1. Revising and preparing for exams
Study Skills Workshops 2015
Revising and preparing for exams
Planning effectively
Time saving and time management
Organisation

2. Session Aims
Revising and preparing for exams
Planning and structuring exam answers
Overcoming blocks and anxiety

3. Preparation before the exam
Organise your time and break revision into sections
Don’t be tempted to write endless notes or copy sections of text
Make your notes memorable and visual
Highlighters
Sub-headings
Symbols
Mind-maps
Revise from different formats e.g. audio notes, videos, discussion with others etc.
Get organised: plan a realistic revision timetable
Revision overview: write a list of topics
Revisit lecture notes >rewrite > record yourself explaining>summarise notes on index cards > produce mind maps and diagrams > practice exam questions > revise with friends

4. Why post-its, pictures and PCs?
Visual aids – links to memory
Flexible
Accessible
Time saving
Motivational
Use images, mindmaps and diagrams to help you visualise and illustrate the subject - and then stick them up on your wall where you will see them every day!

5. Post-its Note post–its Index post-its Action pointers
Coloured post-its
To do lists

6. Pictures Mindmaps Photos Films & videos Colour
Practise writing essay plans (in about 10 minutes) to sample questions. Look at your course notes afterwards to see how you might improve them.

7. PCs E.g. Personal computers, laptops, Macs, phones Use for:-
Making notes – voice, written or images/diagrams
Researching
Internet
Open source software

8. How to get started...
Start with an overview of each part of the course
Selecting appropriate texts – how much detail?
Reading with a purpose – what do I want to find out? BE ACTIVE!!
Taking notes
Use free software
Recognising and
supporting visual stress
Don't start revising in detail until you have jotted down an overview of each part of the course. Draw up a diagram with a list of topic headings for each unit - from memory first, then check your notes and handouts. If you have managed to develop good habits during the course - making your notes clear and concise, sorting them out regularly - then this will be much easier.
Make a list of the main issues and problems involved for each section. Write each main issue on a separate sheet of paper, followed by the ideas, arguments, evidence that relate to it. Relate these to questions in sample papers, or try inventing your own questions for different topics. What would constitute good answers to these?
A student’s effectiveness can be hampered by undiagnosed Visual Stress that slows down their reading (sometimes by as much as 50%) and affects their concentration and productivity.

9. Time management is the key to success
How to manage revision
Time management is the key to success
Shift your balance between social activities and study time
Be independent – no-one will do it for you!
Be self-aware – of learning styles, distraction etc.
Set realistic targets
Split up tasks into manageable chunks
Prioritising – use coding system/lists
Timetabling – setting a routine helps
Work backwards from deadlines
Start revising several weeks beforehand - even if you can only manage an hour a week while you still have classes, you will feel more in control.
Draw up a realistic timetable- including any coursework tasks that you still need to complete. Whatever time you have available should be allocated fairly equally between each of the sections of the course that are to be examined. However...
...think tactically!  If you're going to be examined on everything, then you'll need to put in extra work on your weakest subjects. But if you will have a choice of questions in the exam, then you may do better to focus your efforts on six or seven main areas where you feel you could do well.
Identify a few small revision tasks that you can do whenever you have a spare half-hour.

10. Revision Tips
Think about the end goal – I need to pass this exam to ....
Get to the job of revision – DON’T waste time thinking about it!
Do not mistake boredom for tiredness
Allow plenty of time – set reminders on your phone
Take breaks & move – it will increase your productivity
Set study times when you concentrate
best
Don't waste time worrying about what you don't know once you get nearer to the exam time. Concentrate on making the most of what you do know.

11. Types of exams Multiple Choice Questions Short Answers Open Book
Oral Exams
Essay style exams

12. Consider the format of the exam
Divide your time up equally for the total number of questions to be tackled or according to the proportion of marks each question attracts.
Look for the task word e.g. what you are being asked to do. Check that there is not more than one task to perform. How much description/critique is needed?
Don't miss answering part of the question!
Consider the topic that the question is about – do you have sufficient information to address the task.
Set the question in context – how does it fit with the key issues, debates and controversies?
If a question asks you to "briefly comment", treat it as a mini-essay - have a sentence or two to introduce your topic; select a few points to discuss with a sentence or two about each; add a concluding sentence that sums up your overall view.
An essay question often asks about a specific angle or aspect of one of these key debates. If you understand the context it makes your understanding of the question clearer.

