Can you believe that half of the school year has basically passed? And we all know what that means: exams. Usually a stressful period, exams tend to put a lot of pressure on students, which can cause a lot of anxiety and a lot of panics. But don't worry, I know for one that exams can be scary. However, if you're organised all that stress can float away with ease.
Tests are, after all, nothing to be scared of. Studies have shown that tests actually help you learn more information and retain that information for longer. And the more you do them, the more it will help to decrease any exam anxiety.
1. Figure out what learner you are
Not one person is the same, which means we all interpret and learn information differently. So, why would you be using a revision method that actually isn't the best for you? Instead, you need to figure out what type of learner you are before you actually begin to sit down and revise.
Scientists believe that there are three types of learning styles: kinesthetic, visual and auditory. A Kinesthetic learning style means that you take information better when you're moving and doing physical activities rather than listening to a lecture. If you prefer to listen to a lecture this means that you have an auditory style of learning. But if you prefer to learn from diagrams and writing things down then you are a visual learner. To find out what's the best way for you to learn then take the quiz here.
2. Create a revision schedule
Once you know what type of learner you are, creating a revision schedule will be so much easier, because you'll know exactly the best way for you to revise. The next step is to map out your time and create a schedule that works for you. Make sure to include break times and include at least one five minute break every hour to increase your productivity.
When planning out your schedule, don't just do science for 8 hours straight. Make sure to break things up by doing two hours of English, two hours of maths and so on. This is an effective way of learning as you'll pick up things quicker and will be covering all your subjects daily. Plus, it will focus your attention, which means you'll be more productive.
3. Study together
Study groups are a great way to revise because it blocks out all types of procrastination. If you've put revision off the day before, you can't exactly do that if you know you're meeting your study group. Not to mention that study groups can actually help you learn faster! Everyone knows what it's like to sit in front of a textbook and no matter what you do you can't figure it out. But that doesn't mean that someone else in the group doesn't understand it.
Think about it, you learn so much from other people every day. You take in the information and process it without even realising. Study groups help you to see things from different perspectives, allow you to gain a better insight into your topics and best of all, make you feel calmer about your exams.
4. Book a tutor
No one is perfect at everything, everyone struggles with at least one subject. And sometimes, no matter how you try you just can't understand it. But there's nothing wrong with asking for a little help and tutors are a great option. You'll get that one-on-one undivided attention, which really does work wonders. For the best tutor in Surrey, click here.
5. Make yourself a priority
A well-oiled machine works well because it's oiled. You need to make sure you're oiled and performing at your best. The only way to make sure this is happening is to make time for sleep and eat properly. Usually, during exam periods it's easy to pull all-nighters to study and survive off Redbull, but trust me when I tell you that this could be harming you rather than helping you.
Make sure to fall into a routine, fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day and night. That way when it comes to revising you'll be up and ready for the day, just as if you were going to work. The second point is to make sure you're eating right and this can be a real help when it comes to revision. Know what words are good for your brain so you can give yourself the best chance. Brain foods include fish (and lots of it), broccoli, blueberries, nuts (which are great for energy) and dark chocolate (yum).
6. Keep it simple (make a point, back it up (prove it)
PEE (Point, Example, Explanation)
We all get scared that we'll get a bad question on the exam that will trip us up! We've all heard the horror stories. But rest assured that if you have a plan of attack and start seeing exams from a different perspective then it will all start to feel a lot easier.
No question can trip you up when you know how to tackle ANY question. To construct any essay all you need to do is build an argument, make your points and back them up. Everything observation, critique or thought you have you need to back up/prove. If you know the content and you know the text this will be easy to do.
The best advice I could ever give for this is to keep it simple. You don't have to overcomplicate your essays with big words and groundbreaking theories (although that would be pretty impressive). All you need to do is demonstrate that you know how and understand the topic.
7. Start with the longer questions first
Timing in exams is another point of anxiety. But I was always taught to set times for each section of the exam and give each section a dedicated amount of time. If that time runs out, then you must go on to the next one. If you have time in the end then you can look back over your paper.
I would always start with the bigger questions first, for example, if there was an essay at the end I would always start with it. It's the big question, the one you spend most of your revision studying for. So, I make sure to get all that information out of my head and onto the paper first. That then leaves me with enough time to complete the other questions and feel a lot calmer and happier about the exam.
8. Turn into something you'll remember
The more you keep it simple in the exam and in your revision the better. One of the best revision techniques that give students superpowers is summarising. For the more difficult things to remember acronyms can come to your rescue. Breaking things up this way has been an old-school revision method for years and it's one that's really effective. We even use them so much in daily life that we may not even notice (DM, BTW, FOMO - ring a bell?). You'll be surprised at how much this can help you remember.
9. Teach it yourself
A good revision technique is teaching the topic yourself an this really used to help me out when I was crashing for all my exams. You basically act like your the teacher and you stand by a whiteboard and start to the teach the topic you're revising. Speaking it out to the room and using the whiteboard for diagrams really helps as you're using the three different types of learning altogether. You can do this with your study group and take it in turns to present, but you can do it on your own too, which is just as effective. Plus, it really helps your speech and confidence as you're actually practising and extending your presenting skills too (bonus!).
10. Clear your desk
Make sure when you're studying to choose a space that's light and bright. Don't make notes on your bed, or read over them on the couch but rather sit at a desk that's clean and tidy. This will have a huge impact on your productivity as you'll be more focused and will be able to absorb information easier too.
11. Eat, live and breath revision
There are so many tricks you can do to make something stick in your brain, and repetition tends to always be the one that works the best. Try sticking some notes to your kitchen cupboards, or even in the fridge that way every time you go to grab something, you'll see it every time. Another strategy is reading out your notes and recording them, that way you can put in your earphones and listen to them anywhere even on your commute.
