 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Passing exams means equal parts of hard work and making the most of resources available to you." |
|
|
| Coffee & Mental Performance |
|
|
|
There is no secret formula to passing exams – it is very simple – equal parts
of hard work and making the most of resources available to you.
But you may only have a limited time for studying so it is important to use
that time as effectively as possible. So here are some tips to get you
started!We all hate exams. We hate preparing for them and we hate actually doing them.
Life would also be more fun if we did not have to wait, sometimes for weeks or
months to find out whether we have passed or failed.
In fact, life without exams would be a lot more fun altogether. But
unfortunately they are here to stay and for most of us, they are one of the hurdles we
have to jump in order to get where we want in life.
1. Plan Ahead
Sit down and plan what studying and revision you are going to do between now
and your exams. Your timetable needs to be comprehensive and you must stick to
it, so make sure it is realistic from the start. Make allowances for other
regular activities such as sport or part time jobs and don't forget to make time
just to relax with family and friends!
Allocate some time every day for revision as well as studying and revise
first those areas you find most difficult, as it will help build your confidence in
that subject.
2. Using YOUR Time
Although it is good to set aside specific time for studying and revision,
think about other occasions when you are doing nothing worthwhile and see where
you can get extra time for revision e.g. do you travel by train or bus for more
than half an hour a day or do you baby sit regularly? Using these opportunities
for additional studying will free up time elsewhere.
3. Focus on Quality Study
Do you recognise this timetable - is this you?
| Sort out desk, sharpen pencils |
5 minutes |
| Decide on what to revise |
5 minutes |
| Arrange books and paper |
5 minutes |
| Look out of window, daydream |
10 minutes |
| Flick through books, do some problems |
15 minutes |
| Send a text message |
5 minutes |
| Look up a new website for information |
10 minutes |
| Pack up equipment, tidy up |
5 minutes |
|
| Total |
1 hour |
Not very effective use of time! You spent less than half of it actually
studying - it is more important to study productively.
Learning is the acquisition and storage of information, so maximise your
study time with work you need to learn, commit yourself to it and go for it - good
marks do not result from just sitting at a desk!
4. Understand your Memory
Remembering a great deal of information is essential for success in exams so
understanding the processes by which you learn and remember will be helpful.
Memory can be divided in Short Term Memory (STM), working memory (the part
that is actively using information) and Long Term Memory (LTM). Here is an
example to show the difference.
Your phone number will be stored in your long-term memory but what you had to
eat for dinner two weeks ago on Thursday, unless it was a special occasion,
would have been stored in your short-term memory and forgotten after a few hours
or days.
The best place for information needed to survive exams is in your long-term
memory and based on work repeatedly done over a long period. However, the
results of the intensive period of studying and revision around exam time would be
stored in your Short-Term Memory.
Set out your revision timetable to optimise this (learn something, revise it
again after a few hours, revise it again in the next couple of days etc) and
you will be taking advantage of the way your own memory works.
5. Eat Properly
Students rarely eat a good diet. Even those with facilities and experience to
cook often lack the time and energy or even inclination to organise healthy
eating. However eating well during this stressful period is important as a good
diet contributes to a strong nervous system, immunity against disease, restful
sleep and clear thinking.
You do not need to become a health freak but a varied diet including plenty
of fresh fruit and vegetables (the fresher, the more nutritious they are) will
provide the nutrients and energy to help combat stress and boost mental
performance.
If you eat a healthy diet then supplements are not necessary, but if your
diet becomes a little erratic during this period, vitamin and mineral supplements
may provide you with a useful insurance policy.
Remember the conditions in which you eat are also important – take time to
eat and enjoy food – gulping down food in front of your computer will only make
it harder to digest.
6. Take Exercise
Exercise not only provides an outlet for pent-up emotions, but also plays a
vital part in counterbalancing our responses to stress when coping with
deadlines and schedules around examination time. Take regular breaks also when you are
revising – walk around and do some stretching exercises at least every 30
minutes. Simple exercises help produce a sense of well-being and promotes
relaxation.
7. Revise using Past Papers
Study past papers and familiarise yourself with the layout and types of
questions. Make sure you understand the vocabulary commonly used in examination
questions e.g. do you know the difference between “criticise” and “discuss” in
questions?
**(see end)
The next stage is to answer the questions at exam pace and mark them after a
revision session. Do not panic if your first attempt is poor. Analyse
constructively what you have done; identify weaknesses, improve your pace and
understanding and develop confidence. Then top up your learning where necessary and ask
your tutor to explain anything you do not understand – most tutors will be
delighted that you share their interest and enthusiasm!
8. Prepare and Use Summaries
Student notes are often long winded and include much explanatory material
that will not be required at a later stage. Working through these can be both
frustrating and time consuming so it is worthwhile preparing a neat, concise set of
summarised notes for each topic. It should not be necessary for such notes to
include explanations.
Limit your summary to key points only and include any relevant diagrams and
charts. To help reinforce your Short Term Memory, write out the summary a few
more times on scrap paper. When you feel you really know the subject well, test
yourself from a question selected for an examinations paper.
9. Try to Sleep Well
Finding it hard to sleep even when you are tired is a sure sign of stress.
Relax! The extra marks you might gain from studying on the night before will be
more than offset by having a relaxed mind.
The benefits of sleep are hugely underrated yet there are numerous studies to
show that sleep deprivation impairs mental performance. It affects Short Term
Memory performance as well as flexible thinking so do try to sleep well in the
period leading up to exams.
Learn some simple relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises and
relax whenever you can. It simply is not possible to work flat out all of the
time so be realistic.
10. Include Drinking Coffee as Part of Your Study Plan
Coffee helps to improve alertness, attention and wakefulness and by that
means it facilitates relevant learning. When the study is tedious, boring and not
motivating, coffee helps to give you the energy to study and to make the best of
it. The caffeine in your cup of coffee helps you process the information from
your study books and the lessons you follow.
Coffee also helps with Short Term Memory so a valuable adjunct during
revision periods. Drinking coffee will also help to focus your attention to the main
task, when there are many things around needing your attention. It draws
attention to what you need to learn and leads to less distraction although doing
different things at the same time may in itself be stimulating enough.
**So, what do they mean in examination terms?
"Criticise”. This question is asking you to assess the relative truth of particular facts or
theories, and supporting your judgement by discussing the evidence
“Discuss”. This question is asking you to give an explanation of the topic but from
different points of view, for and against supporting your reasons with examples
For further information, visit References
|
|
 
|
|