Meritnation launches Summer Pack!

Utilize your holidays to strengthen your fundamentals in Maths & Science this summer! Meritnation.com launches Summer Pack exclusively for CBSE students of classes 6th to 12th. With Meritnation’s Summer Pack you can now brush up your understanding of important concepts in Maths & Science from topics covered in previous classes, to help build a more thorough understanding of concepts in this class.

The resources in Meritnation’s Summer Pack that includes videos, animations, tests, puzzles & more, has been organized to promote a complete and progressive understanding of all related concepts.

Meritnation.com’s Summer Pack is available absolutely free on purchase of any Meritnation Online Course. Summer Pack by Meritnation.com is available for a limited period only!

So what are you waiting for?! Subscribe to Meritnation’s Online Course now to start studying using the resources in Meritnation’s exciting Summer Pack. We at Meritnation are confident that our latest offering will give all you an edge over your classmates when the school re-opens!

Cheers!

Team Meritnation

Meritnation launches Friends Zone!

Now study together with your friends using Meritnation.com’s Friends Zone. Meritnation’s special feature Friends Zone will help you learn topics better as you share your understanding of concepts with your online Meritnation friends. This will help strengthen your grasp over topics and help you do well in school. With Meritnation.com’s Friend Zone you can-

• Create your own online study group on Meritnation.
• Clear your doubts in all subjects with the help of your online friends on Meritnation.
• Teach & learn difficult concepts together with your friends.
• Discuss & share ideas with your friends on Meritnation to prepare better school projects & assignments

So what are you waiting for? Log on to www.Meritnation.com using your unique username & password and click on the ‘Friends Zone’ tab in the blue band to start studying with your friends on Meritnation now. Needless to say your personal information such as phone number, e-mail etc. will remain confidential and will not be visible to other users.

We at Meritnation hope that you will enjoy using Friends Zone and make the most of it to learn from each other.

Cheers!

Team Meritnation

Score high with CBSE model papers

Scoring high marks in exams remains a dream for many. Scoring good marks in exams is not easy. One has to put in a lot of effort to crack each and every question. Practicing using CBSE model paper can be very effective as it helps in evaluating a student’s performance. These papers help know the actual preparation of the students. Also these model papers are prepared keeping in mind the pattern of question paper. Marks to each question are allotted keeping in mind the pattern.

After attempting the model paper, a student can easily identify areas that require more preparation. The CBSE model papers are very useful if they are solved or attempted after completing the complete syllabus.

Students usually end-up thinking that in spite of so much hard work why were they not able to perform better? Solving CBSE model papers is beneficial for those who are about to appear for their final exams. CBSE model papers are designed keeping in mind the present CBSE curriculum. This helps students get a clear idea about the marking scheme and questions. With rising competition in studies, every student wants to give their best and score high marks. Studying with CBSE model paper can be very helpful if taken seriously. There are ample types of CBSE model papers available online that a student can access anytime. CBSE model papers are a good tool to manage time during exams. Time management is very important. CBSE model papers give the student an outline of time available to complete the paper. Usually at the time of exams, students face mental pressure. This often results in poor concentration and lack of confidence. Practicing with the help of CBSE Model Papers can help students manage their time effectively in the examination hall thereby helping them reduce the level of test-taking stress.

Generally students do not keep a check on the time allotted to complete the exam and the word limit. It is necessary to write the answers in accordance to the marks. This helps in saving time from writing unnecessary answer.

Students who are planning to attempt the CBSE model papers must note that the CBSE model papers should be attempted only after completing the whole syllabus. Attempting the model paper before finishing the syllabus won’t be helpful. For positive results, attempt the papers once you are through with the whole syllabus.

How to conquer Maths Anxiety?

Math anxiety is a concern for many students. Some students experience occasional problems in understanding the facts of mathematics while others have deep performance related issues in this subject. Many students all over the world tend to freeze during Maths tests, even if they known the procedure to solve the problems, understand all the formulae, equations and arrive at correct answers. So far it has been observed that fear of maths is the biggest obstacle in the path of learning Maths. 

Learning Maths is just like learning any other subject where true mastery can be achieved through practice. Students can outweigh the fear for the subject if they are honest and brave to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes.

Origin of Maths Anxiety
Maths anxiety generally occurs from a limited understanding of the subject. It also arises as a result of poor teaching that leads to unpleasant experiences. Most of the students who don’t understand the concepts, procedures and rules of the problem but try to memorize it, face the problem of anxiety.

Fear factor for Maths would no longer exist if the students follow few simple tips mentioned below:

Ask for early help:
If students face difficulty in a particular chapter, they can ask for tutorial help. Extra help can provide right boost to overcome Maths anxiety and add to their confidence to perform well in tests.


Cramming should be avoided:
Cramming for exams can often enhance Maths anxiety. So, students are advised to avoid cramming. They are suggested to break their study sessions into small portions. It is also advised to deal with problem areas as quickly as possible. All these would help minimize Math anxiety upto a large extent.


Emphasis on regular practice:
The best way to overcome Maths anxiety is to show a student that he/she can solve it correctly and can derive right answers. For the same, students should regularly practice problems related to their weaker sections. Rigorous practice and meticulous efforts would help the students get rid of their fear of Maths and side-by-side would also promote their conceptual understanding.  More and more practice ahead of an exam would help students identify their problem areas, rectify it and consequently boost self-esteem.

Learn Maths in an innovative way
Students who are tired of practicing problems from boring and mundane books can surely add a punch to their study schedule by practicing Maths from online puzzles, quizzes, graphics and animations. Students can go through various animated videos where problems are explained in a simple language for a complete understanding of concepts. These online study material and videos are available 24*7. Students have complete freedom to access this content at their own convenience.

