Gilbert Adeyinka
As third-term exams draw closer, students across Nigeria are entering a familiar season: borrowed notes, emergency reading plans, class group chats suddenly becoming active, and promises to start serious revision tomorrow.
While every student wants good results, success during exam season often comes down to habits rather than last-minute effort. Here are five common mistakes students make every term, and how to avoid them.
Reading without writing
Be honest: how many times have you read the same page over and over again and convinced yourself you’ve mastered the topic?
One of the biggest revision mistakes is passive reading. A better approach is to test yourself by writing down key points, solving questions, creating summaries, or explaining concepts in your own words. Many students discover what they don’t know the moment pen touches paper. That’s why some of the most effective revision techniques still involve physically writing things down. Whether it’s creating summary sheets or jotting down formulas, a reliable pen can help students turn information into understanding.
Depending on ‘expo’ instead of preparation
Every exam season comes with rumors, predictions and messages claiming to know exactly what will come out.
The problem? Exams rarely reward guesswork. Students who perform consistently well are usually the ones who have spent weeks building familiarity with the syllabus, practicing past questions and filling notebooks with practice answers long before exam week arrives. Preparation almost always beats prediction. One hour spent writing out answers to past questions is often more valuable than hours spent searching for shortcuts.
Waiting until the last minute to organise notes
Nothing raises blood pressure faster than looking for a note you need the night before an exam.
Keeping revision materials organised can make studying significantly easier. Some students use colour-coded notes, highlighted formulas and clearly labeled revision notebooks to make information easier to find when exams are around the corner.
Studying for hours without a plan
Many students mistake sitting with a textbook for productivity. A four-hour study session without clear goals is often less effective than a focused one-hour session with specific objectives. Before opening a textbook, successful students often start by writing down a simple study schedule. Whether it’s a daily revision checklist, a timetable for the week or a list of topics to cover, putting a plan on paper can make it easier to stay focused and accountable. Sometimes the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling prepared is simply having a clear plan written in front of you.
Ignoring rest until exam day
Some students wear exhaustion like a badge of honour during exams.
The reality is that sleep, breaks and proper rest are part of effective preparation. A tired brain struggles to retain information, concentrate and solve problems effectively. Studying smarter often means knowing when to pause, recharge and return with a clearer mind.
Exams are important, but they don’t have to feel overwhelming. Behind almost every successful exam season is a simple habit: preparation. From solving past questions and creating revision summaries to organising notes and planning study schedules, small consistent actions built early almost always make the biggest difference when it counts.
The students who tend to come out strongest are rarely the ones who studied the most the night before. They are the ones who showed up consistently, and prepared with intention. Because exam success is not only about what happens in the hall. It’s also about everything you do long before you walk in.
Adeyinka is public analyst
