It’s a word that strikes fear in the hearts of students and school pupils across the land – exams. But with the right prep, you could be on your way to study success. Seasoned student Laura Donaldson offers some top tips to aid your revision this season…
Preparation
Preparation is one of the key factors in your studying, even if you don’t realise it. Clearing your desk or work area and having a schedule for your study days can make the whole process so much easier than you’d think. If you plan out what subjects you’re going to study each morning, your brain will be less cluttered – meaning more room for your study material. It’s good to set targets each morning so that you feel motivated throughout the day to cross your tasks off your list.
Simplify it
When revising, it’s good to work out what is essential to learn. There are some things in your subjects that, while important to your overall knowledge, will not actually be in your exam papers. You can normally tell what to study by looking at past exam papers or questions provided by your teacher. These will give you an idea of what to expect in your exam and there’s a chance the same question may pop up. It’s also essential to listen to your teachers before exam time (as always!) as often they will give away hints about what normally appears in the exams.
Brain food
Sometimes good exam results can be down to factors other than studying. Reports have shown that eating certain foods and drinking a lot of water can have a positive effect on your studies. Make sure to eat during exam time – your brain needs the energy from food to work efficiently. Protein-rich foods such as eggs and yoghurts can make you more alert and things like fish, dried fruits, figs and sunflower seeds are known as “brain foods” for a reason.
Diagrams and flowcharts
Some people find it easier to map out their ideas and notes in the form of diagrams and flowcharts. These can help to give you a picture of what you are trying to learn and how the different bits of a subject piece together. Split your study material into different sections or headings and work from there – it can make your notes less intimidating. For some people, it’s easier to remember a picture or visual aid when you’re sitting in an exam hall, rather than a long, boring chunk of text.
Use your own words
You can draw all the diagrams and charts you want but at the end of the day, if you can’t explain what you’ve spent hours looking at, what have you really learned? Textbook explanations of topics can be overly complicated so make sure you put everything into terms that you understand rather than trying to memorise pages and pages of notes that you don’t get. As with all exam techniques – do whatever feels best for you. Not everyone works in the same way and whichever way you feel comfortable is the way you’ll do best. Good luck!
Source Magazine, Spring 2014
