EXAMINATION REVISION:

Planning a revision timetable

• Start early and so build it into your normal life as a student.
  
  
• Plan to do some revision on most days, but have no days which are all revision. – Even an hour a day is worthwhile, two hours are better, but any more and you are just kidding yourself. Revision works best in short bursts so that your brain can absorb the information.  If you only have full revision days available to you, split your revision sessions into say 30-minute sections with 15-20 minute breaks between them.  Try to include some exercise as part of the 20-minute break after every two revision sessions.
  
  
• Be realistic. You are not a machine.  Plan your revision sessions early so that you can have days off.  – You do not have to have finished the course before you start revising.  That's just one of those excuses we make up for ourselves to avoid starting.

Revision Strategy

• Work with others. – Arrange revision session with your study buddies.
  
  
• Ask your lecturers and tutors what sorts of answers gain the best marks.
  
  
• Stay focused. – Don't let the usual 'day-to-day crises' put you off.  Yes they will happen and they will erode your time, but don't get too stressed by it – life is like that!

Revision Techniques

• Don't just read your lecture notes over and over again. – Make summaries of the materials – just re-writing the important things our again a few times is a good way of learning them.  After the second attempt, see if you can write them out without looking at the original.  Look when you need to but keep at it until you are as good as you can be. Don't get overtired. Now put the material away and try to do it from memory a couple of days later.  Work at until you get it right and now try it one week later.  You will be surprised just how much you can remember.
  
  
• If you find the above difficult without a 'trigger' then provide yourself with one.  Write yourself a series of quick simple questions about the main points of your lecture notes.  Again, practice writing out the answers until you can do it without referring to you lecture notes.  Repeat, above, after two days and again a week later.
  
  
• See if your study buddies can answer your questions. Can you answer theirs?
  
  
• Work with your study buddies and past exam papers. Can you identify recurring or similar questions?
  
  
• Do the past papers cover everything that was covered on your course? – Has anything new been introduced or dropped?
  
  
• Remember you can start your revision sessions quite early in the course.  Why not starts about one third of the way through the semester?  Typically at about week 4.
  
  
• Practice answering past examination questions.
  
  
  • At first just make sure you know what the expected answer is and how to find the information in your notes, i.e. thinking about how you would answer them.
    
    
  • Talk through your 'thought answer' with your study buddies.
    
    
  • Then tackle each question trying not to look at your notes until you need to.
    
    
  • Work with your study buddies and each answer a different question.
    
    
  • Read each other's answers. – Can you spot any omissions or errors?
    
    
  • Nearer the examination, you should be trying to get you speed up.  This means writing in a concise manner – using diagrams where possible; making a series of short notes rather than long explanations; using tables as a way of comparing items and issues, rather than writing out the details of each in full.
    
    
  • Again near the examination, vary the revision technique.  Instead of writing out full answers, make answer plans, or list the necessary equations for past examination questions. – Use a competitive approach with your study buddies. See who can write out a complete answer plan the quickest – the slowest buys the coffees.
    
    
• Don't make your study buddy revision sessions too long. About two or three hours is the absolute longest. After any marathon two or three-hour session, why not treat yourselves if you feel you have worked hard and achieved something.  Go for a meal, or the cinema, but something you will feel is a reward for the hard work and success.