Revision, Study, and Exam Skills Jennie Blake jennifer.blake@manchester.ac.uk

Revision-- A second look Not a time to (purposefully) learn something new 3. Have a plan 4. 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?

Some tips and tricks SQP4 Survey--Gather together your notes and do a general review Question--How do things connect? Reflective Learning Predict--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

Cornell Notes (see example) Study Help Mind-webs (freemind) Index Cards Cornell Notes (see example) Study groups/ Revision syndicates Study partnerships Simultaneous revision Active recall Timed writing

How do you learn? Visual Auditory (aural) Kinesthetic Which are you? Visual--note-taking, summaries, Cornell Notes, mind-maps Auditory--flashcards (repeating the questions and answers outloud), study groups Kinesthetic--mind-maps, Cornell Notes, puzzles

Common pitfalls Leaving it until the last minute Reading through the same notes over and over again Writing out notes over and over again Writing out essays and learning them by heart Procrastinating Can’t force yourself to study Panic Boredom Too many other priorities Stopping too soon

Exam techniques (that you can use to revise)--RUNLAW R—read U—underline N---number L—list A--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 schedule Fear is normal – adrenalin can be useful Get an early night Make sure you have breakfast Be on time (or early if possible) Make sure your exam kit is complete Read the paper carefully!

Key Points First 10 minutes Check instructions Put your name/student number on the paper Read the questions Work out your panic strategies After the exam Avoid the post-mortem, especially if you still have more exams Make a note of anything you might need to look up before other exams Celebrate Relax, sleep well, eat well, and exercise!