I’m going to start off with the top three most useful exam tips I have collected over my two and a half years here.
Name: Rylyn
Course: Politics and International Relations
Recognisable revision trait: the one who can only study at the library
1. Start writing – you can’t edit a blank page.Try this trick: imagine you only have five minutes left to get a task done. Time yourself, and within that five minutes do everything you can to finish it, as if your life depended on it. You’d be surprised at how effective this is to get you to realise starting isn’t really that difficult at all. You may even want to go over the timed five minutes once you get yourself going!
2. Make sure you have a good sitting position and comfortable lighting. There’s nothing worse than ruining your eyesight and your back at the same time. I bought myself a cheap wireless mouse and keyboard online. This means I can rest my back on my chair so I don’t have to be hunched over my laptop, and my laptop screen is at a safer distance from my eyes.
3. Here’s a good tip from my lecturer after going to his revision session: try and compress everything you know in one page using colours to help. You can use mind-maps, bullet points or even prose, but the ‘one page trick’ really can ease your mind into remembering – you always seem to remember everything in one page!
It helps to give yourself some short and timed breaks. SUSU held their annual petting zoo this week as part of the #StressLessFest. This means some on-campus perks and events to keep you sane during revision period.
More from the SUSU petting zoo. Alpaca-way your revision woes!
Name: Sarah
Course: Criminology
Recognisable revision trait: the one who has no gaps in between exams
“Explain your work to your stuffed shark toy.”
If you can explain your subject well to someone else who doesn’t know it, then you’re doing it right! If you don’t have a stuffed shark toy, try a real person!
Name: Tim and Toby
Course: Civil Engineering
Recognisable revision trait: the ones who are always highly strung and/or anxious
“Buy a safe and lock your phone in it.”
…or just turn your phone off! It’s hard to get away from any electronic distractions. You can get sites blocked temporarily so you’re not tempted, or you could hand your phone to a trusted friend and have them swear to not give you back the phone after an hour of good, solid work. Remember to lock your phone with a password, though!
Name: Guilly
Course: Marine Biology
Recognisable revision trait: the one who’s never at home because of jobs, societies and everything else…
“Make a list.”
Using lists is an excellent way to make sure you complete the most urgent tasks for the day. During revision time, they are especially helpful. The trick with lists is to keep it to the top three things you HAVE to complete for the day. This keeps it manageable. There is nothing better than crossing something from that piece of paper. Again, it helps to start creating a list for what to revise for very early on in the revision process so you’re not inundated by tasks.
Tip: start with three things on your list for the day and as you gradually reach the exam period, reduce it to one.
Name: Georgie
Course: English
Recognisable revision trait: the one who’s a party animal
“Alternate your study space.”
For some people, having a dedicated study space is one way they learn. But sometimes even someone like me, who always chooses the library to study in, benefits from a new environment. Studies have actually shown that memory is coloured by location, so changing the view increases the likelihood of remembering what you’ve learnt. Of course, make sure that the new environment you choose is conducive to studying. So, no, don’t try and revise at The Stags on Karaoke Thursdays!
Don’t forget!
The SUSU Safety Bus runs from 8pm till 6am during exam season will take you within a 3-mile radius of uni for £1.50 or more if outside it. If you don’t have cash, they can take your student ID and you can pay for the fare and collect your card the next day at the box office. This service is my knight in shining armour during late night study sessions at the Library. SUSU’s priority is to keep you safe. Taking the bus is better than walking home alone in the dark and rain!
There is a light at the end of this tunnel: Refresher’s Week is coming up after exams. Use this to help you think of all the stuff you can get up to when this is over!
If you’re feeling a little blue, why not have a look at my fellow Life at Southampton Blogger Ben’s tips on how to cope with the January blues?
We’re almost there, guy!. I wish you all luck in your exams and well done to those who have finished!
Rylyn
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