Organising your time
Maintaining a routine is crucial:
- Don’t neglect hobbies during exam prep. Engage in activities that bring joy, like gym sessions, outdoor outings, or creative pursuits.
- Prioritise a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, nutritious meals, and social interactions.
- Maintain a balance between preparation and self-care.
Planning revision:
- Organise your schedule before starting revision to ensure clarity.
- Seek motivation from influencers’ exam prep content on TikTok or YouTube.
- Set achievable study goals and practise with past exam papers to feel prepared.
- Schedule enjoyable activities during prep to prevent burnout and maintain motivation. Recognize the importance of restful days for productivity.
- Plan your revision in either a physical notebook calendar, wall calendar or an online one whatever works best for you.
Useful apps:
- Pomodone, Cmabo, or Forest: These apps allow you to block certain distracting apps on your phone for a specific duration, helping you stay focused during study sessions.
- Notion: Notion is a versatile productivity app that offers features such as custom databases, tables, and to-do lists. You can utilise it to organise your study materials, track your progress, and even collaborate with classmates effectively.
- Trello: Trello serves as a project management tool utilising boards, lists, and cards, aiding in task organisation. You can create separate boards for each course, utilising cards to monitor your study progress and upcoming deadlines. Trello helps in prioritising and organising revision tasks by creating boards for subjects or topics and breaking down revision into manageable tasks using cards."
Study environment
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Minimising Distractions: It’s important to reduce external distractions such as noise and interruptions from family or roommates to maintain focus during study sessions.
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Promoting Concentration: Ensure your study environment is free from clutter and distractions that can hinder concentration. Creating a peaceful atmosphere, whether through decluttering or finding a quiet space, can enhance focus.
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Reducing Stress: Adjusting the environment to suit your preferences can help manage stress levels. From studying in a silent library to background noise in coffee shops, finding the right ambiance can foster a positive mindset for effective revision and optimal productivity.
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Optimising Productivity: Set up your study area with all necessary materials, including textbooks, notes, stationery, and a computer if needed, to minimise interruptions and maximise productivity.
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Enhancing Memory Retention: Studies suggest that environmental cues play a role in memory recall. Studying in the same environment as the exam can improve memory retention by providing contextual cues that trigger recall of information studied during revision.
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Creating a Routine: Establishing a consistent study environment as part of your daily routine can reinforce study habits and discipline. By studying in the same place at the same time each day, you signal to your brain that it’s time to focus, facilitating easier immersion into the study mindset."
Tailor your revision
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Understand Your Learning Style: Identify your preferred learning style—whether visual, auditory, reading/writing or kinesthetic—and tailor your revision techniques accordingly. For instance, visual learners can benefit from using diagrams, charts, and colour-coded notes.
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Prioritise Topics: Dedicate more time to challenging topics or those with higher exam weightage. Ensure comprehensive coverage of all material while giving extra attention to areas of difficulty.
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Utilise Active Learning Techniques: Actively engage with the material rather than passively absorbing it. Techniques like summarising, teaching others, practising with past papers, and solving problems are highly effective.
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Use Multiple Resources: Expand beyond lecture notes and textbooks by exploring additional resources such as online tutorials, videos, supplementary books, and academic journals. This diverse approach provides different perspectives and enhances understanding.
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Review Regularly: Avoid last-minute cramming by scheduling regular review sessions. Spreading out revision over time reinforces memory and comprehension, leading to better information retention.
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Practise Active Recall: Test your knowledge regularly by recalling information without referring to your notes. This active recall method strengthens memory and highlights areas requiring further review.
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Seek Support: Reach out to professors, tutors, or classmates for clarification or assistance with challenging topics. Study groups can facilitate discussion and sharing of effective study strategies.
Managing anxiety
Box Breathing:
To alleviate stress and regulate breathing, practice box breathing—a four-stage technique:
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Inhale deeply for four seconds, filling your lungs with air.
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Hold your breath for a count of four.
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Exhale evenly for four seconds, releasing the air from your lungs.
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Pause for four seconds before repeating the cycle.
During this time, it’s crucial not to compare yourself to others. While discussing exam strategies with peers can be helpful, avoid letting it fuel worries about their progress. Instead, turn these conversations into opportunities for learning and growth by seeking advice from successful peers.
Affirmations:
Select affirmations that resonate with you and feel powerful. Incorporate them into your daily routine by speaking them aloud regularly. You can also write them on sticky notes and place them where you’ll see them often—on your mirror, fridge, desk, or door. Additionally, use your phone to set reminders for affirmations, ensuring they become an integral part of your day.
Links
Coping with revision and exams: Tips for conquering stress, maintaining calm and focus
How to enhance your writing skills
How to improve your grade on essays?
Tips to write a good research paper as a STEM student
Mastering Exams: Top Tips for Business Students in University