Exam S.O.S – What to do if you haven’t done if enough work
How did we end up here, the year started so well the first couple of assignments we were on top of, then us took over, and it became I’ll start again after half term, new year new me & and finally I’m going to do everything over Easter.
And now we find ourselves here, hours before our exams. Lucky for you I’ve been there (several times) and we can mope and try to figure out how this has happened or we can make the most of the time we have left, if you’re reading this I’m guessing you’ve chose the latter.
Alternatively you could be that wise soul that has been working throughout the year and are looking for a few pointers to make sure you get the best possible grades.
Welcome one and all, lets get down to business on how we are going to maximise exam season!
As I’ve mentioned before planning and being intentional are a great starting point, if you’re not used to planning, you’re not used to winning.
we have such a short time, we need to plan on two levels Macro and Micro
Macro
With Macro planning we’re looking at your overall and long term goals so this could be I want to study all of a module, I want to do every single past paper, I want to get an A on that test, I want to finish revising maths 3 days before the exam these all are examples of macro planning.
Macro planning is important because it provides a tangible end goal and gives direction, something you can aim for.
Micro
Macro is great but doesn’t really go into how you are going to achieve all the goals, micro planning goes into the nitty gritty, like I’m going to wake up at this time and take a break at this time and spend exactly 45 mins on this topic.
Macro planning are your dreams and goals and micro planning are the steps you’re going to take to get there.
So lets apply these two examples
You need to know where you need to be spending you time.
By now your exam timetable should of been published, so you know exactly how many days and hours you have until you take those exams.
So you need to use this to work back when deciding what to study first, you should think of two main things
How much time do I have? How well do I know the material for that exam. The Sam Tutoring megalist (insert link) can help with this.
You could be fine for your first exam, and worried about your second or third, with the time you have left therefore you will want to allocate more time for the exam you are weaker on, even though you have more time.
Secondly if you’re revising and you have an exam that is divided into 3 sections and you only know topics for the first two sections you need to make sure you cover topics in the third section, you at least give yourself a chance to get some of the marks instead of none of the marks on that particular section this will seriously hurt your final grade.
Know and understand of weighting of each paper, how much is each worth to your overall final grade, this will also determine how much time you spend revising on each topic, put more energy in the areas that will yield the best results not what you find easiest and most comfortable to revise.
The way you’re going to cover all you need to is by having a good routine, so divide your day up, wake up at the same time and go to sleep at the same time, you take advantage of your body’s natural circadian rhythm this will ensure you wake up refreshed and sharp.
Regulate your breaks, take longer breaks around meal times, so you can kill two birds with one stone, or around chores, take short breathers in between topics.
Make sure you get enough sleep, 7- 8 hours in the recommended healthy amount for most people.
So what are we actually going to be doing during the time of study, a great way to start is by doing a Pomodoro 25 mins work and 5 minute break
Focus on ONE task, no phone, no tabs no nothing, on your 5 minute break I wouldn’t even check social media because it can prevent you for going straight in to the next Pomodoro being focused and you run the risk of your 5 minute break being longer.
I use my 5 minute break to stretch my legs, make sure I drink my glasses of water, and do exercise.
After four Pomodoros you can take a longer break, maybe and the cycle can begin again.
Be aware that it will take some time for you to get used to the routine and be running on autopilot especially if you haven’t been in a good routine throughout the academic year already, so start early and be patient with yourself.
Next ask ‘Do I have everything you need?’
The right textbooks?
The lecture slides?
Past papers?
Spend some time making sure you have all of these before you even sit down to learn them, otherwise when you come to study this will waist a lot of time.
How are you actually going to learn?
For maths-type subjects, concepts and methods are taught, that you will have to apply to different situations you generally need to see the examples, understand what is being done and then practice, practice, practice and then practice some again.
English and humanities subjects, are similar in the sense they require a lot of practice, but understanding is key, the more past papers and mark schemes you’re exposed to the more you can identify what the examiner is looking for.
Subject like Biology require you to remember a lot of things, so this could mean, extracting the relevant and important parts of the textbook understanding them and rewriting them with out looking
Chemistry has a combination of both.
Other techniques to consider
If you’re at university, the lectures are often published online, this can be of benefit especially if you attended the lecture in person, because it can clarify key concepts and plug any gaps in your knowledge, you can even speed up the recording and go through the material faster.
This process can also on the flip side be incredibly time consuming so do the first couple and evaluate how much it is benefiting you and make a decision.
Notes, for the most part I would normally recommend but you will need to identify if you actually have the time to make them, with notes there are different techniques you can use such as the outline method or Cornell method.
Flashcards historically are very popular, and a technique you can use is one called spaced repetition and that’s basically when the more you don’t understand something, its exposed to you more when you do understand a topic it’s exposed to you less, the site Anki will help you with the process, it’s free give it a go.
Plan 5 days out in the week, have 1 day where you can go over gaps in your knowledge or use it as a catch up day, because things always take longer than planned and one day for absolute rest where you’re not studying at all this will help you assimilate the information and come back to studying refreshed and sharp.
All nighters?
As mentioned before in an idealised scenario you’re getting your 7-8 hours of rest, even during exams, this is the best for optimum performance, however especially if you have started late, you may not have this luxury, I don’t advocate all nighters but the reality is sometimes you have to do what you have to do. For a few exams you may get away with it but if you are planning to do it for all it won’t work sleep deprivation will seriously impact your ability to learn, also another thing to consider is that will I be able to cover a significant amount during this all nighter, if not get some sleep at least you won’t walk in to your exam tired.
Group Studying
Most of your productive work will be done alone, if you do want to mix it up a bit and you have time, group studying namely teaching someone else can be helpful, but there are some precautions you should take;
- Don’t study with friends that will distract you
They may be your bestie but if you spend half the time laughing or discussing other things you may regret that later.
- No more than one other person
The danger of doing this activity in large groups is that you will all be at different stages in your revision if you’re with someone that completely knows a topic and you’re still studying it there will be some points you may be familiar with and you will trick yourself into thinking you know it inside out but you can’t actually answer a question and get full marks. So keep it small with only one other person so the gaps in your knowledge can really be exposed.
Distractions
Don’t be afraid to speak to friends less during exam season because you have work to do, or even in some cases cut out if they are hindering you ability to study. Real friends will want to see you succeed.
Even your parents may join in on the act and with you being on holiday or study leave may ask you to do more around the house, I would definitely encourage that you set aside time to do so and that can be included in your planning, but even so the very site of you in the house can lead to extra chores that came out of nowhere like Randy Orton.
One way to get around this is to use study spaces like libraries, and other public places.
High density and Low density fun
If you’re going to have a break, do it properly, watch the match, go to the cinema, spend time with your family, go to the fayre, these are all examples of high density fun, you can schedule those in your longer breaks.
However spending that extra hour on Facebook wasting time, or that documentary on YouTube that you would never watch if you had free time but you’re just doing so to procrastinate is Low density fun. They rob you of your time and mostly don’t add anything significant to your life.
If certain websites are a major distraction, you can use website blockers such as, (insert them), the Pomodoro is great for defeating procrastination because it’s only 25 minute segments before you can take a short break, once you’ve done a few you will be in the swing of things and it will be easier to focus.
Location will play a major factor in success, if you get distracted at home, or there are people in your house that distract you consider using your local or university library. There are other public spaces that are available that you can use.
These are a few of my major suggestions you can use during the exam season if you find yourself majorly behind, or needing to boost your revision. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions of your own.
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