I know this is the weirdest time to post something like this but I also know that some schools have taken their time to set online exams because of the pandemic most especially mine. Which is why I decided to share my reading tricks that has helped me over the years.

To be honest I didn’t come first position in my secondary school days, in fact I wasn’t among the first ten because I wasn’t reading right (tbh I also didn’t really care😂). I usually don’t even read until a day to the exam, when I start panicking 😂 then I begin to crash read and cram, but all the efforts usually go to waste because by the time I get to the exam hall, I forget or don’t even finish reading my whole note thereby making me stranded😂 . When I got to uni, I decided to change my ways and that meant finding out what reading method worked for me. Trust me I tried so many, from putting leg in water e.t.c😂😃(biko don’t shame me) until I realised this babies😃.

PS: This method might not work for everyone (one man’s food is another man’s poison) 😃 but I just wanted to share it just incase you need it and it works for you

1. PRAY: Believe it or not, this is the first thing I do before opening any book to read. I find out that reading a book after praying for understanding and retentive memory hits better than just reading just like that. Besides I lose focus so fast when reading (I can just be reading and suddenly think of food😂)which is why I pray against loss of focus and distraction😂 . And to be honest, it has helped me a lot

2. READ EARLY: I know they say different strokes for different folks but if you are like me that does not remember even after reading a day before the exam, then you need to change your method. I decided to start Reading early. I mean to be honest I don’t like reading so much except if it’s a novel or something else, but when I know my exams are around the corner, I start reading two or three weeks before the exam to avoid stories that touch the heart😂 Although it depends for me sha. I realised that reading early makes me calm and not anxious about the exam because by then I don’t have to rush and can take my time when reading it. In essence try to read early before the week of the exam If possible.

3.SET QUESTIONS: I developed this method because I didn’t want to be caught off guard, because let’s face it, some lecturers can be so mean. So what I do is that I flip through my note, and set possible questions from the beginning to the end of my note, so I can answer later. I set the questions before I read and answer them when I am done reading. That way, it helps me to be mentally prepared and also kind of points put important places to read .

4.READ: This is the most important part to do but, once I have already done the first two steps, this comes easy because I know what I am looking for now( does that make any sense🤔)

5.JOT DOWN KEYWORDS: while reading every definition or essay or note. I always jot down keywords. These keywords are what I memorise, so I don’t have to cram. That way I can state my definition using the keywords in my own words. And this has always worked for me guys.

6.REVISE : it’s always important to revise what you have read, just so you know you’ve covered everything and understood all what you’ve been reading. I always revise twice, the first time is when I immediately finish reading and the second is like hours after I read. That way I can gage what I know so far.

7.ANSWER THE QUESTIONS: once I am done reading, I answer the question I set from the beginning without looking at my note for answers . And when I am done I mark it and see how many I got right and those I failed.

Anyways I know that people are different but if you think this method might work for you, try it out and see😃. I wish you all success in your exams and know that i love you all 💗.

Do you have your own tricks? Let’s know in the comment👇 and SUBSCRIBE , it’s immediately after the comment box😏.

Love, fheyi💗