Ask questions if confused:
Students should start learning Maths with a positive attitude and determination. They shouldn’t settle for anything less during the instruction sessions by tutors or teachers. In case of any confusion, they should ask for clear illustrations, demonstrations and simulations.

Teachers and parents of the students can play an important role to make certain that students understand problems in Maths presented to them without any confusion or ambiguity. They can also encourage them to work hard and get more practice. Once the students realize that they can learn Maths like any of the other subjects, the whole notion that Maths is a ‘tough’ subject and the resultant Maths anxiety can become a thing of the past.

Help Yourself Learn Chemistry through the Internet

Chemistry is considered a difficult and challenging subject to learn and often causes frustration in students.  In schools, teachers sometimes teach Chemistry in such a way that leaves students feeling lost and confused about the subject. This is the reason that thousands of students are seeking additional help for learning Chemistry.

A couple of years ago, the only way to collect knowledge on any subject was to visit libraries with stocks of thick and heavy books with text printed in uninspiring black. But with the introduction of internet, that scenario has become history. Now, just a click of the mouse can help students find any information   on topics ranging from Electro- chemistry, Chemical Reactions, Thermodynamics to Equilibrium. 

Students can find a number of websites that provide a thorough knowledge on various chapters of Chemistry. They can also find online tutorials and online encyclopedias for static information on the subject. Now-a-days interactive help is also available for students on the internet where students can submit their queries and get their answers. 

Online Help Forums for Chemistry

Online forums are one of the most interesting and innovative ways to get help for Chemistry. Students can enter most Chemistry forums as a guest and can read the questions and answers posted there. However, if the students want to put a question or answer a query, they would have to register themselves as a member. Registrations for such online forums are usually free and involve a simple process that requires very little time. These forums are handled by expert tutors and instructors who have years of experience and a thorough knowledge in their respective fields.

Questions put in online forums are open and can be answered by all registered members. Multiple answers to a single question can help to open up the mind of students to endless possibilities and can help enhance their learning experience. 

Online Chemistry study material for CBSE students 

Students of CBSE boards can find NCERT solutions, CBSE sample papers, CBSE practice papers and much more in numerous websites. After a thorough study of Chemistry NCERT books, students can frame the answers to end-of-chapter questions themselves or find them online at a nominal or no cost. They can also look for definitions, concepts, reactions, structures and nomenclature in these websites which are sometimes supported by audio, video, graphics, animations and PowerPoint presentations for a better conceptual understanding.  

Students can participate in interactive quizzes, tests etc to assess their level of understanding and judge their preparation levels. They can attempt online sample papers, practice tests and revision exercises for a thorough revision. Revision using online sample papers would not only help students in tracing their weaker links but would also assist them in making their hold over such concepts stronger. Time bound sample papers and model papers available online also help students in managing time so that they can complete the questions within the allotted time in the examination. 

Unlike traditional classroom learning with mundane books, online learning is an exhilarating way to learn Chemistry. It not only helps in getting solutions to queries but also aims at the all-round development of students by enhancing their confidence levels.

Online study material for Chemistry, centers on the understanding the core concepts of the subject and improving the problem solving skills of students. If students follow the online study material for Chemistry with dedication, it would no longer be a difficult subject for them.

Meritnation.com launches General Knowledge Pack

Studying General Knowledge could not have got more fun! Meritnation.com launches a G.K. Pack for classes IV-X. Now discover interesting facts about the world of science, technology, sports, literature & more as you study with the help of interactive flash-based content for G.K.

Meritnation’s General Knowledge Pack is organized into sections that cover areas such as Natural World, Science & Technology, Sports & Entertainment etc. The content within each module is further divided into two levels – level I and level II – to cater to the primary and middle school years respectively. Presented in the form of interactive tests, these modules cover thousands of questions in various fun and engaging game formats, such as match the following, crossword, hidden grid & more. Instant feedback in the form of score and correct answers for all the questions makes learning fun and easy. And the best part of it all- you can take these tests as many times as you wish till you get the feeling-‘I know it all’ 

So wait no longer! Subscribe now and show-off your G.K. as you study with the help of Meritnation.com’s G.K. Pack.

Cheers!

Team Meritnation

ICSE/ ISC Exam Schedule 2011 is out!

The dates have been announced…and the stage is all set! The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations has announced the date sheet for class X and class XII board exams. The date sheet for ICSE & ISC is as follows-

Class X - ICSE exam date sheet 2011

Date	Day	Subject
28th February	Monday	English Language- English Paper 1
1st March	Tuesday	Literature in English- English Paper 2
4th March	Friday	Environmental Education
7th March	Monday	Mathematics
9th March	Wednesday	Second Language/Modern Foreign Language
11th March	Friday	History & Civics- H.C.G.- Paper 1
14th March	Monday	Geography- H.C.G.- Paper 2
16th March	Wednesday	Physics- Science Paper 1
17th March	Thursday	Economics (Group II Elective)
18th March	Friday	Chemistry- Science Paper 2
22nd March	Tuesday	Biology- Science Paper 3

Class XII ISC exam date sheet 2011

Date	Day	Subject
28th February	Monday	English Paper 1
1st March	Tuesday	English Paper 2
4th March	Friday	Environmental Education Paper 1
7th March	Monday	Sociology
8th March	Tuesday	Physics Paper 1/ Business Studies
10th March	Thursday	Commerce
11th March	Friday	Political Science/Biology Paper 1
12th March	Saturday	Literature in English
14th March	Monday	Mathematics/ Business Mathematics
16th March	Wednesday	Geography Paper 1/ Electricity & Electronics
18th March	Friday	Accounts
22nd March	Tuesday	Chemistry Paper 1/ History
23rd March	Wednesday	Geom. & Mechanical Drawing
25th March	Friday	Computer Science Paper 1/ Biotechnology Paper 1
26th March	Saturday	Psychology
28th March	Monday	Economics
31st March	Thursday	Environmental Science

You can view the complete date sheet at www.cisce.org

Now that the date sheet is out, it’s time that all you ICSE students gear up for your exams.

