When I first received my examinations in intermediate accounting, I realized that I had failed. Discouragement is an understatement. I took my time to study hard for the exam, spent very many long nights toiling in the library, and had too many coffee cups.

When the second intermediate exam came by, I even started to study harder. I spent more time and went for long nights studying in the library until the Sun came up. I had stress issues over my notes and even substituted the coffee I used to take with energy drinks and consumed more caffeine. I convinced myself that after toiling and studying as hard as I did, there was no way that I could fail.

I took the exam, and I failed terribly. I got a lower grade than my classmates had initially got in the first one. My heart sank, and I started telling myself that maybe I wasn’t intelligent as I thought I was and that my classmates were better off than me. I didn’t just find it fair and proper to have spent all those nights studying only to fail in my exams. On the other hand, my friends didn’t stay that late in the library but got high marks.

One particular day, a classmate came by who was at the top of the class, and we started discussing exams. She was surprised to find out that I used to stay very late in the library and told me that she didn’t study hard as I did. It was at this moment that I knew that she had something that I needed.

I had not defined a study plan clearly, and I realize that I had already planned to fail since I failed to plan. I used to burn out until the night before the exam, which made me so troubled since I tried to cram many chapters in my head in a single night. Unfortunately, our minds and brains don’t work that way. If you stay up all night, you won’t be able to grass as much material as you hope. I, therefore, needed to change my routine.

With the advice I got from my classmate, I started learning how to study smart and went ahead to come up with a study plan that gave me the chance to grasp or more out of the lectures and also focus on the areas that I deem the week before stepping into the exam room.

When the next exam came by, and I started writing it, I could immediately feel some difference. I wasn’t rushing to find the questions that I knew the answers to, but I answered many questions with more confidence, and I attempted them with an educated guess for the ones that I did not know. When my paper came back, I scored an A.

To pass your examinations, ensure that you go through the class material right before and after each lecture so that you can retain as much information as you can. You should also focus on the areas you didn’t understand and review most of these areas before you sit for your exams. Create a study schedule that will help you avoid burning out before you even start writing your examinations.