Forums > Social Chat > Revision - any tips please?
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Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
*I've searched!*
I'm the sort of person who usually just blags exams, but at the end of my second year of uni I realise I actually need to revise for the first time ever.
First of all, sorry for being so jammy.
But secondly, what do I do? I've only got about a week and I'm not really sure where to begin. Any quick-fix ideas will be greatly appreciated. Cramming is going to happen of course, but other than that I'm not really sure what I should be doing.
It's a closed-text english exam, by the way, which is possibly the most unrealistic test I'll ever have to face. When will I ever need to remember this much shite without the possibility of looking it up? Never, I tells ya!
Anyways.. help! Please
*I've searched!*
I'm the sort of person who usually just blags exams, but at the end of my second year of uni I realise I actually need to revise for the first time ever.
First of all, sorry for being so jammy.
But secondly, what do I do? I've only got about a week and I'm not really sure where to begin. Any quick-fix ideas will be greatly appreciated. Cramming is going to happen of course, but other than that I'm not really sure what I should be doing.
It's a closed-text english exam, by the way, which is possibly the most unrealistic test I'll ever have to face. When will I ever need to remember this much shite without the possibility of looking it up? Never, I tells ya!
Anyways.. help! Please
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,384 posts
Location: mancunian, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,384 posts
Location: mancunian, United Kingdom
Posted:
whats closed-text english?
lol, sorry
whats closed-text english?
lol, sorry Disclaimer:im not responsible for what i say or do whether it be before,during and after drinking alcoholic substances (owned by BMVC).
Creater of Jenisms(TM)
Virginity like bubble,one prick all gone.
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
An english exam where you don't get to take the books in with you.. which is a bit of a pain in the bum!
An english exam where you don't get to take the books in with you.. which is a bit of a pain in the bum!
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
GOLD Member
old hand
834 posts
Location: Wellington somerset, UK
old hand
834 posts
Location: Wellington somerset, UK
Posted:
get all the quotes you need, and put them up around the place, in bright colours, eat sleep dream and even spin the things you need, if only metophorically speaking......
its working with maths, so its bound to work with english!
good luck with it!
get all the quotes you need, and put them up around the place, in bright colours, eat sleep dream and even spin the things you need, if only metophorically speaking......
its working with maths, so its bound to work with english!
good luck with it!
Drawings by chalk minds, strech between the stars
Kyle Mclean-
Contact without dance is like sex without wiggling.
A) it does feel as good
B) it does not look as good on film
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Cheers! Good luck with the maths!
Cheers! Good luck with the maths!
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
SILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,384 posts
Location: mancunian, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,384 posts
Location: mancunian, United Kingdom
Posted:
oh im sorry i cant help
but i can give you a hug
maybe try and split what you need to know into different areas, and just go through them in steps..... sowwy
oh im sorry i cant help
but i can give you a hug
maybe try and split what you need to know into different areas, and just go through them in steps..... sowwy
Disclaimer:im not responsible for what i say or do whether it be before,during and after drinking alcoholic substances (owned by BMVC).
Creater of Jenisms(TM)
Virginity like bubble,one prick all gone.
BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Posted:
Make sure you get some sleep and try to avoid junk food... fruit and the like will give you more energy to stick at it.
But other than that... just get stuck in... worrying about getting tips is only putting off the inevitable (which I was really good at too).
Once you start, you'll realise yourself what you have to do.
Make sure you get some sleep and try to avoid junk food... fruit and the like will give you more energy to stick at it.
But other than that... just get stuck in... worrying about getting tips is only putting off the inevitable (which I was really good at too).
Once you start, you'll realise yourself what you have to do.
Getting to the other side 
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Thanks for the tips I do get the feeling I'm experiencing some kind of procrastination here, so I'm off to hit the books.
Thanks for the tips
I do get the feeling I'm experiencing some kind of procrastination here, so I'm off to hit the books. What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,942 posts
Location: London, UK
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,942 posts
Location: London, UK
Posted:
yea tip number one - get off the computer - in fact get out of the room with the computer in :P
- i probably should do the same n start writing up note sheets for maths - ah well it'll happen - some day....
yea tip number one - get off the computer - in fact get out of the room with the computer in :P
- i probably should do the same n start writing up note sheets for maths - ah well it'll happen - some day....
