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Students with practical tips and strategies for effective exam preparation, including organizing study materials, developing revision plans, and dealing with common challenges such as procrastination and anxiety. It also offers resources for further assistance, such as academic support services and study skills workshops.
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1 Introduction 2 2 Preparing for Exams 3 3 Sitting Exams 8 4 Procrastination 10 5 Concentration 12 6 Relaxation 14 7 Exploring disabling beliefs 15 8 Dealing with exam panic 16 9 Further sources of advice 19
*Also available in large print format
The Step by Step Guide to Exam Success 3
When students struggle with their exam preparation, itās often because theyāre not clear about:
For university exams you may find that there is more material available than you could possibly cover and it may not immediately be clear what to focus on; in effect you may have to work out a āsyllabusā for your revision that will help you to target your efforts. Hereās a list of some of the things you might need to know to make an effective plan:
Although thereās no one way of time planning that will suit everyone, there are some broad guidelines that many students find useful. Remember that no one manages their time perfectly so donāt worry if things donāt go exactly to plan.
This brief guide is intended to give you some ideas about how you can get the marks you want in your exams with the minimum of stress and panic! Few people like exams, but if you think carefully about how to approach them they can be easier to handle than you might imagine. If you still feel stuck once youāve read this guide, then have a look at the section on āFurther Sources of Adviceā.
You might be wondering why weāve felt the need to write this guide when many of the students studying at Edinburgh have been very successful in exams in order to get here. Part of the reason is that studying at university can be quite different from many peoplesā prior experiences. You may have more responsibility for your learning, a greater volume of work, or different kinds of exams. So, although itās possible to draw on your past experiences, many students find they need to adapt their learning. Even for students who are already doing well at university thereās often room to improve.
2 The University of Edinburgh Student Counselling Service
As the exams come closer, there are some things that you can do to help you arrive at the exam in a fit state to do yourself justice. Thereās more about relaxation later in this booklet, but for now here are some suggestions about what you might want to do as the exams get nearer:
If the facts you need do not seem to be sticking, even when you think you understand the topic, then you might find it helpful to develop a mnemonic, or trick, to help you remember. One of the best known mnemonics is this one for learning the colours of the rainbow ā
āRichard Of York Gave Battle In Vainā Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet
If you get a chance to talk to more experienced students in your subject area they may be able to tell you about memory tricks or strategies that have worked for them.
It can be much harder than you might imagine to have a good sense of how well your revision is going, especially if you are revising for a new kind of exam. Regularly checking your progress, and adapting your revision if there are any problems, is a really important part of successful exam preparation. The sooner you start doing this the less scary it will be. If you discover any problems early on then youāve got more time to fix them. Here are some ways you can check your progress and develop better exam technique:
be able to give you the script back). It could be that you made an easily corrected mistake, like not answering the question asked. But unless you know what the problem was, it can be hard to sort it out. If you have exams coming up soon and you feel you havenāt revised well then try not to panic. Even if you only have a few days left you can still do a lot to improve your chances. The important thing is to be really focused as you will not have time to do everything. Have a good look at your past papers and try to focus on a few key things that seem most likely to come up.
A surprisingly high number of students lose marks through poor exam technique, rather than what they know. Do you think any of these suggestions might improve your performance?
If you have had problems with exams in the past, itās important to bear in mind that many students struggle at some point but most do just fine in the end. Often simply refining your exam preparation strategies can do wonders for your marks. And remember that you donāt need to sort everything out on your own, you can ask for help.
One thing you need to do, if something has gone wrong in an exam, is to work out exactly what the problem was. If possible, ask a member of staff in your subject area to tell you what the main faults were with your paper (they probably will not
Give yourself some āworry timeā each day. This is a period of time specifically set aside for worrying. Allow yourself a set amount of time each day and if your anxiety and distracting thoughts crop up in between save it for your āworry timeā, when you can check out their reality. If you notice that certain worries keep reappearing then it is almost certainly time to do something about them.
Earlier in this guide, we mentioned the importance of active learning. If you are having trouble with concentration, you might want to think about whether you could focus more on understanding and organising what you are learning and less on rote memorisation.
Do tasks that need most concentration when you are mentally and physically alert ā you need to know the time of day you work best. Ensure your environment is comfortable but without too many distractions. You might want to try out some of the different University libraries and study spaces, to see whether there is a particular location that suits you.
With thanks to: Cambridge Counselling Service Eileen Tracey, Student Guide to Exam Success.
Many students worry that their concentration may not be good enough. Although itās common for our minds to wander from time to time, if you feel you lose concentration a lot when youāre revising then some of the suggestions in this section may help.
Many students in this country think that good work is uninterrupted hard work and that they should not disconnect their eyes from the page! However, regular breaks are essential.
Some good reasons to take breaks while you are working:
Some study skills books give very directive guidance about exactly how long to work for before you take a break, but actually itās better to think about what rhythm of working suits you best; everyone is different.
Think about whether you find it easier to work in longer or shorter blocks, whether you like to focus on one topic or switch between them, and at what times of day you work best.