We wish you all the very best!

Cheers!

Team Meritnation

Karnataka SSLC Papers

One of the most crucial examinations that every student studying under the Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala State Boards appears for is the SSLC Papers.  Typically, the final examinations conducted at the end of class X are called the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations after which students obtain their School Leaving Certificates.

Now the question is, why should students take their Karnataka SSLC papers seriously and not treat it as just another set of examinations? The answer to this question lies in the fact that it is the scores obtained by students in these Karnataka SSLC papers that determine their future to a large extent! This is because their admissions to junior colleges or schools for pursuing higher secondary studies are based on these scores. The higher secondary admissions are made on the basis of the results obtained by all the students who have applied for a seat in a particular college. Based on the overall results of the applicants a preference list is prepared and the cut off lists are released by each college. Therefore, it is important for all the students to understand that their Karnataka SSLC results are a major determiner for their prospective career decisions. So you see, all you students out— there are enough reasons for you to take your SSLC papers seriously!

Usually the Karnataka SSLC papers are conducted once in a year, commencing from the first week of April; the supplementary examinations for the same are conducted in the month of July. The Karnataka SSLC examinations generally follow the three-language scheme, wherein apart from the vernacular language, a student has to opt for two other languages in addition to Maths, Science and Social Sciences.

Students who are to appear for their Karnataka SSLC Papers in 2010 better gear up, ’coz the date sheet is out. The exams are scheduled from April 1-9, 2010. With the Karnataka SSLC papers approaching it is high time, that all Karnataka State Board students get over with their last minute preparation for all the subjects and have their final revision schedules in place.

The ideal way to begin a revision exercise is to start practicing from the previous years’ Karnataka SSLC papers or the sample papers. An exercise like this will help students assess their preparation levels for their final examinations. It will also help them identify the topics that need some more preparation in order to score better.  Students are also advised not to forget to practice using full length model tests so as to check their real time score before their final Karnataka SSLC papers. Karnataka State Board students can also try their hand at model tests and practice tests available online. A few websites provide curriculum-aligned study content in the form of test papers and revision notes for the students of Karnataka State Board.

While practicing from these model tests, students should try to restrict their answers to the prescribed word limit as it will help them prepare better for their final Karnataka SSLC papers. Ever since the Karnataka State Board has introduced the Question Paper cum Answer Booklet, students get puzzled on how to structure their answers to fit into the available space. Therefore, in order to write complete answers it is always advisable to mentally rehearse the key points to be included in each question and write the answers accordingly.

Once through with the revision exercise from the sample papers, students should keep their revision notes handy for the last minute glances before the Karnataka SSLC papers. Students should make sure that their revision notes are in easy to read language, brief and factually correct. If supplemented with well-labeled illustrations the revision notes can make learning very effective. Along with the model tests and practice tests, various websites also provide Karnataka SSLC curriculum aligned revision notes. The revision notes by these websites keep all the important guidelines in mind to facilitate effective learning.

With all these study tips, studying for Karnataka SSLC papers can be more a smooth and enjoyable activity. Wishing you all, best of luck for your upcoming exams!

Cracking ICSE Maths Exam

As a student studying ICSE Maths, if you often get worked up at the thought of attempting an ICSE Maths paper, this article could be of use to you!  It is not uncommon for students studying ICSE Maths to feel stressed out due to the vastness of the ICSE curriculum. Owing to the expansive nature of the syllabus, the number of questions and the time available for completing the ICSE Maths exam, it usually gets difficult for students to manage their time.

Students who are preparing for ICSE Maths examinations or for that matter any other exam can follow these quick tips to prepare well and excel.

• Practice! The more you practice your maths problems, the better are your chances of scoring well in your exams. There is no shortcut to excelling in the ICSE Maths exam other than regular and consistent practice. So what are you waiting for, pick up a pen and paper and start working away at your Maths problem.
• Mental Math can be handy! To speed up your Maths skills, try using Mental Maths. All you need is basic knowledge about fundamental mathematical skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Start first with practicing simple one-step problems without pen and paper, and then gradually move on to complex multi-stage problems. Compare your results thus obtained with at each step with the results in the solution table. Mental Maths helps students arrive at solutions faster by increasing their concentration levels and allowing them with practice to speed up the processing time required for most simple calculations.  Don’t get hassled if you fail the first time you try mental Maths; it can take you some time to be 100% accurate in your results.
• Read carefully! While in the examination hall, first read the instructions printed on top of the ICSE Maths exam paper well and then go on to read the entire paper. Mark the questions that you find difficult and do start with the easier ones. Allocate time per question based on the marks allotted and make sure that you are able to stick to this limit.
• Mark out the rough space! To make your paper look neat, tidy and well organized clearly demarcate space for calculations on the right hand side of the answer sheet . This will make the calculations less messy and the answer sheet more ‘reader friendly’.
• Steps do fetch you marks! While attempting the problem, write down all the necessary steps in the answer. Many students who attempt their ICSE Maths paper miss out on writing these steps and in the process may lose marks even if the answer is correct.  
• Keep an eye on your watch! Constantly keep a check on the time left and accordingly approach the other questions. Once you come across the difficult questions, don’t panic but simply try sticking to the time allotted.

So keep these tips in mind this time as you prepare and attempt your ICSE Maths exam and I am  positive that you will score better than your previous exams.

