Study Tips For Civil Service Exams During Coronavirus Self-Quarantine

Civil Service exams in the State of New York are some of the most difficult tests you will sit in during your professional career. Most of these tests are carried out in phases where they test you psychologically, physiologically and also have you show how well you know the various bits of knowledge required to carry out your jobs. Considering the number of people applying for these positions and the gaps between these job openings—there’s a lot of competition for the positions too.

As unemployment reaches an all-time high across the United States, New York too is faced with employment shortages. This will only force a lot more people into these occupations than before and you need to be prepared. The external pressure isn’t the only thing you’re facing though—you’re also probably taking online classes which isn’t  the best way to learn everything you need to pass your exams.

The sheer number of obstacles in your way requires that you develop a method and schedule that can help you maximize the chances of clearing these exams. With these thoughts in mind, we’ll share some tips from our instructors on the best way to prepare for civil service exams during self-quarantine.

Set Up a Study Area

Compartmentalizing and setting out a space for your study sessions can go a long way in keeping you motivated. If you have a separate space where you can sit down to attend online lectures or complete your review—that’s probably as close as you can get to a schooling experience during self-quarantine.

See, when you’re going to school—you have a dedicated space designed to maximize your learning outcomes. At home, these lines get blurred and it’s much easier for you to get distracted because there’s probably a lot going on around you. If you set up a study area, it’ll be easier for you to focus on your preparation and getting into a frame of mind where you can work hard to get through the preparation material.

Let Everyone In the House Know That You’re Studying

One of the best ways to get rid of distractions is by telling everyone that you’re studying and they are not to disturb you during the process. Tell them what your study schedule is—this can go a long way in eliminating any distractions from people roaming around your study area. With this heads-up you can, hopefully, minimize any interferences or disturbances as you study.

Try Tuning Out the Distractions

Considering the fact that you’re studying from home, it’s unlikely that you’ll manage to eliminate all the distractions. Short of living alone, there’s no other living arrangement where you’re not in constant contact with everyone who’s sharing the space with you. You should figure out different ways to tune out these distractions—a lot of people enjoy listening to music as they study because it helps them focus. There can be any number of different strategies to eliminate these distractions—use whatever works best for you.

Set Goals for Yourself

Having a study structure and goals can go a long way in making your study schedules more effective. Realistic goals can give you a map to follow and feel a sense of progress as you meet each of these goals. You should set these goals while you’re setting up your study schedules, where each part of the schedule is geared towards meeting your goals. As you continue working toward these goals, you’ll find that you’ve covered everything you need to ace your exams.

People often find themselves distracted from their preparation because they don’t have a plan in mind. The workloads begin to overwhelm them and even the simplest of tasks become a major problem for them. So, set realistic goals to make sure that you can stay on track.

Treat Yourself and Take Breaks

It’s really to burnout when you’re working from home. It feels like drudgery when you’re stuck in your home without any options to leave the house—even if you’re not studying, staying in the same space can be overwhelming. To avoid these problems, you should reward yourself and take breaks whenever you find that the pressure and consistent intellectual effort is getting to you.

With these constant breaks and rewards, you’ll find that you can study for longer periods of time and feel less tired. This is perhaps the most essential part of studying during quarantine, when you’re worried about the pandemic and you’re stuck in the house—you need these breaks to maintain your mental wellbeing.

Looking for a career in civil services in New York?

Civil Services Success offers online classes for the NYS Court Officer Trainee Exam, Suffolk County Police test and NYC sanitation workers exams. Get in touch with us today for more information.