Part I: Class XII exams: Maths = nightmares?
Laws, equations, problems, theories and more theories encapsulates the vast body of knowledge called science. And that too, only the theory part. Forget the practicals.

For those appearing for their Class XII board exams, the question now is figuring out a way to tackle it all in the short amount of time available.

Many students make the mistake of cramming all that they have learnt at one go. Says Kiran Nathan, a student from Mumbai, "Now, there's very little time left for any real studying. When I revise, I find that recollecting all that I have learnt is tough and I try to stay up late to cover as much as I can."

This is a mistake most students do, says Sharayu Sheth, a private tutor for HSC students. "They overload themselves with excess information, " she adds.

Her advice: "Figure out the critical aspects of the theory for every science subject and perfect this." She prescribes some last-minute study tips.

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For physics

~ There are laws and formulas and there are problems that need to be solved based using the theory. Therefore, it is essential to remember the laws and formulas correctly. To do this you need to understand the laws first. Memorise the laws and the formulas.

~ It would now be easier to deal with the problems or exercises. Presuming most students may have attempted to solve the problems at least once, it is recommended that they solve all the problems once now.

~ When the examination begins focus on the laws and formulas. Write them down to check if you know them by rote.

~ It is also a good time now to practice all your diagrams. Keep practicing until you memorise them. Keep one final, good copy with you for the day of the exam. On the day of the exam, ask someone to check the diagram while you describe it briefly. Remember to only recollect key features of the diagrams.

For chemistry

~ The four critical things in chemistry -- theory, equations, laws and problems. You need to deal differently with each aspect.

~ Focus on theory present in chapters like molecular bonding currently. You need to memorise it thoroughly.

~ A major part of chemistry is organic chemistry ie equations. And organic chemistry is an area which has quite a bit of weightage in your exam. You need to work on the equations thoroughly.  Most teachers and coaching classes do lay stress on this and therefore at this point you need to merely relegate the information to memory. A day before the exam remember to solve certain critical equations (these you can identify from the last five year papers.)

There are a few laws that one needs to also memorise for the final examination. It is better if one starts on these right away.

Chapters like thermodynamics will have problems that you need to focus on apart from the theory. While the problems in chemistry are not as complex as those in physics they cannot be ignored. So be sure you practice all the problems in the few chapters that they feature in.

• Physics and Maths, simplified

For biology

To excel in biology, you need to increase your writing speed. There are few tricky questions in biology. But the answers can be pretty lengthy.

A very critical aspect of biology is diagrams. Remember to practice all diagrams well in advance. On the eve of the examination you can merely glance through them.

You would need to focus on the chapters like taxonomy that have a lot of information and are a critical part of the syllabus. Memorise all the information that is there in these chapters.

Remember to choose a good HB pencil while practicing the diagrams. Use the same pencil during your examination. Carry a good eraser and sharpener in your compass box.

For all science papers

Remember to carry good pens -- at least three of them.

Be sure you have written with each of them, for a while. New pens can give rise to some cramps or nerve pain.

Since it is impossible to revise everything, just glance through some parts of the portion. 

Let this be the part that you are thorough with now.

Part I: Class XII exams: Maths = nightmares?