How to score well in ICSE Exams?

For students studying under the ICSE Board the mention of ICSE exams can cause considerable anxiety.  With competition levels soaring, ICSE exams are usually the ‘make or break time’ in a student’s life. In order to score well in the ICSE exams students should concentrate on obtaining a thorough understanding of concepts follow it up with repeated and robust revision sessions.

In order to write quality answers and score well in the ICSE exams, students should incorporate the following points in their studies.

• Say no to cramming! Students often consider mindless cramming as a sure-shot and easy way to obtain great marks in ICSE exams.  Some students cram out of habit and some out of necessity (“there is too little time left and so much to cover, where is the time to spend on understanding concepts!”). Whatever the reason, students should try to stay away from cramming and focus on building conceptual understanding. It is very important for students preparing for the ICSE exam to understand that cramming might prove very effective and sometimes yield instant results in the form of good marks, but in the long run it is an absolute waste, as you are sure to forget all that you crammed.  Cramming or relying only on rote memory results only in the short-term retention of concepts and is in fact highly detrimental for subjects such as Science and Maths, where building progressively on conceptual understanding is the only key to better marks.
• Revising is must! It goes without saying that revising is one of the most essential ingredients for performing well in the ICSE exams. Students can reinforce learning by using a variety of revision aids available in a lot of websites. These revision aids will not only make learning effective but will also make scoring great marks in the ICSE exams easy. Students can start their revision sessions using chapter-wise tests along with comprehensive model tests available on these websites. Students can also revise using interactive curriculum-based puzzles that will add the much required zing into their revision schedules. For those last moment revision sessions before the final ICSE exams, students can refer to crisp, easily downloadable, chapter-wise revision notes available on these websites.
• Do not let stress get to you! A little bit of exam-related anxiety can often give the much required push to the student to prepare and perform well at in the final ICSE exams. However, prolonged and high-levels of anxiety can lead to overpowering stress and a poor performance at the final exams. While preparing for the final ICSE exam, students should try to stay calm and study with a single-minded focus towards performing well in the exams. Students should learn and revise as much they can before their final papers and perform some simple stress-busting activities to keep their anxiety levels under control.
• Do not use any unfair means! Students should not indulge in cheating or any unfair means to perform well in the ICSE exams. Students may occasionally tend to get easily lured by these short-cut methods of scoring good marks. Although it may seem like an easy way to score good marks in the examinations, but if any student is caught using unfair means, needless to say, very strict action is taken against the student. In extreme cases, it could even result in cancellation of the entire answer sheet.

So the next time you prepare for your ICSE exams, do keep in mind these easy-to-follow pointers to get better results.

Feature-cum-benefits of E-learning

E-learning is the buzz word among school students these days. High speed broadband connectivity at affordable rates and easy accessibility to high quality curriculum aligned e-learning content has led to this increasing popularity of internet-based learning. Today there are a variety of websites that provide online learning and assessment solutions for CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra State SSC Board, Karnataka State SSLC Board and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board. Learning content ranging from study material enriched with animations, interactive puzzles, a variety of tests, dynamic formative assessments to crisp revision notes; you name it and e-learning websites have it all. However, there are a many students who are still not completely aware of all that internet-based learning or e-learning has to offer.

To elucidate on features cum benefits of internet based learning or e-learning to all you students studying under CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board, here are a few points. 

• Customized content as per learning styles:- Internet based learning imparts education using a variety of mediums. As a result, e-learning is well-equipped to accommodate different types of learners and makes available to them unique learning content in the manner that suits them the best. 
• Collaborative learning:- E-learning also allows students to study together, share their experiences, ask questions, share knowledge with their peers etc on the virtual world. As a result, students can use the online learning experience as a powerful tool for learning and problem-solving and also ensure that they excel academically.
• Self-paced learning:- E-learning also provides opportunity to the students to choose their pace while learning. Learners who are slow can repeat their study sessions as many times as they wish, whereas fast learners can sail through their lessons and ensure that they stay ahead of their peers.
• Cost effective:- By subscribing to online study sessions, students get the opportunity to study from quality and experienced teachers without having to incur those high tuition costs. Apart from lower costs, students can also get to save the time and effort spent on travelling to and from tuition centres, schools etc.
• Time saving:- E-learning allows students to study as per their own convenience. Students can log on to their favorite online learning website whenever they get time or in-between their other study/activity sessions and be sure of a stress-free and enriching study experience.
• Stay in control:- Online learning not only allows students to stay in control of their study schedules and the pace with which they choose to study, but also helps them manage other activities besides studies. As a result students are not only in control of their studies, but in effect start feeling to be in control of their life as a whole. 

Apart from all the above features cum benefits of e-learning, the privilege of studying in the comforts of your home makes it an instant hit amongst students. So all you CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra State Board, Karnataka State SSLC board and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board students, just surf your way through these e-learning websites and be sure of a smooth and stress-free learning experience.

Happy browsing!

Making ICSE Maths Easy!

The very mention of the word ICSE Maths usually leaves students preparing for the ICSE papers in jitters. This phenomenon of extreme fear of Maths or Arithmophobia is common not only amongst students in India but is prevalent amid students around the globe. It has been observed that due to this fear of Maths, students studying at various levels try to evade studying ICSE Maths for as long as they can. However, keeping in mind the utility of Maths in everyday life students should be encouraged to practice Maths and learn it the fun way.

Here are a few tips making studying ICSE Maths easy and helping students overcome their fear of Maths.

