Exams

Exams

It is normal to be worried during exam time, but don’t worry help is at hand!

Log off Facebook. Although many of you will use laptops, tablets and phones to help you to revise, having Facebook on in the background will distract you. Log off and don’t log in again until you have finished revision each day.

Find a revision environment that works for you. Exam season doesn’t mean you need to move into the library. Find a comfortable revision environment that works for you, and move around during the day.

Take a break. As soon as you notice that you are losing concentration, take a short break and you will come back to your revision feeling refreshed

Eat well. Try to resist the temptation of taking packets of biscuits and sweets to the library to keep you going. Instead, take a break for lunch and eat healthily. Also, drink water rather than energy drinks and caffeine.

Sleep well. Sleeping is important during the exam season to ensure that your brain is recharged, but worrying that you aren’t getting enough sleep can keep you awake. Tell yourself that if you don’t have enough sleep it’s not the end of the world as you can just sleep more the next night and try to get into a routine each day.

Exercise. Exercise will help to keep you calm during exams. You’ll feel more energised and refreshed, and that will help you perform better in your studies. However, during exams you may feel unable to take much time out from studying. Instead of giving up on exercise altogether, try taking small, regular breaks to refresh yourself and clear your mind and a 15 walk to the library or around campus is a good way of getting some exercise.

Procrastination. Proscrastination can be a student’s worst enemy around the exam season, but you can overcome it. Try to commit yourself to completing realistic and manageable tasks and reward yourself when it is done to keep yourself motivated.

Don’t try to be perfect. It’s great to succeed and reach for the stars but keep things in the balance, worrying you won’t get a 2.1 will only create more stress. If the exam goes badly, there is always other options and support available.

Take steps to overcome problems. If you find you don’t understand your course material, talk to your module leader, personal tutor or class mates.

Methods of revision

There isn’t a ‘right way’ to revise for your exams and it is important you stick to methods which work for you. If your friend is spending hours and hours in the library everyday it doesn’t mean that you need to too.

How to revise the syllabus

There are many methods of revision which are not limited to the ones listed below. People learn in different ways so if you are finding it difficult to revise, try out a variety of these methods.

Visual methods of learning

• Write down key facts and using mind maps
• Summarise your notes onto small cards and taking them around with you (but make sure that you photo copy them incase you loose them!)
• Make diagrams and mnemonics to help you to remember things

Audtory methods of learning

• Listen to lectures (if you have recorded lectures on your course)
• Reading aloud
• Record yourself reading your revision notes (you could exercise whilst listening to your notes)
• Explaining your notes to someone else

Kinaesthetic methods of learning

• Walk around whilst reading
• Underlining or highlighting key points
• Putting key point onto index cards and putting them in order
• Making a model
• Group studying

Revising exam technique

• Look at plenty of past papers to look at the style of writing
• Work out how long the exam is and how many marks are available for each question to work out how long you should spend on each question in the exam
• Do past papers and time yourself