HOW STUDENTS SHOULD SPEND THE15 DAY APRIL HOLIDAY- BY SAM VIDAMBU

Great students make time, good students manage time while other students try to maximise time. Without undermining the importance of holidays, the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is 'extra'. The extra is on how a student spends the holiday.

I wish to show the students how to spend their holidays. The truth is, the way a candidate spends this holiday will greatly determine what they will get in December when results come out. A good number of candidates carried very many books home from form one to form four, but the truth is they might not open any of those books by the time schools open.

Academic success loves organisation, consistency and preparation. Its a game of numbers and it begins from the mind. I run a lot of academic programs in a lot of schools all over the country. I understand that a few weeks after opening, many schools will be clearing form four syllabus. Like I always say, it is the duty of the teacher to cover the syllabus but it is the responsibility of the student to understand the syllabus. The only way to understand the syllabus is by studying, consulting, assessment and restudying. You can imagine the candidate has been studying form one, topic one for the last four years. The same candidate only has two months to study the last topic in form four. Remember, the last topic in form four is much more complex than the first topic in form one.

A brilliant candidate will dedicate this 15 days just for form four work so as to have a clear understanding of the syllabus.

They have closed on Thursday 20th April and they will open on Tuesday 9th May. In between is 15 days. For these 15 days, a bright candidate should be busy, not just roaming around with crocks and crop tops from one village to another.

A bright candidate will count the days then make the days count. A bright candidate will not just manage time but make time. A bright candidate will focus on KCSE marks and not the KCPE marks. A bright student will look at the size of the future and not the size of the school.

The candidate will give each day its own subject to study form four work. For example, 21st~English, 22nd~Chemistry, 23rd~Kiswahili, 24th~Mathematics, 25th~History/Geography, 26th~Agr/Bs/Comp/Hs/A&D/Woodwork/Metal/Electricity/French/German/P&M/Aviation, 27th~Physics/Biology, 28th~Religion, 29th~Chemistry, 30th~Mathematics, 31st~Physics/Biology.

From date 1 to date 8 of May, the student should now give each day a subject, just for doing assignments which they were given by their teachers.

Remember, the previous 11 days from 21st of April to 31st of April the student was just studying form four work.

In that timetable for studying, all the 8 subjects have come once each. Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics/Biology have been slotted an additional one day each for obvious reasons.

Per day, per subject, the candidate should dedicate 2 hours to go through a topic. The first one hour and 30 minutes should just be used for studying. The remaining 30 minutes should be used for doing Personal Assessment Test. For personal assessment test, the candidate should get questions targeting the main learning topic objectives then try to answer them without referring. This helps to sharpen memory and start the process of content retention.

Topical wise, in form four syllabus CRE has 10 topics, Mathematics has 10 topics, Biology has 4 topics, Chemistry has 7 topics, Physics has 11 topics, Business Studies has 7 topics, Geography has 11 topics, History has 9 topics, amongst others. This means on average each subject has around 8 topics.

Remember, this is a program to help the student understand the syllabus which has been covered. Most schools have not cleared form four syllabus. Many still have around two or three topics to go. This means most schools have covered 5 topics in form four.

This is where the 10 Hour Rule comes in. 

Priorities. 

If there are 5 topics to be studied and each takes 2 hours, it means this candidate dedicates 10 hours every day for doing personal studies. Remember a day has 24 hours. The candidate will have a whopping 14 hours remaining to sleep, do the house chores, helping parents, seeing relatives and even meeting other friends. 

Remember, it's not a must for the 2 hours per subject to be concurrent. One can make it to be 8 to 10, 11 to 1, 2 to 4, 5 to 7, then 8 to 10. (This numericals here are exemplary).

This is for the serious. The committed. The dedicated. The focused. The grade chasers. The A finders. Not the excuse makers nor naysayers.

Candidates, be organised, work with numbers and make time. This is not the moment to wander from one place to another. Stay at home. If the environment at home is not conducive to study, go to the nearest public library and study. Stop making excuses. Successful students do not make excuses, they make adjustments. Successful students do not change the goal, they set new targets.

Remember, you don’t reap what you sow. You reap more than what you sow. The more you sweat in the training, the less you bleed in the battle. Candidate, the way you spend this holiday will determine the outcome of January.

They have laughed at you, they have given you names, they call you number last, they have written you off, they have said you’ll not go to campus, they are scheming, planning and dreaming about your academic downfall. Remember, the best revenge is massive success. Those who laugh at you will become the first people to congratulate you for your good results in January. Work, succeed, make your parents proud. Make your school proud. Do yourself proud. Success is your duty, obligation and responsibility.

Queen, wear that crown and let them bow. King, take that thrown and command your army.

Go to work. Prove them wrong. Achieve greatness.

To God Be The Glory.

SAM VIDAMBU

- Kenya