• Regular Practice- Practicing ICSE Maths regularly is the only way out for students to get rid of their fear of Maths. Students should regularly practice concepts by way of exercises that are available at the end of each chapter. These exercises in the ICSE Maths books aim to promote not only conceptual understanding but also help in improving the memory for concepts and formulae that is possible only through extensive practice. To solidify weak areas and score good marks in the ICSE Maths exam, students should be on the regular look out for more avenues that give them the opportunity to practice concepts thoroughly. Apart from the prescribed books, students should also practice from the curriculum-aligned ICSE Maths books by various other authors. There are also various websites that provide elaborate practice material in a variety of formats. Such resources help to promote conceptual understanding by way of rigorous practice through test papers and model tests. Practicing using such material will immensely help students get rid of their fear of Maths ‘coz the only way to beat fear is to face it hard!
• Stress on conceptual clarity- For a subject like ICSE Maths, students just cannot leave concepts in the middle and hop on to newer topics and assume that they can still excel in the subject. In order to excel in ICSE Maths it is imperative to systematically build on concepts from the simpler to the more complex. It is only after strengthening their understanding of the concept and related concepts at all levels that the student should proceed to newer topics. It is important for students to understand that one of the most crucial and inherent feature of a subject like Maths is the interconnectivity of basic concepts at various levels. Therefore, scoring good marks in ICSE Maths is only possible when the understanding of concepts is clear at all levels.
• Maths can also be fun!- Students who find practicing from mundane books tedious can add a lot of zing to their studying routine by practicing using ICSE Maths puzzles, quizzes and animations. Through animated videos concepts are explained in an enticing manner using real-life instances. For example, various animated videos while explaining fractions actually show an object being divided into pieces and through voice-overs the logic is explained in simple language. Students also have the liberty to play these videos as many times as they wish for a complete and thorough understanding of the concept. Once through with the understanding of the concepts, students can test their knowledge by way of ICSE Maths puzzles. Students can even search for ICSE Maths puzzles and videos online, as various websites are dedicated to developing quality educational content for ICSE students to make learning easy for them.

I am positive that after reading this article, you must have identified your own ways to make the understanding and practicing ICSE Maths easy and effective. So go ahead and practice hard!

How to study from CBSE books

Books that are prescribed by Central Board of Secondary Education for students studying under this board are referred to as CBSE books. To perform well in CBSE examinations or for that matter any other school exam, it is very important for students to thoroughly go through the CBSE books. The questions asked in the final CBSE examinations are either directly picked from the end-of-chapter exercises in these books or are based on the NCERT questions with minor modifications. To score top marks and gain the maximum from the learning activity, it is essential for students to prepare quality notes from the CBSE books.

Students can follow this simple five-step process to learn how to prepare quality notes from CBSE books. These steps will help students approach their studies and related activities in the correct manner and will also enable them to score great marks in the final examinations; thereby making their learning activity a thoroughly enriching one.

• The first and foremost step is to thoroughly go through the entire chapter in the CBSE book. This will acquaint students with the concepts, processes and other important information in the chapter. It will also help students to obtain a fair idea of the efforts required to proficiently complete the chapter and related topics.
• After going through the chapter, the next step is to then assess knowledge levels with respect to understanding of key concepts, retention of important information etc. Such an assessment at this level will enable students to work efficiently towards completing their syllabus within the stipulated time period. It will also ensure that students do undertake other important activities related to studies.
• After making an assessment of the knowledge levels, comes the time to prepare notes from the CBSE books. While preparing notes from the CBSE books, students should make sure that they are reproducing word-by-word from it. Ideally, such notes should be based on students’ understanding of concepts. Students should first try to understand the concepts in CBSE books then prepare a list of all important concepts and finally prepare notes for all these concepts in their own language. While preparing such notes students should keep the following points in mind.

• Students should try to keep these notes crisp and to-the-point. It will not only promote effective understanding but will also be useful for quick revision.
• While making notes from CBSE books students should make sure that they are as per their learning styles. Notes according to the preferred learning style will help students learn and process information quickly and efficiently.
• Students should try to support their notes with value-adding illustrations and videos. It will promote comprehensive learning and will also help students score extra marks in exams.

• Once through with preparing notes from CBSE books, students should try to solve questions available in end-of-chapter exercises. A practice session like this will help students identify their knowledge gaps, clear all their doubts and fill those gaps to solidify learning.

Students can also seek help from a variety of websites that provide CBSE-aligned learning and assessment solutions. The learning solutions by such websites include free NCERT solutions, study material, formative assessments, interactive puzzles, tests, revision notes etc. Referring to such content can make learning a thoroughly enriching experience.

All the best!

CBSE board papers

Still not over with preparing for your CBSE board papers? Do not get cowed down by the quantum of syllabus that still remains uncovered. Keep a positive attitude and take the impending CBSE board papers head on! In order to score well in the CBSE board papers adopt the ‘Ready-Aim-and-Fire’ approach. Do not while away the remaining time by pondering over negative thoughts like “I wish I had started preparing early” or “I should have given more attention during my classes” etc. Let bygones be bygones. With a few weeks still in hand, start preparing now and let your marks do the talking!

To excel in CBSE board papers follow this simple three-step process that will help you plan and structure your studies well and make your entire learning activity flow effortlessly.

Step I - Setting Goals! Set short-term goals in the form of daily targets and work towards achieving those goals. In order to achieve your targets in time and make your studying activity more structured, start by preparing your own study schedule. But remember, to not spend excessive amount of time on setting goals and preparing your schedules as you will be left with very little time to actually study for your CBSE board papers. You can also save some precious time spent regularly on preparing daily study schedule, by following a ‘schedule template’. With minor changes in the template, you can use it on a regular basis. To make your schedule template an ideal one for you, remember to prepare it yourself and do incorporate the following points in it.