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BRONZE Member
i beat my inner child
184 posts
Location: manchester UK
i beat my inner child
184 posts
Location: manchester UK
Posted:
my theoryat the moment is if i dont know it by now i'll never know it hence im not doing any revision ... but i suppose thats not really a good tip
my theoryat the moment is if i dont know it by now i'll never know it hence im not doing any revision ... but i suppose thats not really a good tip
--the spark what lit the flame which started the fire that burned forever--
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,895 posts
Location: Cambridge UK
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,895 posts
Location: Cambridge UK
Posted:
Structure your revision. Set definite targets, and try not to mix topics too much in the same session if possible. Say 2hrs on a given topic
endless writing out of the things you need to know is the best way to memorise things.
Also, set out your revision area the same as you will in be in the exam, including mascot/whatever. This helps memory by association. I had a small bookmark I fiddled with while revising. When I got stuck, I would fiddle with the book mark and it would help me remember stuff (NOT guaranteed to work over a short period of time)
make basic notes on the essentials, then make another set of notes in more detail on those notes, so you have a basic and detailed outline of what you need to kno
Revise somewhere quiet with no music or other distractions. Take a break when you need to, but avoid computers or TV: they destroy your concentration and memory. Go outside for a break.
Make sure you have plenty to eat and drink
get a good night's sleep before the exam (VERY IMPORTANT)
Take in water with you (if you've been drinking water while revising this could help with the associative thing)
I have something high in caffeine (like red bull) before going into an exam, as I feel it helps me write quicker, but this is personal preference, and if you're not used to caffeine, can make things worse by stressing you out/panicing/jittering (although water can help balance this out)
make sure you have a couple of pages of notes you can scan through before goin into the exam, and write all the really important stuff on a sheet of scrap paper as soon as you're allowed to write in the exam, if you're worried you won't remember it later.
make sure you structure your use of time for each question, so that you give each question equal time: it's no good doing one really well and three badly! or three good and missing the final one cos you run out of time!
DON'T PANIC!
good luck, hope that helps!
Structure your revision. Set definite targets, and try not to mix topics too much in the same session if possible. Say 2hrs on a given topic
endless writing out of the things you need to know is the best way to memorise things.
Also, set out your revision area the same as you will in be in the exam, including mascot/whatever. This helps memory by association. I had a small bookmark I fiddled with while revising. When I got stuck, I would fiddle with the book mark and it would help me remember stuff (NOT guaranteed to work over a short period of time)
make basic notes on the essentials, then make another set of notes in more detail on those notes, so you have a basic and detailed outline of what you need to kno
Revise somewhere quiet with no music or other distractions. Take a break when you need to, but avoid computers or TV: they destroy your concentration and memory. Go outside for a break.
Make sure you have plenty to eat and drink
get a good night's sleep before the exam (VERY IMPORTANT)
Take in water with you (if you've been drinking water while revising this could help with the associative thing)
I have something high in caffeine (like red bull) before going into an exam, as I feel it helps me write quicker, but this is personal preference, and if you're not used to caffeine, can make things worse by stressing you out/panicing/jittering (although water can help balance this out)
make sure you have a couple of pages of notes you can scan through before goin into the exam, and write all the really important stuff on a sheet of scrap paper as soon as you're allowed to write in the exam, if you're worried you won't remember it later.
make sure you structure your use of time for each question, so that you give each question equal time: it's no good doing one really well and three badly! or three good and missing the final one cos you run out of time!
DON'T PANIC!
good luck, hope that helps!
Because ActiveAngel sounds like a feminine deodorant
Like sex, I'm much more interesting in real life than online.
'Be the change you want to see in the world around you' - Ghandi
analytic
503 posts
Location: bristol
503 posts
Location: bristol
Posted:
aim to be in a similar state when you're revising as to when you'll be writing: your physiological state is a powerful cue to memory
use mind-maps (or spider diagrams, or whatever you want to call them). you remember things placed at different angles around a core better than you remember things on a list.
eat and sleep properly. this is really important . . .
um, take breaks, don't over-revise.
for quotes, try memorising them as you walk around, brush yr teeth in the morning, etc. then try to learn a list [or a mind-map or something] of the first couple of words of each quotation: that gives you a cue for each one. so you recall the cues, and the cues allow you to recall the quotes.
oh yeah, and take sweets into the exam. you need to keep your blood sugar up.
aim to be in a similar state when you're revising as to when you'll be writing: your physiological state is a powerful cue to memory
use mind-maps (or spider diagrams, or whatever you want to call them). you remember things placed at different angles around a core better than you remember things on a list.
eat and sleep properly. this is really important . . .
um, take breaks, don't over-revise.
