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Nothing
makes students gloomier than the prospect of EXAMS!
Even
the word can make you shudder. But with careful planning
and regular revision, exams (or tests, or quizzes) become
little more than a Question and Answer session.
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The
best preparation for any type of examination is achieved by
maintaining adequate coverage of course work during the year.
Regular review of your lecture notes of 10-15 minutes per day
is a more effective strategy than long cramming sessions 1-2
days before the examination.
Equally
important in preparing for exams is ensuring that you remain
calm and confident throughout the exam period.
The purpose of this Study Worksheet is to introduce you to the
main factors influencing your exam performance: Effective Preparation,
Exam Anxiety and Exam Room Strategies.
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Scheduling
Effective exam preparation begins the moment the examination
date, time and venue are announced. You can start by
preparing your Examination Time-Table. This is a special
time-table that is different from your normal university
time-table.
On
it you should include:
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When and where your examinations take place
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Times
allocated to domestic activity (eg. eating, sleeping,
travelling, chores etc.)
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Time
for recreation and physical exercise
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Study
time for when you feel most alert (are you an AM or
a PM person?)
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Emergency
Study time (in case things go awry)
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Obviously
the scheduling of examinations will affect how your
study time-table looks. Try to allow adequate amounts
of time to each of your subjects and allocate extra
time to those you find difficult.
Many
students over-prepare for their first exam and find
they have insufficient time to cover work for the next
exam. If your exams are scheduled very close together
then a sensible strategy is to cover the work for the
later exams as soon as possible so that this is "filed
away". This will reduce the amount of reviewing
required after you sit the first examination.
Try
to ensure that your study time will be "interruption
free". Tell household members about your study
time-table - publish it on your bedroom door or on the
fridge.
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Before you start revising, make sure you have all the materials
you need so that you do not waste time travelling to university
to obtain books, photocopies etc. If you must go in to uni to
see a lecturer about a problem then try to generate questions
in other subjects or anticipate difficulties so that you use
the trip effectively. Studying in groups with other students
can be effective provided you stick to your learning agenda.
