A few days ago, a friend of mine was trying to gauge how much I actually remember from my books as I've been studying for sometime now. We are both preparing for exams and it's been tough to do that alongside work, family and personal responsibilities.
He asked me a few questions, lo and behold, I couldn't answer them. It was funny and not funny at the same time. I couldn't really explain it. But I was bewildered. I knew those questions, I remember the day I studied them, but my mind couldn't produce the answers.
That's when he suggested to me a better approach. Using past questions. They immediately reveal to you the loopholes to your study. They also make you familiar with the way the questions are prepared and set. You get to go through the pressure of taking the exam without the pressure of taking the exam, if you get what I mean.
I've been using that approach and it's been going alright. Yesterday, he needed help with exams too, a different subject now. I gave him the same advice he gave me and he saw that it was also applicable. We started laughing at the fact that I had to give him the same advice he gave me.
It's good to be open to giving help to those who need it from you. Advice, time, resources, knowledge, money, etc. Giving is good, not because you will receive but because it's a good thing to do. Also, life always has a way of rewarding people for all they do and we can always find ourselves at the back foot and in need of help. Life will find a way to bring that help to you, it may even be your own advice that could save your skin.
So, ladies and gentlemen, give.