Exam Planning

[Mel]

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 1, Issue 10 (March 2008).

Exam Planning
by Chazzz

It’s just that time of year when all of your examinations are flooding in and you’ve got a heap of work to get done. With little time to get it all done, things can get quite stressful. It’s true; most of us procrastinate. We leave our work until the last minute, then have a mad rush to get it all together in time. This only results in stress and possibly suffering grades.

While work can begin to pile up extremely quickly, there are ways you can deal with it all efficiently within a timely manner. Here’s your guide on how to cope with the work and stresses of school.

1. Account for all the work you have to do.

2. Timetable your work. Firstly, fill in all your necessities such as school/college, sleep and eating. Then continue to add in your work plan, breaking down all the work you have to do evenly leaving time for breaks and time to yourself.

3. Ensure you fully understand what is required for the project/report. If you are struggling to under stand, make sure you ask your teacher within reasonable time. There’s nothing worse than being stuck on one niggling thing on a Saturday morning. However, if this does occur, move on and forget about that section for the time being. Letting one section stop you for the rest of the weekend is wasting precious time.

Revising for your exams is extremely important! Some people take on the view that there is no need to revise if they’ve attended all classes, which is very untrue. All the information you’re required to know will not have stuck and you do need to put time into revision to get those grades.

1. Incorporate the timetable technique again, setting different sessions to revise different areas. Don’t stay on one subject for too long, you’ll find yourself growing weary and you won’t be taking in the information fully.

2. Make sure you’re in a good working environment. Some people like to work in a big room, a small room, outside, with music, in silence, with other people and so on. Find whatever works for you; it’s a key aspect of keeping concentration during revising.

3. Make a series of ‘prompt cards’. These are small pieces of paper/card with key points on the subjects you are revising. They’re very good for learning formulas, equations, key quotes etc. Mnemonics are a very good way of remembering certain aspects such as ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Football’ = EGBDF, an easy way to remember how to read treble clef musical notation. Make your own up to suit your subjects, make them as funny and bizarre as you can; you’re more likely to remember.

4. Don’t just revise something once and move on. Try to cover each module/area at least twice to ensure you definitely understand all aspects of the subject.

When it comes to the actual exam day, the only thing you have to do is apply everything you revised to the questions in front of you. However much you revise, a lot of people still get worked up in the exam. Here are a few tips on how to get through the exam itself.

1. Before the exam, do a little bit of last minute revision with your prompt cards. Remember to especially focus on areas you struggled in.

2. Once you’re sat at in the exam hall with the paper in front of you, before you even consider opening the paper, take a few deep breaths. Count to 8 breathing in, 11 breathing out. Do this a few times until you feel a little calmer, then proceed to opening the paper.

3. Always read through the exam booklet first. Make sure to read all the instructions for each question thoroughly to ensure you’re answering the question in the correct way.

4. Read over each question as you finish it looking for any little mistakes. If you have time at the end of the exam, read through the exam paper again checking your answers.

5. If you’re stuck on one question, leave it and come back. There’s no point spending a lot of time on one small question when there are 25 others after it. If you come back to it and really don’t know, guess. Never leave anything blank! Guessing is far better than leaving something that you may have answered correctly!

6. Try to remain calm. If you find yourself getting anxious, do a few more breathing exercises. Ignore others around you, too. It’s your exam and grade, watching what others are doing will only distract you. When you’re taking that exam, be in your own world.

A good education is an essential asset to carry through the rest of your life, these few years of hard work are some of the most important of your lifetime. Don’t waste them. Doing all of this work in the short term may seem like a real chore, but in the long run you will be grateful you bothered to put in those few extra hours instead of going to that party. Go out and have fun, its part of life, but so is education. You have to make allowances for that also!