• Your schedule template should be flexible. Ample scope should be provided for accommodating unexpected activities so as to avoid end minute hassles.
• Your study targets in the schedule should be realistic. Study targets should be such that they can be achieved in the allocated time within the study schedule.
• While preparing your study schedule template try to be specific. Clearly list down what you intend to achieve and in what time.
• Your study schedule template should incorporate essential breaks after regular intervals. Time for sleeping, essential relaxation and leisure activity should be clearly earmarked.

Students who do not wish to use study templates can use the Study Planner. These Study planners are exclusively available online for CBSE, ICSE, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu State Boards. The Study Planner is a tool that helps students organize their studies better so that they can be in control.

Step II - Studying! Once through with setting broad goals, comes the time to actually start working towards achieving those goals. Preparing study notes, revision notes, memorizing etc. are the primary activities that need to be undertaken to achieve the daily targets and score well in CBSE board papers. While studying keep the following tips in mind to make this activity a thoroughly enriching Experience.

• Study according to your learning style. Do not force yourself to study using methods that will anyways slow down your pace of learning and make the over all activity taxing.
• Do not stress on cramming. Lay emphasis on understanding and memorizing the concept and not on brainlessly cramming the study text.
• Incorporate small breaks in your study regime. These small breaks will help your mind to stay fresh and will also help you ward off monotony that is usually a result of long study sessions.
• Practice memory enhancing activities. Try to eat healthy food, exercise both your body and mind regularly and study in ways that will help you boost memory and lead to better concentration levels.

Students can also seek help from websites that provide CBSE aligned study material and other study content so as to make understanding and memorizing of concepts easy.

Step III - Revising! After you are done with memorizing, now is the time to assess your preparation levels before the final CBSE board paper. Come what may, do not skip this essential step if you wish to score well in the CBSE board papers. Here are a few ways on how to make the revision activity interesting.

• Revise using previous year CBSE board papers or sample papers. Practicing from these mock papers will help you get acquainted with the overall paper pattern, marking scheme etc.
• Once through with studying test your recall and write down the important points on a piece of paper. This will help you reinforce learning and will also lead to identification of conceptual gaps.
• Revise using revision notes. This will help you get a quick overview of the entire chapter by highlighting the important points.
• Prepare flash cards that stresses on key points, formulae etc. Flash cards like these will result in an easy recall of difficult points in the chapter.

Students can browse their way through some websites that provide practice tests, model tests and revision notes as per the CBSE curriculum.

Now that all you students know how to go about with studying in the remaining time period before the final CBSE board papers, do not waste anymore time. Just get going!

All the best!

Essential of E-learning videos

One of the most exciting features of internet based learning is the e-learning videos. With high speed broadband connectivity penetrating to of the most interior locations, video based e-learning is soon gaining in popularity. Web-based learning accompanied with e-learning videos not only makes for an ideal virtual classroom, but also help promote an effective, engaging and exciting learning experience. 

Nowadays, there are various universities that offer online degree/diploma courses at the graduation and post graduation levels. To obtain such degrees students are expected to study using the online course material and e-learning videos made available by the university and take periodic online tests for assessment. 

That is not all. There are various websites that provide multimedia enriched e-learning content for students studying in school. These websites can go long way in making the entire studying experience truly enriching and effective. However, while studying from such e-learning videos online students should make sure that they have the following essential elements in it.

High quality content for a thorough understanding

To score great marks in school and to ensure a thorough learning experience, students should only refer to videos that are of a high quality.  The term ‘high quality’ not only refers to the technical aspect of these videos but to the content as well. Studying from e-learning videos that are not up to the mark can hamper a thorough conceptual understanding. Therefore while surfing for e-learning videos, students should be sure that they are not getting swayed by the high quality animations and other effects used in these videos, but should also ensure that along with quality animations the content of these videos is also up to the mark. 

However, students who have a dial-up connection or a low broadband speed cannot fully experience the benefits of e-learning as buffering/ downloading of these e-learning videos can consume a lot of time and can therefore be quite a hassle. 

Logically organized material for a smooth learning experience

A variety of multimedia enriched videos can not only make learning fun but help make it an extremely engaging experience. Along with adding variety to the study schedule, these 2D, 3D and real life e-learning videos impart conceptual understanding in a very simplified manner that help students retain information for a long time. However, bad pronunciation, poorly organized and presented content, incomplete information etc in the e-learning videos not only hamper the pace of learning but can also deter future attempts at trying to understand the concept using online resources. Therefore, while referring to e-learning videos students should make it a point to check it for above mentioned points and only consider learning from those websites that meet the above requirements 

E-learning videos backed by relevant study material for a complete learning

While surfing for e-learning websites that provide curriculum-aligned study videos, students should make it a point to only refer to sites that support these videos with relevant study material. Such a blend of e-learning videos and relevant study material can help concretize understanding and make scoring great marks easy. There are  various websites that provide such chapter-wise learning resources and curriculum-aligned puzzles, chapter-wise practice tests, full length model tests, chapter-wise revision notes and a lot more for students studying under CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra State SSC board, Karnataka State SSLC board and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board.

So the next time you want to add some zing to your study schedule, do surf through a few e-learning videos. 

All the best for your exams!

How to prepare for ICSE Board Papers

ICSE Board papers are considered to be difficult papers in comparison to the papers set by the other board papers across India. The ICSE Board offers students an extensive variety of subjects to choose from. More emphasis is on literature than any other aspect of learning in ICSE Board curriculum. The ICSE Board is also the generally preferred board by students who wish to pursue their undergrad studies from foreign countries. One of the major reasons for the same is that the curriculum for ICSE Board Papers is more compatible with the syllabus of other Common Wealth countries. 

