Reading from books all along and now have
to appear for computer based exam? Bad news, because your every passing exams will
be longer than the previous one.
My last exam was 9 hours longs, and even then I
had to cruise at supersonic speeds to barely finish. It takes some effort to
convince your brains to remain focused for this long, but it gets worse with
the rest of the body feels miserable and fatigued.
To get through these day long exams, you
need to be accustomed to incorporating proper ergonomic techniques that would
let you sit in the most natural posture, with all your joints flexed within
their natural range of motion, your muscles relaxed and your posture relaxed.
Here is how you can do so all through your exam prep and then on the actual
day!
The
Keyboard and the Mouse
If you are using a laptops or tablets to
prepare for exams, make sure you know the differences in ergonomics compared to
standard desktop you will have on the exam day. Desktop computers make you sit
upright while the Laptops can let you recline. Tablets? They even let you roll
over
The posture can never be sacrificed during focused
and time consuming work. Sitting upright with proper ergonomics is the key to
working long-haul, just like proper techniques are for tennis or any other
sport.
The biggest issue with laptops is that they
bundle together screen position and keyboard/mouse. The screens ideally have to
be higher to meet you natural line of sight, while keyboards and mice need to
be at your elbow levels. If you are practicing on laptops, use both detachable
keyboard and mouse and have your laptop screen set up as high as it have to be
for your neck to remain straight and at ease.
My most
important improvisation was to keep elbows close to the body and at 90 degrees,
and then placing the mouse on thighs.
This makes for
the most natural sitting position with all joints within their natural range of
movement. Moreover, it removes the uncertainty that the actual exam station
would be different from the one that you are used to. When you use your thigh
to hover your mouse, you can quickly adjust to any actual table knowing its
dimensions does not matter at all. It will also let you freely glide the cursor
through the screen with some practice and focus on specific parts of the
question stem.
The Back, Feet and the Neck
·
Back should be held straight
and flat against the chair back support
·
Feet should be flat on the
floor
·
Angles at knee can vary
throughout your session, as you wiggle around. You can bring your feet towards
you or away from you. But keep them flat on the ground and body weight equally
distributed
·
Tilt your screen upwards so
that you can see it with your neck straight in alignment with the rest of your
spine. Use your eyeballs to look down, not your neck. Your neck is far heavier
and would put excessive strain on muscles, leading to aches and tension
headaches within a matter of hours.
Take Maximum Breaks
Breaks are not
only for your brain, but also to reset your deteriorating posture. Just take them, whether you are tired
or not. Use it to move around, improve your circulation and rest your eyes from
constant strain.