Tag: Exams

My tips for exam preparation

By Jade Ellis, BA Accounting and Financial Management

With less than a month away until the January exams commence, the exam nerves and stresses start to kick in. So here is a little bit of advice on how to keep calm and reduce the stress of exam season.

Everyone is different when it comes to how to revise effectively – some people find it beneficial to cram and revise large amounts of information at once, whereas others like to have a timetable and space it out, doing little and often.

Personally, I find it beneficial to have a timetable, as being organised with revision naturally calms me and reduces stress. I plan my day out the night before, so I am making sure I make good use of the day and I am also not overloading myself. Within my plan I schedule a break after every few hours of revision, where I either watch a bit of TV or sweat it out at the gym, just so my mind can have a break before taking any more information in. My planning doesn’t just stop there – I also ensure that my fridge and cupboards are stocked with healthy meals and snacks to prevent a last minute dash to the shops when I have better things to do. Snacking on ‘brain foods’ such as nuts, seeds and veg makes me feel like I’m doing some good, and making sure I don’t go hungry helps with my concentration levels.

When it comes to revising, my tip is to start with the module that you find the hardest. That way, if your time management doesn’t go to plan (and I’m sure that’s happened to everyone at least once!) then you have the most difficult module covered, and you can spend your last day cramming the module that you find the easiest.

Another key to successful revision is location. If you find that when you try to complete a day’s revision in your bedroom you suddenly have a huge interest in cleaning and rearranging your furniture, it’s probably best to get out of your room and find somewhere else to study. Sometimes finding a like-minded friend can be useful, and if you have a similar study pattern it can be useful to study together. This has the added benefit of helping you to feel a bit more social over the exam period! Other people know that they study better when they resign themselves to the silence of the library, or sitting in a café.

If you have upcoming exams, I hope that these tips have helped you to think about what kind of work you find most beneficial – finding what works for you is the key to a successful revision session!

Exam revision tips and tricks

Hi, I’m Katie, and I’m a BA Business Management student. Today’s blog is going to be on a topic that I’m sure has been on the mind of a lot of students recently – exam revision! Since the dreaded exam period starts in a couple of weeks, I thought I’d share some tips and tricks I’ve picked up throughout school and university.

Start revision early – You can never be too prepared, so make sure you start revision as early as you can. By doing revision little and often, you’ll hopefully be saved from cramming loads of information just before your exam.

Make a timetable – Making a timetable it helps you manage your time so much better. Assign time for each topic you’re going to revise but also timetable in your fun activities, breaks and social events. Bonus points for making it colourful!

Find a revision method that works for you – Everyone learns in different ways, whether it’s by making notes, spider diagrams, past papers, speaking out loud or reading. Personally, I found making notes and then trying to teach what I had learned to a family member or friend worked really well for me.

Use colour – There’s nothing worse than plain boring revision notes. By using coloured pens and highlighters, you’ll make revision a lot more exciting and your notes will suddenly be more memorable!

Get enough sleep – Sleep is so important. You cannot concentrate or revise properly without having a good night’s sleep. Get at least 6-8 hours, so that your brain is well rested and you can be ready for another day of revision when you wake up. There’s nothing worse than revising when all you want to do is nap!

Take breaks – Don’t sit for a whole day staring at your revision. You need to take regular breaks for your revision to be beneficial, as your brain can only take in so much information at a time! I have a very short attention span, so find that working for 30 minutes and then having a 5 minute break works for me. If you have a longer attention span, then you might be able to work for an hour and take a 20 minute break – find what works for you!

Food and drink – Without drinking enough water you will get headaches and you won’t be able to concentrate. Staying hydrated is so important for effective revision. Ditch the junk food over exam season! Try your best to eat healthy – eat lots of fruit and vegetables and brain foods like oily fish, nuts, seeds and blueberries.

Get up early – When you’re revising don’t waste your day! Set an alarm so you wake up – start revising at 9am instead of 1pm and you can reward yourself with more time to do other things like see your friends, going out for lunch and taking longer breaks.

Past papers – Personally, I found these are the best way of revising. They help with your time management in the exam, and there is no better way of testing your revision than checking how you can answer real exam questions.

Get enough exercise – Being active is so important! Going to the gym, playing a team sport or just taking the dog on a walk is such a good revision break.

Believe in yourself – Nerves before an exam are so normal but you have to believe in yourself! As long as you are prepared, once you get into the exam you will surprise yourself with how much you know. Be confident in yourself – you’ve got this!