November can seem the sleepiest of months. As the long nights begin to roll in, gently signalling that first term is approaching its conclusion, it can be tempting to slip into complacency. After all – you’ve earned it, right?
You’re settled in comfortably to another year at university, plump on the student’s staple diet of marginal intellectual stimulation and hair-raising debauchery. And the occasional kebab, of course. However, whilst the impending seasonal debut of the Coca-cola advert might seem to encourage a kind of slumberous, wistful inertia, this is merely the calm before the storm.
Exams are coming, and you’d better believe it. Some will enjoy a extended grace period before a miserable January return to giant sports halls, barely comprehensible invigilators and rogue phone interruptions which seem to last for ever.
However, for those with pre-Christmas exams, now is the perfect time to pull your socks up and begin preparing.
Here are some helpful exam preparation tips to help you succeed.
1. Be Prepared
Here’s the secret: exams are easy. In fact, knowing your enemy well prior to engaging in pen to paper combat can virtually guarantee success before the first word is written in anger.
For starters, make sure you have a copy of your module syllabus for each exam. Missed the introductory lecture? Check online, email your tutor or photocopy your mate’s. The syllabus will, more often than not, tell you everything you need to know to pass the exam – the format, the course readings you never bothered doing, the marking guide. This will be your bible.
Second: wherever possible, access past exam papers for the inside track on what to expect. Not only will some questions reappear from year to year, but past exam papers will allow you to assess how little work you can get away with, particularly in writing subjects where you are likely to have a choice of questions.
2. Plan
Write a schedule. Yes, it’s geeky, but doing a rough revision timetable will allow you to keep on top of your workload and avoid stressful last-minute meltdowns.
Using your syllabuses, assess precisely what you need to revise for each module, and then work out how much time to allow in advance of your exam to complete the preparation work you need.
Then attempt to stick to it as closely as possible. N.B. Writing an exam timetable does not constitute ‘revision’, so don’t spend hours carving yours into MDF before varnishing and decorating with gold sprinkles and leaves. Unless you’re doing a woodwork course, that is.
3. Find your natural habitat
Revision is a drag, so it’s best to work out what your best study habits are. Don’t feel pressured to go to the library every day to revise, just because everyone else is or it seems like a good idea.
Some people will be more comfortable holed up in their bedrooms with a steady supply of caffeine, Haribo and less visual distractions. That said, others may find the lure of Fifa and Deal or No Deal too much to bear. It’s all about striking the right balance between comfort and productiveness.
4. Resist temptation
There’s nothing more galling than your house or hallmates bursting through the kitchen door with a slightly maniacal grin stretching wide across their faces, announcing with palpable glee that they have finished their exams and their sole aim from that point forth is to get “completely hammered” or, worse, “go crazy tonight” (shudder).
The smug gits. It can be extremely tempting – particularly in first year – to be distracted by their wide-eyed revelry or throw in the towel and join them. However, know that your traditional hungover self-loathing will manifest itself in an acutely diabolical manner should you give in. Similarly, never believe that “just one drink in the pub” will be “just one drink in the pub”.
5. Remember to wake up
Check where and when your exams are in good time, and write down the details if needs be. Lastly: set an alarm! Charge your phone battery, plug in your alarm clock and make sure the volume is up.
The last thing you need on the morning of an exam is the added stress of running late, whilst those moronic enough to actually miss an exam are treated with particular severity at most institutions, so be warned!
Oh, and good luck, naturally. Any more tips? Leave your comments below.