Using variety in studies

You must have heard the phrase:"variety is the spice of life".This is true for your studies as well.Many a time,students get bored doing too much of the same thing viz.word lists,etc.But if one does word lists day and night,one will easily get bored and tired and cannot retain much of what one has learnt.In order to get rid of 'boring' word lists or any other section for that matter,some students keep on studying the same thing for too long a period repeatedly.But this is NOT a good strategy.

Lets consider TOEFL as an example.
TOEFL has four sections i.e.Reading,Listening,Speaking and Writing.Let's discuss them one by one:

1. Reading:
Sections such as Reading and Writing are common to all the tests viz. GRE,GMAT,SAT,TOEFL and IELTS.To perform well in Reading,one should follow three most important strategies.These strategies are i).to read,(ii).to read and (iii).to read more and more.You should read not only the help books but also a lot of other books,newspapers and magazines of your choice.Whatever you read,read it fast and get used to grasp its contents at a very fast rate.Thus,the pressure of the time limit during the tests can be handled efficiently.

2. Listening:
For some students,this section can be very tricky as they are not used to American accent.Therefore,it's a good idea to watch some good news channels like CNN,BBC,etc.Listening to news programmes on All India Radio also is a good idea.Thus,you will realise the benefit of being a 'good listener'.

3. Speaking:
Students can learn a lot from Radio Jockeys (RJs).They should try to inculcate the quality of being spontaneous from a good RJ.A good RJ speaks with clarity and does not fumble.Even if he fumbles,he does not stop (But unlike RJs,you should know where to stop).He excuses himself and moves ahead.In the same manner,you also should avoid fumbles.And if you have fumbled,you have not committed a crime.It's better to maintain your calm and move ahead. Reading something (newspaper,etc.) out improves your diction and clarity.Hence,you can perform well in this section.

4. Writing:
If you read and listen to a lot of quality English,writing will be very easy for you.While reading and listening/watching T.V.,you will gather a lot of useful information which can be used effectively for organising an essay.

Whether you are preparing for SAT,GRE,GMAT or TOEFL, making a consolidated effort always helps.Read newspapers,magazines,etc.and watch news channels on a daily basis.In addition to these,study your help books such as Barrons',Kaplan's,etc.Believe me,you will do wonders. All the best.......