If you are a student of ICSE Board and you are nervous about your Board Papers after reading the above mentioned facts, you don’t need to worry! Here are some snap tips on how to manage your time and excel in your ICSE Board Papers. 

• The first and most important step for any student of class X intending to appear for ICSE Board Papers is to choose their elective subjects wisely. The subjects chosen by the student should be aligned with the individual career choice and as per the individual caliber. Students should not choose subjects under peer, school or parental pressure. Once subjects are chosen, try sticking to it.
• The next important step is to prepare a customized time schedule. The schedule should be such that it clearly lists down all the activities you perform in a day against the time available. Try to include some variety, as it will help keep away monotony. It is important to clearly demarcate your personal study hours in a day from the time allocated for completing your homework.
• Build in flexibility into your time schedule. Try to adjust your missed study hours during the weekend as a fresh mind allows learning to be fast and effective.
• Prepare a fresh time schedule for exam time. Schedule the difficult subjects first and the easy ones for a later. Schedule your time in such a manner that you complete the syllabus before the exam commences and are able to judiciously use the time available in between the exams for revision.
• While revising, try your hand at ICSE Sample Papers. It provides students appearing for ICSE Board Papers with an idea of the question pattern, instructions, marking scheme etc. In the process these ICSE sample papers equip students with the confidence that is required to perform well in these exams.

In addition to your external assessment exams take your internal assessment seriously, as it carries a twenty percent weightage. A good performance in the internal exams is the key to a good overall score.

How to prepare for the board papers?

Board papers are usually geared to test the knowledge and preparation levels of students after year long rigorous studies. The board papers not only check a student’s conceptual understanding of key concepts but also test their mettle to stand extreme situations. Students should not get cowed down at any point and take on their board papers with a single minded focus of giving it their best shot.

In order to ensure that students excel in their board papers they should follow this simple three-step process. Doing so will not only help students to effectively plan and structure their studies but will also make their learning smooth and effortless.

Step I- Set goals! While planning for the academic year, students should set their long-term and short-term goals. A long-term goal is what student aspire to achieve after their year-long (or more) hard work. Short-term goals on the other hand can be defined as small steps taken by students towards achieving their ultimate goals. Both the short-term and long-term goals are important for achieving success in board papers. The first step towards formulating short-term goals is to prepare a schedule. Instead of preparing a fresh schedule everytime, students can also choose to follow a schedule template. With minor changes in the template, students can use it on a regular basis. Students preparing for the board paper can make their schedule template an ideal one by incorporating the following points in it.

• The study schedule template should aim to be specific by clearly listing down what to achieve and by what time.
• The schedule template should be flexible with ample scope for accommodating unexpected and unforeseen events.
• The study targets should be realistic that can be achieved within the allocated time.
• The schedule template should incorporate essential breaks for sleeping, relaxation and leisure activities.

Step II- Study Effectively! Setting goals should ideally be followed up with preparing study notes, revision notes, studying etc. These are some essential activities that students are required to undertake, in order to achieve their short-term goals and also score well in board papers. To make the studying activity effective for the final board papers, students should keep the following tips in mind.

• Students should study according to their learning styles and not force themselves to adopt a path that could slow down their pace of learning.
• Students should try to include small breaks while studying as it will help both the mind and the body to stay fresh.
• Students should not stress on cramming and lay emphasis only on understanding the concepts thoroughly.

Students can also seek help from websites that provide curriculum-aligned study material and other study content that can make understanding and studying easy.

Step III- Revise! Students preparing for the board papers should sum up their studies with robust revision sessions. It will not only help students to assess their preparation levels before the examinations but will also allow them to take requisite corrective actions so as to score well in final board papers. Students can follow these following tips to make their revision activity effective.

• Students can choose to revise using self-made or readymade revision notes that will help them obtain a quick overview of the entire chapter.
• Students can also practice concepts using previous year board papers or sample papers and get acquainted with the overall pattern, marking scheme etc.
• Students can also prepare flash cards for an easy recall of difficult points in the chapter.

Students can also surf their way through a few websites that provide a variety of curriculum-aligned revision aids for effective revision before the final board papers.

Now all you students out there preparing for your board papers can go ahead and seek help from these steps for a great score in your exams.

All the best!

How to prepare for ICSE Board Papers

ICSE Board papers are considered to be difficult papers in comparison to the papers set by the other board papers across India. The ICSE Board offers students an extensive variety of subjects to choose from. More emphasis is on literature than any other aspect of learning in ICSE Board curriculum. The ICSE Board is also the generally preferred board by students who wish to pursue their undergrad studies from foreign countries. One of the major reasons for the same is that the curriculum for ICSE Board Papers is more compatible with the syllabus of other Common Wealth countries.

If you are a student of ICSE Board and you are nervous about your Board Papers after reading the above mentioned facts, you don’t need to worry! Here are some snap tips on how to manage your time and excel in your ICSE Board Papers.

• The first and most important step for any student of class X intending to appear for ICSE Board Papers is to choose their elective subjects wisely. The subjects chosen by the student should be aligned with the individual career choice and as per the individual caliber. Students should not choose subjects under peer, school or parental pressure. Once subjects are chosen, try sticking to it.
• The next important step is to prepare a customized time schedule. The schedule should be such that it clearly lists down all the activities you perform in a day against the time available. Try to include some variety, as it will help keep away monotony. It is important to clearly demarcate your personal study hours in a day from the time allocated for completing your homework.
• Build in flexibility into your time schedule. Try to adjust your missed study hours during the weekend as a fresh mind allows learning to be fast and effective. 
• Prepare a fresh time schedule for exam time. Schedule the difficult subjects first and the easy ones for a later. Schedule your time in such a manner that you complete the syllabus before the exam commences and are able to judiciously use the time available in between the exams for revision.
• While revising, try your hand at ICSE Sample Papers. It provides students appearing for ICSE Board Papers with an idea of the question pattern, instructions, marking scheme etc. In the process these ICSE sample papers equip students with the confidence that is required to perform well in these exams.

