Since I joined Nairaland, one of my favourite species of commentator is the expo exponentis. S/he is the person who, if you contact her or him (or it) gives you the latest expo in your subjects for WASSCE or NECO...so that you can pass without tears. Unfortunately, most of these runs guys (another name they go by) sometimes get it wrong....with tragic consequences. Despite that....students still prefer to contact them because , really , it is better than guessing.

Now the reason why Nigerian students feel an exam is for guessing has been partially trashed out elsewhere in this site. A lot of focus has been rightly placed on the state of education, the quality of teachers, the quality of curriculum, and the fact that students have a lot of distractions from the social media and the internet (Which I disagree with....the Internet is not just for mindless entertainment or rule 34 things..there are a lot of informative websites out there...it just involves an ability to sift wheat from chaff). But,no one has created a thread about how students prep for exams. So, without much delay....I present the ways one can pass WASSCE or NECO without expo/dubs. (Sorry....this does not come in book form....I am a doctor, not an author)

Rule 1: Believe in yourself.

Most Nigerian students do not beleive in themselves. The youngster who uses expo has,in essence , given up on himself. Part of the problem is our schools emphasis on the intelligent student. You know...the one who clears all of the prizes (ok...not all the time)while others are classed as 'dull'.

If you do not believe in your abilities....then you won't pass exams,or be successful in life. You will join the league of those who either become failures in life, or successful by dubious means (I leave the definition of dubious means to the imagination).

Thing is, as one of those ''intelligent kids'' when I was young....I am here to tell you that I still had to work and study hard like the rest of you. Intelligence is not a gift...it is something that is worked for.

Rule 2. Read widely....and out loud.

One of my favorite pastimes growing up was to read widely. Infact I read so widely that my parents sometimes got worried (My father at times threatened to ban me from reading the news papers when I was a teenager). At school, when I had a free period....I would head to the school library and get lost in an encyclopedia (My favorite was one about space travel...which probably explains why Prometheus is one of my favorite films...eldritch type creatures aside).

I also loved to read out loud in class during english comprehension,and also at church when we had to read the bible . Not just because I loved the sound of my voice (ok...a little bit....I confess!) but because it helped me comprehend (understand) what the passage I was reading had to say.

Reading a lot for leisure enables one to comprehend the subject you are reading...as well as to assimilate the material (I can now summarize the Chronicles of Narnia in one hour...really!). Useful skills in doing actual studying.

Rule 3. Pracitce.

I remember the day when my life ended (It was the best of times and the worst of times). That was the day when my mother, during my first holiday in Primary One...decided to burden me with maths and english problems in the early morning.

So, between 9am and 1pm...instead of playing football and watching videos (this was in the 1980's/early 1990's...BD...Before DSTV).I was doing maths and English problems (Thanks Mom for ruining my holidays).

What was the point of all this? Well....repeatedly practicing Maths and English over and over again helped me to solve maths problems quickly....vital exam skill...while doing English over and over again helped me understand English better...the language in which the WASSCE exams is written.It also introduced me to the concept of self preparation, and planning time (My mommy is a wise woman).

And these skills are transferable to other subjects.

So rule 3....practice,practice Maths AND English...because you gain vital skills for the exam.(And start in your primary or even secondary school days. No one will remember that you were the master of the village football pitch fifty years from now)

Rule 4.Early preparation is the best.

Needs no elaboration. Start prepping early. Like 1 year before the exam. Read for at least 2 hours a day. Take it up a notch when it gets close to the exam.

Rule 5 SPQ3R..

Explained
here....In brief....it is a method for approaching your studying...(And it is useful for university students too)...Stands for SURVEY , PREVIEW, QUESTION, READ, REPEAT, REVIEW.

Rule 6. The Library is your friend.

If you are lucky to live near a library....make it your friend (no matter how poorly stocked...there are gems in the desert). Be a member and read there well well if it is too noisy at home.

Rule 7..Start now.

So, what are you waiting for? START NOW!

Remember...this applies not only for those who have WASSCE to write next year....but also for those who are in primary, JSS or even SS1.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON EXPO!

Readers can add their ideas!