” he said. Gasigwa admits that sometimes, one can be out spotted. So he tries to get some knowledge on almost every topic. Ben, a student at Solidarity Academy, said that reading hard towards examination time does not work for him. “I am not used to cram work. I prefer reading and understanding my notes,” he said, adding that it’s easy for him to answer questions on a topic which he read about a month ago other last minute reading. “Reading hard at the last minute is very dangerous for me as it may confuse me,” he stressed. Whatever technique one may employ, the sole goal is passing exams well. They are around the corner. Dear student, are you ready? Ends
