It’s not impossible. Yes, it involves a lot of hard work and dedication, but, if you do it right and smart, you won’t have to give up your TV, the mamak sessions or daily phone conversations with your bestie. Here’s how you can ace your SPM the smart way.

1. No root memory

   Everyone says that the Malaysian education system focuses on students memorising their work. In fact, there are even students who claim to have memorised essays and managed to score in their exams. This may seem like the easy way out, but, that’s not studying smart. Try to remember facts through association. Create stories, link words and understand what you’re reading. When you’ve done that, you’ll remember what you’ve learned and they’ll stay with you for a long time, even when SPM is long over.

    

2. No questions are stupid

   Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class. Many students refrain from raising their hands in spite of having doubts because they’re afraid of being ridiculed. If you’re shy, ask to speak to your teacher after class. It’s better than pretending that you’re Mr-Know-It-All.

    

3. No dreams are too big

   It’s better to be ambitious because you’ll be motivated to work harder. Put up positive quotes or motivational posters on your wall to remind yourself every morning of your dreams. Hang out with inspirational friends who encourage each other rather than those who tease you for working hard. Seek advice from your counsellor if you’ve got problems with studies or even with your personal life – they’re there to listen and often provide golden nuggets of wisdom.

    

Here’s how you can do well on different subjects leading up to your SPM...

• Grammar – Forget about using bombastic words. Focus on your grammar and sentence structure. Read a lot of books and practise comprehension passages. Never cheat in your literature section by just reading the synopsis.

• Science subjects – Get acquainted with actual-exam questions and the different formats. You’ll be surprised that many questions are repetitive or pretty similar. This will get you comfortable with the questions and you’ll even end up picking some tricks to answering questions.

• Moral paper – You’ll have to memorise the definitions and this is easily done if you remember the keywords.

GOOD LUCK!

What to do after SPM? Find out more about courses, study destination, scholarships and more here.