revision, study, and exam skills jennie blake [email protected]
TRANSCRIPT
Revision--
1.A second look2.Not a time to (purposefully) learn something new3. Have a plan4. Gather your resources
Resources--What do you have?
1. Subject resources: a) coursework b) syllabus c) past papers d) what else?2. Personal resources a) other students in the course b) lecturers/academic advisors c) family and friends d) who else?
Where to begin?
Brainstorm: Where do you feel most confident? Where do you feel most nervous? What did you leave out?
Active Revision: Without active, planned, revision, we tend to forget over 80% of what we have learned within three weeks.
Timetable:Make sure you have figured out when your best
times to study are. (Are you a morning person? Do you study better after a meal? Do you need to exercise first?)
K W L
• What do we know?
• What do we want to know?
• What have we learned?
• K W L
Some tips and tricks
SQP4Survey--Gather together your notes and do a general reviewQuestion--How do things connect? Reflective LearningPredict--What do you think will be on the exam? What format will the questions take?Plan--What do you need to do to get ready?Prepare--Gather everything you need in one place. Make an anxiety plan for the exam itself.Practice--Revise, revise, revise
Study Help
Mind-webs (freemind)Index Cards
Cornell Notes (see example)Study groups/ Revision syndicates
Study partnershipsSimultaneous revision
Active recallTimed writing
How do you learn?
VisualAuditory (aural)
Kinesthetic
Which are you?Visual--note-taking, summaries, Cornell Notes, mind-mapsAuditory--flashcards (repeating the questions and answers outloud), study groupsKinesthetic--mind-maps, Cornell Notes, puzzles
Common pitfalls
Leaving it until the last minuteReading through the same notes over and over againWriting out notes over and over againWriting out essays and learning them by heartProcrastinatingCan’t force yourself to studyPanicBoredomToo many other prioritiesStopping too soon
Exam techniques (that you can use to revise)--RUNLAW
R—readU—underlineN---number
L—listA--add details
W--write
Samples
• Explain why it is not possible, using a single telescope, to directly detect an extra-solar planet by the visible light reflected from its star
• Draw a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, clearly labelling the axes. Show the main sequence and regions on the diagram where red giants, blue super-giants, and white dwarfs are located.
Further Techniques
• Answer the “easiest” questions first
• Attempt every question
• Leave ten minutes (or more) at the end to check your work
• If you get stuck, move on, often the answer will seem more obvious later (and sometimes is found later in the exam!)
Key Points
Build relaxation time into your revision scheduleFear is normal – adrenalin can be usefulGet an early nightMake sure you have breakfastBe on time (or early if possible)Make sure your exam kit is completeRead the paper carefully!
Key Points
First 10 minutesCheck instructionsPut your name/student number on the paperRead the questionsWork out your panic strategies
After the examAvoid the post-mortem, especially if you still have more examsMake a note of anything you might need to look up before other examsCelebrateRelax, sleep well, eat well, and exercise!