for quotes, try memorising them as you walk around, brush yr teeth in the morning, etc. then try to learn a list [or a mind-map or something] of the first couple of words of each quotation: that gives you a cue for each one. so you recall the cues, and the cues allow you to recall the quotes.
oh yeah, and take sweets into the exam. you need to keep your blood sugar up.
ture na sig
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Thanks guys! This is all great stuff
Thanks guys! This is all great stuff
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
journeyman
91 posts
Location: Manchester
91 posts
Location: Manchester
Posted:
I agree with lazyangel. Keep writing out the quotes you are most likely to use. Do them in different colours too, and write them on your mirror and your shopping list and tins of food and your dogs lead and your poi etc etc etc.
I agree with lazyangel. Keep writing out the quotes you are most likely to use. Do them in different colours too, and write them on your mirror and your shopping list and tins of food and your dogs lead and your poi etc etc etc.
He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,895 posts
Location: Cambridge UK
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,895 posts
Location: Cambridge UK
Posted:
revision poi: where the notes are written on the tails and go by your face really quickly and repetitively so you learn subconsciously!
revision poi: where the notes are written on the tails and go by your face really quickly and repetitively so you learn subconsciously! Because ActiveAngel sounds like a feminine deodorant
Like sex, I'm much more interesting in real life than online.
'Be the change you want to see in the world around you' - Ghandi
BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,136 posts
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Posted:
I find revision is all about frame of mind. However much I want to learn stuff, if i'm not interested in it personally or I can't see a real world application of what I'm learning, I find it very hard.
Have a good think about why you're taking the exams. If you still can't answer the question or you don't really want to do the degree you're on, it's probably a good idea to find a different one. If you're doing the exams cause you *really* want the degree and *really* don't want to get kicked out, that'll put you in a muh better frame of mind to revise. It's amazing what good it can do you to be threatened with the fact that you may have to leave and get a real job.
I also find that complete silence and no distractions help. My university library was really nice to work in most of the year, but in the exam period it would fill with students who'd never been there before, in big revision groups, who just wanted to chat and do as little work as possible. Moving to a different area helped a bit, by leaving the science part and going to a section where the people were more used to doing work. The other huge difference that I made to my degree was having a laptop. Working outside with loads of bits of paper isn't really feasible, but with a laptop I could go anywhere and revise. Long train journeys were particularly good for it.
Take breaks every few hours, and aim to do a realistic amount. If you arn't the kind of person who works for 12 horus straight normally, don't even attempt 6 per day. You'll only get frustrated and it'll be counter-productive.
I find revision is all about frame of mind. However much I want to learn stuff, if i'm not interested in it personally or I can't see a real world application of what I'm learning, I find it very hard.
Have a good think about why you're taking the exams. If you still can't answer the question or you don't really want to do the degree you're on, it's probably a good idea to find a different one. If you're doing the exams cause you *really* want the degree and *really* don't want to get kicked out, that'll put you in a muh better frame of mind to revise. It's amazing what good it can do you to be threatened with the fact that you may have to leave and get a real job.
I also find that complete silence and no distractions help. My university library was really nice to work in most of the year, but in the exam period it would fill with students who'd never been there before, in big revision groups, who just wanted to chat and do as little work as possible. Moving to a different area helped a bit, by leaving the science part and going to a section where the people were more used to doing work. The other huge difference that I made to my degree was having a laptop. Working outside with loads of bits of paper isn't really feasible, but with a laptop I could go anywhere and revise. Long train journeys were particularly good for it.
Take breaks every few hours, and aim to do a realistic amount. If you arn't the kind of person who works for 12 horus straight normally, don't even attempt 6 per day. You'll only get frustrated and it'll be counter-productive.
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Cheers for that flid, I have a laptop (which I have to use for revision) and if I get it outside I can't use the internet, so that sounds like a beautiful plan. I do want to do well in this exam, I'm into the texts I'm studying. I just need to remember that sometimes
Cheers for that flid, I have a laptop (which I have to use for revision) and if I get it outside I can't use the internet, so that sounds like a beautiful plan. I do want to do well in this exam, I'm into the texts I'm studying. I just need to remember that sometimes
What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
SILVER Member
not with cactus
2,052 posts
Location: bristol/ southern eastern devon, United Kingdom
not with cactus
2,052 posts
Location: bristol/ southern eastern devon, United Kingdom
Posted:
for me, i allways revised to music, i think i think far better with music on, i dont listen to the music its just there and is a constant loud and predictible noise that means i dont get distracted by random bird noise and other unpredictible real world noise.
for me, i allways revised to music, i think i think far better with music on, i dont listen to the music its just there and is a constant loud and predictible noise that means i dont get distracted by random bird noise and other unpredictible real world noise.
