Stepping things up for 2nd PUC

For students who have passed through the 1st year of PUC, the 2^nd year may seem like a nightmare, especially for science background students. 2^nd PUC is the turning point in a student’s life and an important milestone. Whatever enjoyment and newness bought by 1^st PUC must be kept in check for the next year. it is natural for the students to have taken their time to enjoy the new freedom without the boundaries of the school walls but the holiday period will come to an end once 1^st PUC is done.

2^nd PUC is seen as one of the hard phase in a student’s life by most of them. The students of science background opt for medical and engineering fields which is quite challenging and exams like JEE, NEET, AIIMS, BITSAT, JIPMER, and CET tire the students endlessly. With a little plan and good preparation, the students can tackle all these and have a good hold on it.

Recap

Students must go through the previous year and see what changes and abilities have they developed so far. How did they cope with the new world? And what they learn? How strong were they in academics? Are they facing any problems in any subject? Is the college enough to teach them?

Once these questions are answered, they can move to next step.

Evaluate

Answering each of the above questions in turn makes the student evaluate their actions. Students must cross check where they are so far and what steps must be taken next. It is time think of goals and how far the students are from their goals. It is possible that after 1 year of studies, a student may find the subjects tedious and may want to shift streams or it might be possible that a student may not be interested in pursuing medical any more but is interested in engineering. And if such dilemma the student need to pause and evaluate where they are heading to.

Discuss

It is best to sort out things and clear the confusion as earliest as possible. A student may turn towards their parents, friends, seniors, teachers to discuss their problems and goals and listen to their advice without prejudice. No harm in listening even if the advice is not followed. This gives an opportunity for the student to rethink and set priorities right. It is very much possible that any one of them would shed light on something that was ignored and who knows a new perspective may be found which may make things easier.

Reshape the goals

if the student is now clear on changing goals or shifting streams, another round of evaluation may be needed to see whether the student possess the acumen needed for the new goal. Being interested is not enough but one must also have the skills to succeed. Once everything is in perspective and finalised, it is time to reshape the new goals and align oneself with respect to it.

It is necessary for the students to:

• Cut the distractions

• Have the goal in sight

• Build a strong foundation

• Start studying from the beginning

• Clear the doubts however stupid it may seem

• Practice regularly and be consistent

• Discuss the problems

• Dedicate time to friends and family

• Eat healthy and exercise regularly

• Track progress and evaluate his/her practice

• Self-test at regular intervals

• Adapt to new challenges

• Be open-minded for new ideas and challenges

• Develop confidence

• Do not ignore extra-curricular activities

• Always have that smile on the face

Students preparing for competitive exams will require right guidance to help them reach their goals. It is best for them to be active and seek help out whenever it is required without being hesitant. It must be noted that preparing for 2^nd PUC will tire the students with pressure from parents, teachers and oneself so it must be dealt carefully without succumbing to it. When stress overwhelms the mind it is better to follow the tips to counter exam stress (backlink to ten tips for exam stress) and unburden the mind.

Whatever the challenges might the student face, he/she must not lose confidence in face of such adversities rather deal it with a cool head.