Thumb rule for success (Focus on B.Sc final exam)

It's quite common to hear some one saying, " I wrote the exam well, but got poor marks". Have you ever thought about the reasons. The answer is simple. Mere filling up of the answer sheet with whatever you studied is not the right approach.

Want to approach examinations in the right manner? Follow these simple instructions:

Read question carefully to answer well - If it's a question to define something, then your job is to give the definition for that. Not more and not less!!!!

A common error that students commit is to overwrite answers. A one mark question demands a one or two sentences answer, a two marks question needs not more than five sentences containing points and a for a five marks question, one page is the maximum limit. You don't gain anything by writing one page for a two marks question.

Organise answers before writing. For example, for a five marks question, "What are folds? Differentiate between plunging and non plunging folds.", write answer in two parts. In the first, define fold. Write two or three sentences about parts of a fold including hinge line. In the second part, differentiate between plunging and non plunging fold (with small figures)

In Structural geology, Geotectonics, Palaentology and Stratigraphy, labelled diagrams add value to answers. By drawing a good diagram about the concept, you can even reduce the size of the written part.

Time management is most important. Utilise time properly. Allocate time between essays, short answers and one words. Don't waste time if you get stuck somewhere. Leave some space in your answer sheet and come back at the end if you have extra time.

Write as neatly and clearly as possible. Don't write too close or too wide. Leave some margin on the left hand side.

If you feel that a question is out of syllabus, just attempt it and you may be given marks.

In essays,write short paragraphs, underline important headings or points and write sub headings wherever possible.

Best of luck friends !!!!!!!!!!

How to improve your Communication skills?

A deliberate attempt is the only solution to build solid communication skills in English. Here are some tips based on practical experience.

Communication is like making a tasty dish at the kitchen. Two things needed for making a good dish are
1. the raw materials
2. cooking skills

In communication also you need two things.

1. Vocabulary
2. Ability to use the right words at the right time

So, get started friends and focus your efforts towards these two things. Want to know about the way you can acheive these. Follow some simple steps and you got it!!!!!

1. Regularly read a good English paper (preferably The Hindu) and listen to the BBC news hour either on radio or on T.V. Collect new words and make a mental note of them.

2. Listen to good interviews in English in BBC or CNN T.V. channel

3. Put whatever you learned to use. Find out a non malayali or a new friend committed to the same purpose and with whom you can experiment your new language skills.

Follow this for an year at least and the results will automatically follow.

Best of luck friends!!!!!

Geologists' Exam 2007 Winning strategies

Here are some tips for clearing the examination

• Most of the candidates ignore the English paper which can fetch a good margin of marks. Study of Wren and Martin English Grammar will enable you to score about 80 marks in this paper.
• Studying is only half part of preparations. Learning how to present essays is the other half of preparations. Presentation styles can make or break your answers. So, give some time to learn the art of presentation.
• Go through the last five years question papers and you'll know about the important areas that have to be focussed during preparations.
• Taking some practice tests before the examination and analysing your answers with the help of some one can really help you.
• Written part of the examination carries more weight than the personality test in terms of total marks and hence you have to give maximum importance for it.

Geologists' Exam - Important areas

Economic Geology

Important theories of ore formation

Hydrothermal
Magmatic
Metasomatic
Sedimentary

Controls of ore localization

Structural
Stratigraphic

Fossil fuel deposits in India

Gondwana basin and coal deposits
Tertiary coal in India
Petroliferous basins in India
Formation of coal and petroleum

Mineral belts and basins of India

Singhbhum Shear zone and mineralization
Khetri copper belt
Malanjhkhand Porphyry copper deposit
Banded Iron Formations in the Precambrian
Zawar Pb-Zn deposit
Sedimentary copper deposits
Beach placer deposits

Mineralisation associated with formations

Mineralisation in the Cuddapah basin
Mineral deposits of green stone belts
Minerals in the Vindhyan basin
Gold mineralization in the Precambrian
Stratiform and stratabound deposits
Metallogenetic epochs and provinces



Indian Geology

Cretaceous sedimentary basins
Deccan flood basalts
Tertiary basins in India
Sargur schists and Dharwar gneisses
Basement cover relations in the Archean
Cuddapah and Vindhyan systems
Granite-green stone terrains
Palaeozoic formations in the Himalayan basin

Palaeontology

Paucity of organic remains in the Precambrian
Conditions for fossilization
Evolutionary trends of important families such as trilobites

Exploration geology

Geochemical, biogeochemical and geobotanic explorations
Exploration programme – eg Copper
Terms such as: anomaly, primary and secondary halo, indicator and pathfinder
elements and reconnaissance survey

Remote sensing

Application of aerial photos and satellite imageries in mineral and ground water
exploration.
Principles of air photo interpretation
Multispectral scanning, stereopairs, spatial resolution, ground truth
IRS, Landsat imageries

Geotectonics

Plate tectonics and mineralization
Sea floor spreading
Terms such as subduction zone, hot spots, plate boundaries

Environmental geology

Green house effect and global warming
Waste disposal (including radioactive wastes)
Acid rain, ground water contamination, effects of tsunami
Disaster management, environmental management,
Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA)

(Few papers are incomplete)

Communication dilemma of students

Want to succeed in the present day work environments? Teach yourself how to communicate. Communication is what we lack, so says job managers. If you sincerely wish that you want to improve your communication, then i would say, you have half succeeded. My experience tells me that with a sincere and planned effort, one can acquire good skills in a year or two. But, the important thing is, participation should be from one's own side. View this blog a week after for a post on "How to improve communication skills?"

Contribute your share to reduce city traffic

TRAFFIC JAM: A scene in front of St. Mary's Higher Secondary School, Pattom. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar, The Hindu article dated Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005

City roads are unmotorable during peak hours, thanks to the long queues of single passenger cars, vehicle parking on road sides, impatient bus commuters standing on the roads and what not!! As responsible citizens, we can contribute our share to reduce the congestion and thus free the arterial roads.

Here are some tips.

Use public transport system as far as possible.

Share autos and there by reduce the number of vehicles on road

Use bus waiting sheds wherever possible rather than standing on roads waiting for bus

Don't park cars and jeeps on busy road sides. There is always a less busy corner which only a few steps away.

If you happen to be the passenger of a bus that stops on the middle of the road at bus stops, ask the driver to park at bays. Public voice is the loudest and the most powerful.

Most important: share these ideas with as many as possible

I can keep my hand over my heart and say that I follow all these when on road.

Civic Sense is what we lack?

The capital city of literate Kerala is at its best on the roads, in public places and offices. Drunken drivers holding mobile phones and navigating cars and autos through the busy city roads, five men protest marches and religious processions holding high way traffic even, hartals at the drop of a hat and fund raising campaigns by one and all have become the order of the day here. There are no noise, pollution or hooliganism limits here. Is it overdose or lack of civic sense? After 50 years we can say proudly that we have taken 5 steps backwards.