#icse help

[vadergf]

Hey there! ICSE Xth kid here in need of advice.

I've been avoiding Maths since last 2 years, like totally ignoring it. Online exams were no help.

But now that I've to give boards within 8 months, I have no idea where to start. Anything would help.

(Also, feel free to ignore if you're unable to answer. Thanks in advance!)

Hii anon I've been in this situation before bc I really did not study as well. I don't know how the portions are different from when I studied like 2 years back but 8 months is a good enough time to finish all your portions

I went to a tuition but if you're doing individual studies first thing u need to do is go through the chapter and do the example sums bc those help so much. Also when you're doing the chapter wise questions, for every 5 questions pick one and solve that. And then by the end of the unit where there's like a lot of tough sums, solve all of them.

Once you're done with all the chapters like that, start doing your 10 year papers. All of them, multiple times. And maybe use previous previous years ten year papers as well like stuff from 2008 or 2009 or even before help with practice as well.

Then if u do have time remaining maybe check out one of those guide books and just solve some of their sample papers or even the sample papers given in the back of your text book.

And obviously do the practice every single day and you should be good because that's pretty much all I did and I think I scored 95.

Also unrelated but do your project really really well I'm not joking it's so important to make it as well researched and neat as possible

[vadergf]

question: do you have any tips for studying merchant of venice?

OOH OKAY

So if you only use no fear Shakespeare for paraphrase, I suggest you get another book because it is very informal. The one I used was the Xavier book

Ok so you can can read the paraphrase as is, but at the end of each scene, just like mentally recap what happened or if you want, write it down.

Also jot down the wordings of all the important speeches (the hath not a jew eyes, the quality of mercy, the quality of music etc) and make sure you know what it all means, line by line because you can have multiple questions from that one paragh alone.

If you are more of a visual learner there are plenty of videos out there explaining the whole story.

Also most ICSE schools provide a workbook with their merchant of venice that looks like this: (I think this is the one I had)

This has plenty of meanings for individual words, question and answers you can practice and summaries etc.

Anyways I hope this helps💖

[vadergf]

I've had pre-boards since January and boards are next month and I don't remember anything.. The panic is starting to set in especially because I haven't been able to study much lately.. I don't know what to do

Okay this was a big fear for me as well. One thing I used to do was when I'm studying I used to jot down the important points because writing it down makes you remember the stuff more than just plain reading.

Also try working out your 10 year papers. Like actually timing yourself and writing. And correct it and rewrite the wrong answers. While I didnt do this for any other subject except math (because I'm an idiot🤡), I swear it will help you A LOT if you're having trouble remembering.

[vadergf]

Heyyy, hope this is not annoying

I saw your advice about boards where you said that joining extracurriculars will benefit you later and I was just worried because I have barely joined any.

Our school (ICSE) is a shithole of favouritism so only a few same students are chosen for MUNs and Olympiads, chess competitions etc. and literally no one cares about the rest of us. I'm going into 9th and I feel I've wasted so much time and under the pressure of 9th grade studies I won't have much time for extracurricular stuff. Do you have any advice on how to reach out to teachers and staff to join stuff or maybe some out of school competitions that may also help?

Also if there's a really good Math textbook you reccomend for 9th-10th kids will you please lmk? Everyone says the Selena ones but I already have those.

Thanks

Hey, honestly I didnt do many extra curriculars either. Maybe try attending some online MUNs right now. You can always find MUNs happening and you dont need a school delegation for a lot of them. So you can just join them. Same thing for any extracurricular right now. Everything is online so you dont have to worry about your shitty school. Just join a few that helps you. And relax you're still in 9th you'll definitely have time.

And for math, the Selena one is fine for studying. For extra questionas just use a 10 year guide or that ostwald text

[vadergf]

Please give tips for board exams.. super nervous.. i want a good score but after my pa3 and preboards shit is seeming harder to me due to my shockingly horrible scores.. so pls gimme tips... (Also.. if u don't mind.. can u tell me ur score and how u achieved it??)

Okay anon I got 97.2% in my boards but let me tell you something: my preboards were utter shit. I swear to god, I almost failed in three subjects and only internals saved my chemistry marks.

So, please please dont be too worried about the preboards because they are designed to be super super hard and your teachers will correct it extra strictly!

(I was in ICSE so these may help more for ICSE kids but it can also work like generally)

If you have math, do it everyday. I'm not even kidding. Pick a chapter, get someone to mark like 10-15 sums from and work it out.

Choose your really weak subjects and work the hardest parts of it out. For me it was physics and chemistry, so I did the numericals for the hardest chapters first. Also there is NO problem in doing the chapters again and again. Like in my two months leave before boards, I only did this one physics chapter because I didnt get it at all. Just make sure whatever you're studying, you're doing it well.

Make a timetable. You need not have to stick to it religiously but itll give you a sense of structure . Pace yourself out okay. So if you're doing something that's hard for you: like chemistry or hindi, choose two other subjects that are easier like english or history. Stick to 3 subjects + Math a day and dont feel the need to do more than 1 chapter. Your brain will not retain so much information all at once. Give it time.

Take breaks, please. If you keep studying continuously, your brain will meld all the informed together. So if you study one subject, take atleast 45 minutes and do something that doesnt involve reading, then go back to studies.

Use your 10 year guides. They are so so important. Try to work out some 10 year question papers but Mainly, do it for Math. Math, my advice is, as soon as the chapters are over (which they will very soon if you do even 1/2 a chapter daily), do all the question papers. They literally ask you very little new questions.

Practice your handwriting and your timing.

DONT WORRY YOU ARE GOING TO DO AMAZING ANON, I HAVE SO MUCH FAITH IN YOU

If you have any more questions, just send me another ask or DM💙