HOW TO REVISE FOR EXAMS
By
Chukwuma Chinaza Adaobi
Atianashie Miracle A
Catholic University
College of Ghana
Your success in exams depends largely
on how well you prepare, so it is worth considering new revision techniques to
help you retain information and reduce your stress levels
Nerves can often kick in when
exam season arrives, which is no surprise given your performance is likely to
have a significant bearing on your final degree classification.
'It is not unusual to experience
exam anxiety,' says Gareth Hughes, psychotherapist and researcher at the
University of Derby. 'In fact, it affects 25-30% of students, making them dread
exams and potentially underperform. Some become so anxious they are too scared
to turn up at all.'
However, organizing your revision
properly can ease such worries and help you to achieve a great result.
'Taking some simple, balanced
steps can help you to take control and eliminate exam anxiety,' adds Gareth.
'Some students even find that they grow to like exams.'
START YOUR
PREPARATION EARLY
If you want to achieve the best
score you can, lay the groundwork well in advance. 'Attend lectures and
seminars throughout the semester, and keep up with weekly readings and
coursework,' advises Dr Cecile Brich, study development tutor at York St John
University.
Discover more about getting the
most out of lectures and seminars, how to write an essay and tips for
successful group work.
'For most types of exam at
university level, you'll need to have thought quite deeply about your subject,
and be able to manipulate concepts confidently enough to apply them to new
problems,' adds Dr Brich.
'This is not something you can do
well by cramming the night before. Working regularly and keeping lecture and
further reading notes up to date makes revision much more effective and much
less stressful.'
Gareth agrees that trying to take
in lots of information the night before your exam is a bad idea. 'It will only
disrupt your sleep and potentially confuse you,' he cautions.
Another tried and tested revision
technique is working through past exam papers. You should be able to obtain
these from your lecturers or university library.
'Having a look at past papers
will give you a good idea of the types of questions likely to come up, and how
best to prepare for them,' suggests Dr Brich. 'You can then try answering them
by hand under timed conditions, in order to gauge how confident, you feel with
the material.'
You should pay particularly close
attention if you are practicing multiple-choice exams. 'Answer options can
often sound similar, and require you to be confident with specific
terminology,' Dr Brich warns.
Revise a little but often
Gareth suggests taking control
and sticking to your revision plan. Do not avoid work - but do not overdo it
either.
Evidence from numerous memory
studies has revealed that distributed rather than concentrated learning sessions
work best, says Dr Dave Haylock, senior lecturer in psychology at Newman
University.
'Revise a little but often if you
want to do better,' he advises. 'Essentially, eight one-hour revision sessions
spread out over days will be better than one single eight-hour revision
session. Furthermore, the distributed approach is more likely to reduce stress,
which will enhance learning and cognitive performance.'
EAT AND
SLEEP WELL
Succeeding in exams is not just
about learning. It is also about looking after yourself during the days and
weeks leading up to the event, in order to lower your anxiety.
'Keep your life in balance,'
recommends Gareth. 'Resting, socializing and keeping on top of everything else
during the exam period will help keep your stress levels down. Prepare
physically as well as academically. Your brain is part of your body so eat
well, stay hydrated and get good sleep.'
Dr Brich points out that while
caffeine and sugary foods can help keep you alert, they can also make you feel
anxious and stop you sleeping. 'Getting plenty of sleep will help you to
process and absorb the information you need for your exams,' she adds.
Indeed, according to Dr Haylock,
there is a significant body of evidence showing 'the important role of sleep in
memory consolidation and problem solving'.
You may want to read more about
ways to manage student stress.
STAY CALM
AND REWARD YOURSELF
As the day of the exam draws
closer, there are still ways of improving your performance. 'Use your
imagination,' says Gareth. 'Visualize being in the exam, feeling confident and
answering questions well.'
He adds that playing music in the
hours before the exam can help you to keep calm, and has some further suggestions
for during the test itself:
Do not turn the paper over
straight away. Breathe deeply, take a moment and then look at the questions.
Start with the easiest question
and plan your answers to build confidence.
If you freeze or go blank, look
away from the paper. Breathe in to the count of seven, out to the count of 11,
and wait until you are calm before continuing.
Gareth advises that it also helps
to plan a reward for yourself for after the exam, however well or badly it
goes. That way, whatever happens, you will have something to look forward. For
example, you could start thinking about how you will make the most of the
summer break.
The techniques you shared here for better revision for exams is helpful for students and parents. No matter how well students are prepared for examinations they feel anxiety and become nervous in exam hall. But is they eat and sleep well and stay calm and revise regularly their anxieties can be managed well. The point you mentioned here that while attempting multiple-choice questions in exams, answer options can often sound similar, and require you to be confident with specific terminology is very important as in hurry students tick wrong answers because similar answers sounds very confusing. Students need to go through some Free Exam Papers and should attempt these papers for practice. Thanks for a valuable post.
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