Me train running low on soul coal
They push+pull tactics are driving me loco
They shouldn't do that no no no
GOLD Member
enthusiast, but not enthusiastic
367 posts
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
enthusiast, but not enthusiastic
367 posts
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted:
protein is "brain food" so if you eat fish a couple days while you're working, it might help the material stick in there. and try to have some protein for breakfast the day of the exam. and yes to hydration!
protein is "brain food" so if you eat fish a couple days while you're working, it might help the material stick in there. and try to have some protein for breakfast the day of the exam. and yes to hydration!
You can't fall off the floor, but sometimes you need a chair to reach the cookie jar.
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
Thanks, unfortunately I'm veggie so I'm pretty lacking in protein a lot of the time.. I shall attend to it Thanks for the tips! Keep'em coming, I still ahve 4 days of this revision misery!
Thanks, unfortunately I'm veggie so I'm pretty lacking in protein a lot of the time.. I shall attend to it
Thanks for the tips! Keep'em coming, I still ahve 4 days of this revision misery! What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
GOLD Member
enthusiast, but not enthusiastic
367 posts
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
enthusiast, but not enthusiastic
367 posts
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posted:
soy protein (seitan is my fave), legumes, nuts, eggs (if you're ovo-lacto). Also, broccoli is about the world's perfect food. Don't think it's great in protein, but it's got vitamin C, iron, and it counts as a "leafy green veg." Keeping all of your nutrients in balance will help you focus and do better with the great tips people are giving. (see how that's not completely
)
soy protein (seitan is my fave), legumes, nuts, eggs (if you're ovo-lacto). Also, broccoli is about the world's perfect food. Don't think it's great in protein, but it's got vitamin C, iron, and it counts as a "leafy green veg." Keeping all of your nutrients in balance will help you focus and do better with the great tips people are giving. (see how that's not completely
) You can't fall off the floor, but sometimes you need a chair to reach the cookie jar.
SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Pooh-Bah
1,626 posts
Location: Southampton, United Kingdom
Posted:
he he, nicely brought back at the end there Thanks!
he he, nicely brought back at the end there
Thanks! What a wonderful miracle if only we could look through each other's eyes for an instant.
Thoreau
GOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,942 posts
Location: London, UK
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,942 posts
Location: London, UK
Posted:
if your doing a mathsy subject make sure you learn the 'root' forumla and such first. if all else fails you can sit down and figure out the rest
make a crib sheet of the most important main points (say 5 or 6 per topic) and read it a few times before bed
try coming up with rhymes abreviations and such to remember facts etc
eg for a series of forumla to do with electricity my teacher gave us this
Very Impotent Roger (voltage = current X resistance)
Penis Vertually Imobile (power = Voltage X Current) .... and so on - first letter of each word was the letter for the equation - this works for dates as well.
the morning before i find it best to arrive at least 1/2 hour early and talk to other people - not massive cramming but its useful just to go through a few questions with others so all of you cement the facts.
although you should follow a timetable if you can. if you cant hack it LEAVE IT - if you force yourself you wont pick it up and you wont want to go back to it - so go take a 20 min break (spin or somthing to relax) then go back to it and try again
anyway all the best and dont panic to all those out there with exams and even those lucky enough not to
good luck
if your doing a mathsy subject make sure you learn the 'root' forumla and such first. if all else fails you can sit down and figure out the rest
make a crib sheet of the most important main points (say 5 or 6 per topic) and read it a few times before bed
try coming up with rhymes abreviations and such to remember facts etc
eg for a series of forumla to do with electricity my teacher gave us this
Very Impotent Roger (voltage = current X resistance)
Penis Vertually Imobile (power = Voltage X Current) .... and so on - first letter of each word was the letter for the equation - this works for dates as well.
the morning before i find it best to arrive at least 1/2 hour early and talk to other people - not massive cramming but its useful just to go through a few questions with others so all of you cement the facts.
although you should follow a timetable if you can. if you cant hack it LEAVE IT - if you force yourself you wont pick it up and you wont want to go back to it - so go take a 20 min break (spin or somthing to relax) then go back to it and try again
anyway all the best and dont panic
to all those out there with exams and even those lucky enough not to good luck
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