In addition to your external assessment exams take your internal assessment seriously, as it carries a twenty percent weightage. A good performance in the internal exams is the key to a good overall score.

How can CBSE class X students improve their reading skills?

A vast syllabus and poor reading skills are two main reasons that make CBSE class X students take to cramming while they prepare for their final exams. Right from the start, students are discouraged both by parents and school teachers from ‘mindless’ cramming and are advised to understand the meaning of the text before they actually try to memorize it. The intention is to improve their reading skills. Good ‘reading skills’ can help students read quickly and grasp the meaning from the written text. Good reading skills also helps develop a good command over the language which makes it easy for students to re-write in their own words. However, very little is actually done to improve the reading skills of students in school. Essentially, a focus towards developing sound reading skills should be maintained from the early years of primary schooling. However, it is never too late for students of CBSE class X to build on their reading skills and score great marks in final examinations.

Now that all you CBSE class X students out there understand the importance of good reading skills, here are a few tips that will help you improve your reading skills.

• Have clear reading goals! Before starting to read, students should set their reading goals clearly. CBSE class X students should first assess their reading objective/s and then should start reading the text. For example, while reading a novel, one is expected to read the entire sentence carefully so as to understand the story as a whole and ensure that he/she is not missing out on any important link. Where as in case of a newspaper report the objective usually is to gather a gist of the event. Likewise, the CBSE class 10 students should keep in mind the objective of the reading exercise and accordingly set their reading goals. The reading goals for a student could possibly range from quickly completing the syllabus to trying to understand the various aspects of a given topic or problem in detail.
• Choose the reading text carefully! While preparing for your CBSE class X board papers, students should practice caution while choosing the book that they are planning to study from. To improve reading skills students should first give the prescribed NCERT book a thorough read. Since the concepts in NCERT books are explained in a very simplified manner, it can be of immense help to students with relatively weak reading skills to make a framework for the concepts. After going through the NCERT book, CBSE class X students may then follow it up with books by publishers on the topic to gain further understanding of the topic.
• Choose your reading technique! While giving the chapter a read, student can choose the reading technique as per their reading goals. If a student needs to pick up details from the text then he/she may read through the entire text using scanning -a process wherein a student scans through the text in detail and then selects the information to study. Skimming, on the other hand is technique that can be employed when one has to read through quickly and efficiently. Under this technique, the CBSE class X student glances through all the text and obtains a quick overview of the topic. In order to improve reading skills, students should choose the reading technique according to the available time and proficiency level that he/she intends to achieve.
• Take notes!  CBSE class X students, who wish to improve their reading skills, should follow up a thorough read of the chapter with preparing personalized notes of the chapter in their own words. Preparing notebook in own words will not only help the student improve his/her understanding of the topic but will also help them learn how to express their thoughts in their own words.  Students can prepare their own revision notes and compare their notes for any inaccuracies with those made available online by a variety of websites.

Now that all you CBSE class X students know how to improve your reading skills, take a go at these tips for a great score.

How to study effectively from free NCERT Solutions?

The one thing that can help students score great marks in the final CBSE examinations is quality NCERT solutions. Students usually find the exercise of writing end-of-chapter NCERT solutions mundane and often try to keep away from it. Writing NCERT solutions with low interest levels can not only hamper the quality of NCERT answers but can also have an adverse effect on the marks obtained by the student in the final CBSE examinations. Therefore, it is very important for the students studying under the CBSE board to practice caution while attempting their NCERT solutions.  To make their NCERT solutions apt for the final examinations, students can also seek help from the free NCERT solutions available online by a variety of websites. These free NCERT solutions will not only help students frame complete and correct answers, but will also help them score great marks in the final CBSE examinations.

However, while referring to these free NCERT solutions it is very important for students to check their NCERT solutions against the ideal NCERT solutions for any inaccuracies. Students should also make sure that their free NCERT solutions have all these essential features to help make their solutions perfectly apt for the final CBSE examinations.

Here is a checklist of the essential features that all you students out there can refer to and ensure that your free NCERT solutions are complete and comprehensive.

• To make the activity of referring to free NCERT solutions quick and smooth, it is very important to first organize the solution sheets chapter-wise and within that page number-wise. To save time and effort, students should only seek help from those websites that provide free NCERT solutions in an organized and systematic manner. This will not only speed-up the process of referring to these NCERT solutions but will also make learning effective.
• While referring to free NCERT solutions available online, students should make sure that each answer is tailored as per the requirements of the question. Studying from NCERT solutions that are not customized as per the instructions in the question can not only hamper students learning process but often can have an adverse impact on their final marks. Therefore, it is very important for students to look out for ‘quality’ NCERT solutions that will make scoring great marks in exams easy.
• For your NCERT solutions to be ‘ideal’ it is very important that the solutions are supported with explanatory videos and value-adding graphics and illustrations, wherever necessary. Neatly drawn and appropriately labeled illustrations and graphics can further promote effective understanding that will enable students write quality answers to score great marks in final examinations.
• Grammatical and language accuracy is a pre-requisite for these solutions to be ideal. While referring to the free NCERT solutions, students should make it a point to check these solutions with respect to the grammar and language used. If students come across any error with respect to the above mentioned fields, it is advisable that students should suspect the accuracy of the solutions in general.

Having listed all the essential points to be kept in mind while referring to the free NCERT solutions, it is advisable that the next time students seek help from any free NCERT solution available online they look for these features and ensure a great score in the final examinations.