Revising and preparing for exams

Study development advisorsInstitute for Academic DevelopmentUniversity of Edinburgh

What bugs you about exams?

Can’t control

Could but don’t…

Can and do take control

Taking controlIn the run-up….

• Look after yourself• Start preparing early• Find out what’s required• Make a timetable (plan and prioritise) • Ask staff and students for advice• Double-check times and locations• Revise actively

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/registry/exams

Registry: Exams

Planning and prioritising

Prioritisingimportant

urgent

Do this now Start it before it becomes urgent

Do it if you can

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

9 - 10

10 - 11

11 - 12

12 - 1

1 - 2

2 - 3

3 - 4

4 - 5

5 - 6

6 - 7

7 - 8

8 - 9

9 - 10

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

9 - 10 Work Work

10 - 11

Tutorial

11 - 12

12 - 1 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch

1 - 2 Lecture Lecture Lecture Lunch Lunch

2 - 3 Swim Swim Swim Work Work

3 - 4

4 - 5

5 - 6

6 - 7 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner

7 - 8 Club/Society Club/Society Friends Friends

8 - 9

9 - 10

Planning  Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

morning

             

afternoon

             

evening

             

How much time do you have left to study?• Do you think this is enough time? • Do you need to rethink your other

commitments?• The amount of study time you need each

week may vary.• Actively prioritising or creating a ‘To Do list’

will help you plan your study

Review your plan:• Review how realistic your plan was• What worked well and what didn’t? • What can you do differently?• Don’t expect your plan to work perfectly the

first time

• Don’t give up!• Seek help or advice if you need it

Revising actively• How do you revise now?

• How can you make your revision more active?

Revising Actively• Organising and structuring notes:

– Thinking about inter-relationships– Relating what you are learning to ‘real-life’ situations.– Organising material into a meaningful structure.

• Creating a diagram or chart to represent a topic.• Looking for similarities or differences.• Looking for points for and against an argument.• Trying to really understand how formulae work.• Critically evaluating what you are learning.• Discussing topics with a friend.

Mnemonics

Emergency - Medical history (AMPLE)

AllergiesMedicationsPast medical historyLast ate/drankEvents

Key diagrams

• Look• Cover• Draw and annotate• Check

Just before the exam

Preparation• Check venue, times and so again• Equipment, water, matriculation card etc.• Looking at notes ?

Routine• Sleep• Food

Equipment examples• Only a calculator from the list specified by the College

of Science and Engineering may be used in this examination.

• Calculators may not be used in this examination.

• Candidates are permitted to make use of foreign language dictionaries.

• Candidates are not permitted to take any statutes, notes or other materials into the examination hall.

• Copies of the English Bible (RSV) will be supplied.

On the day…

The exam

Your mind goes blank?

Your mind goes blank? • Leave a gap and carry on if it is a small section• Move on to another question and come back later• Find a space and scribble down words connected to the

topic – you can mind map this• Do a one or two minute free write - let your mind go

anywhere writing whatever comes into your head • Picture a time when you were studying this (seminar,

lecture, in your room) and focus on details (sounds, sights, smells, colours, actions)

Stop! and relax…• Silently, tell yourself Stop! • Breathe in gently • Breathe out slowly, relaxing shoulders, arms and hands • Pause • Breathe in again • Breathe out slowly, relaxing forehead and jaw • Sit quietly for a few seconds • Continue what you were doing, deliberately moving

more slowly.

Edinburgh University Counselling Service booklet, Stress, a short guide for students available at: http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/StudentCounselling/SCSbooklets/SCSstressbooklet.pdf

Have strategies worked out• Reading• Question choice• Time – planning and writing – write

down when you aim to move on to the next question

The instructions

BIOINFORMATICS 116th December 2010, 09:30 to 11:30

• Answer QUESTION 1 and ONE other question.• Question 1 is COMPULSORY.

All questions carry equal weight.

Answer the question

Read the question and answer the question, the whole question, and nothing but the question.

The question asked

Describe three different models of…

Compare and contrast different models of…

Discuss the different models of…

Evaluate three different models of…

What examiners say

Poser

Suppose you've got time left to do one question, but two questions left to do. Which one do you choose?

ACUTE: Checking at the end• Assumptions - have you explained them?• Calculations - have you checked them? • Units - have you written the units down?• Take stock - have you done all parts? • Explanations - have you explained fully?

Summary1. Take control by:• planning • prioritising and • preparing

2. Revise actively3. Rehearse scenarios (prepare strategies)

Afterwards…

relax andtreat yourself

LearnBetterFor advice on revision and exams go to LearnBetter.

• LearnBetter is available on the Learn VLE• Access via MyEd• You will need to self enrol

http://www.wordle.net/