13. Multiple Choice Questions
The answers required are usually more concerned with terms and definitions.
Read the directions very carefully before you start.
When looking at the questions, always try to work out what the answer is before you look at the possibilities.
Use a ruler to make it easier to see where to enter each answer.
Answer the questions you know first, mark the ones you are fairly sure of and go back to them - leave the difficult ones till last. Don't dwell on a question – move on and come back to it if you have time.
If you finish before the time is up, go back over your questions and answers to check for reading errors.

14. Short Answer Questions
Usually require a briefer and more descriptive answer than essay questions
Allocate your time according to the proportion of marks each question attracts.
If you have questions which are a mix of short and essay answers, check the instruction carefully so you don't miss answering part of the question.
Each part of the question should show the maximum marks you can get for answering it. Don't waste a lot of time worrying about a part of the question that only attracts a very few marks......

15. Open Book Exams
(those where you are allowed to take and consult texts into the exam room) may feel less stressful because you know you won't need to remember facts. However, this means the marks you can get will depend on your ability to use this information to build an argument, so be careful to avoid just giving a list of quotes.
Don't forget to take the text to the exam room! You won't be able to borrow someone else's.
Plan your essays without referring to the text - otherwise you may be tempted to use a previously planned, but irrelevant answer. Remember that what's being assessed is your understanding of the topic.
Think before you quote - make sure quotes support your argument, not replace it. Note that you will only gain marks for your own arguments, not someone else's words, so don't waste time copying long quotes.

16. Oral Exams
Such as a ‘Viva’ or ‘Crit’...provoke similar anxieties to giving presentations. In both cases, the more prepared you feel, the less anxious you will be.
Act confident even if you aren't. Smile when you enter the room and shake hands with the examiner. Make eye contact during the exam. Ask questions as well as responding to them.
Breathe deeply and regularly to calm nerves. Take a bottle of water in case your mouth is dry
Take your time! Don't rush into giving an answer before you've thought about what you want to say - you will get confused and make mistakes. Take a breath and think before you speak.
Listen to the whole question carefully before you start constructing your answer. It's tempting to latch on to one word that you recognise and start thinking of your answer, but don't- you may miss an important part of the question.
If you missed part of a question or didn't understand it, ask for it to be repeated.

17. Essay style exams
These exams require you to discuss and expand on a topic – more analysis is expected than short answer questions.
What are your initial responses to the task/question?
What you think your conclusion might possibly be?
Note down key words that might be useful
Mindmap initial ideas
Link together key points
Prioritize ideas and select those to cover
Decide on the order of points

18. Planning and structuring
Introduction: Address the question, show why it's interesting and how you will answer it. Main Body: Build your argument. Put your groups of ideas in a sequence to make a persuasive argument. One main point in each paragraph. Conclusion: Summarise your arguments and evidence, and show how they answer the original question.

19. Paragraphs Point State the main idea that you will be explaining
Expand
Clarify difficult or unclear terms
Provide evidence to support your idea
Include supporting and opposing perspectives/ideas
Comment
Summarise main idea
Provide a link to the next paragraph

20. Academic writing Avoid shortened forms: Shouldn't, it's for it is
Avoid popular phrases or cliches such as:
at the end of the day; in a nutshell; when it comes to the crunch
Replace with: finally, in summary, in a crisis
Avoid casual everyday words such as really, okay, maybe.
Avoid subjective descriptions such as ‘this brilliant business’
Avoid writing in the first person
where possible use the third person (“it can be argued” rather than “I think”)

21. Managing the writing process in exams
Look ahead – what should you expect?
Reduce stress – before, on the day and during the exam
Plan – outline a writing
frame and stick to your
timings

22. Don't use text speak or colloquialisms.
Common Pitfalls
Don't use text speak or colloquialisms.
Don't try to shoehorn in something interesting just because you have revised it. If it isn't relevant to the question it can lose you marks.
Don't say "I think" or "in my opinion". Instead have ideas that are supported or opposed by your evidence.
Beware the post-mortem – it's natural to want to discuss how it went with your friends, but keep it in perspective. Exams are dramatic events, and the temptation is to describe them dramatically

23. Useful links
Text reading & mindmapping software
Pronunciation software