Accentuating the Positives

As the temperature rises this spring, so does the tension in many households where exams and revision are the focus of the season. A term that I was reminded of recently is ‘accentuating the positives’, for it’s all too easy to dwell on negative events or feelings.

This made me think about the approach to revision as undertaken by many a student. The bulk of revision time is devoted to areas considered a weakness or where confidence may be low. This is only natural, to a degree.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the areas of strength need revisiting too. It’s all too easy to devote hours of study to shoring up those subjects or topics that you know need work, while neglecting previously strong areas.

However, if one doesn’t retain that depth of knowledge, what was a very strong subject, with high expectations attached, may suddenly produce a less than desired outcome.

Can you imagine turning the page in an exam to be greeted by a question that you’d know the answer to 99 times out of 100, only to find the solution out of reach? What effect on confidence would it have, potentially impacting the remainder of the paper, or worse, following exams?

The fact is we have to stay sharp in all areas to achieve the outcomes want. A muscle only remains strong if it is trained to be so. If a triathlete was a strong swimmer and focused all pre-event training purely on running and cycling, it stands to reason that the swimming element would be below the usual high standard. Of course, if one of the disciplines is lagging, it effects the whole.

Therefore, if you’re targeting a clean sweep of top grades, it makes sense to ensure that all areas receive the appropriate attention during the revision phases.

Going back to the sports and training analogy, lack of rest results in overtraining, fatigue and ultimately, underperformance. So, it’s worth remembering that the brain needs a rest too!

So, study hard, but remember to take the time to go and do something else from time to time. Your mind will thank you for the break and reward you for it.