Anxiety or boredom are often reasons why you start daydreaming when you sit down to study. (If anxiety persists you may need to take more action-see further sources of help). You might like to start with this strategy. When you notice your thoughts wandering say āstopā to yourself and then refocus your attention to where you want it to be. To begin with this could be several times a minute. Each time say āstopā and then refocus. With practise you will find it becomes easier and the length of time between your thoughts wandering will increase.
At times of stress, such as exams, we often actually increase our anxiety by the things we tell ourselves, e.g. āOther people have more ability than I have ā, āI must work all the time and not have a breakā. This produces a vicious cycle of increasing anxiety. You may recognise some of the following and/or have others of your own to add:
We can support ourselves during times of stress and anxiety by talking to ourselves in an affirming way. This includes reminding ourselves of our skills and resources. The following may be useful, or help you to create your own supportive statements:
Many people feel stressed about exams, so if youāre feeling a bit anxious thatās absolutely normal. In fact stress can help you to perform better. Planning your revision carefully and finding effective learning strategies may help you to feel calmer, but there are also some more holistic approaches, which may help you. Allowing yourself some time each day to relax or exercise will improve your wellbeing and performance.
If even the thought of sitting down to work makes you anxious, try this relaxation while sitting in your work chair before starting.
Centering is a way of giving yourself some of the benefits of relaxation when you donāt have the time or opportunity to lie down for a full relaxation session. Once you become familiar with it, you can take a few minutes at a convenient point in the day to reduce the build-up of stress and tension and restore your energy. It can be of value before you go into a situation which you anticipate will be stressful, e.g. a meeting. You can also adapt it for situations where you have to sit and wait, e.g. on a bus or train.
Sit with your feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed, your arms comfortably supported on your lap. Let your shoulders drop and move apart and check that your lumbar spine is long. Allow yourself to receive the support of the chair and the floor.
Let your eyes close. Listen to the sounds you can hear outside the room, and to sounds inside the room. Then take your attention inside yourself. Notice the thoughts passing through your mind. Notice how you are feeling. Go through your body from your feet right up to your head observing the sensations in the different parts ā feet, legs, pelvis, chest, back, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, head, face. Notice sensations of warmth, coldness, lightness, heaviness, stillness, restlessness, any places where you feel pain or discomfort. Observe your breath moving in and out.
Without any forcing, take a deeper breath so that your stomach fills like a balloon. Exhale slowly and completely. Repeat a couple of times, and then return to normal breathing.
Again listen to the sounds you can hear in the room and sounds from outside the room. Start to gently move finger and toes, do any other moving and stretching that feels good and when you feel ready, open your eyes.
There are many different sources of advice and support available to help you cope with exams. We have provided this brief list to help you to work out who you might ask about particular concerns, or what further reading might be helpful. Academic Staff Members of academic staff are an important source of advice in relation to exams. If you are not sure who to ask about a particular concern, your Course Organiser or Personal Tutor may be a good place to start. Itās particularly important to tell your Personal Tutor if there is anything in your life that may adversely affect your exam performance. Ideally before your exams take place. The Advice Places Potterrow Kingās Buildings T 0131 650 9225 0131 650 5822 E advice@eusa.ed.ac.uk advice@eusa.ed.ac.uk Run by the Studentsā Association, the Advice Places provide independent confidential help with a wide range of issues that might affect your revision, such as money worries, accommodation problems or academic concerns. Student Disability Service T 0131 650 6828 E disability.service@ed.ac.uk W www.ed.ac.uk/student-disability-service If you think that a disability might be affecting your exam performance, the Student Disability Service is an important point of contact. The Centre for Sport and Exercise T 0131 650 2585 (general enquiries) W www.ed.ac.uk/sport Exercise can help you relax and improve your concentration. Just go along or if you would like a personal fitness consultation contact spa.programme@ed.ac.uk. The Student Counselling Service T 0131 650 4170 E student.counselling@ed.ac.uk W www.ed.ac.uk/student-counselling The service offers stress and relaxation workshops as well as individual help. Early referral is advised. Anyone seeking an urgent appointment should go to their GP.
Feelings of stress are often reflected by increased muscular tension e.g. in the face, shoulders and hands. By deliberately relaxing muscles, it is possible to halt and reverse this process of increasing tension and stress. The āStopā Technique is a quick and effective way of doing so. Its aim is not to achieve complete relaxation, but to reduce unhelpful tension to a manageable level. The technique takes less than a minute and can usually be done without other people noticing.
You will find that, in spite of your feelings, the tension will lessen.
20 The University of Edinburgh Student Counselling Service
Study Advice T 0131 651 6662 E iad.study@ed.ac.uk W www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/ about-us/projects/talking-eds
If you think you would benefit from some additional advice about effective learning, beyond what is given in your subject area, you could make use of the resource materials, workshops and individual advice provided by the Study Development Adviser, in the Institute for Academic Development.
Nightline T 0131 557 4444
This service, run by students, offers confidential emotional support from 8pm to 8am.
Cottrell, S. (2003). The Study Skills Handbook. 2nd Edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
Chambers, E. & Northedge, A. et al. (1997). The Arts Good Study Guide. Milton Keynes: Open University.
Northedge, A. (1997). The Sciences Good Study Guide. Milton Keynes: Open University.
Rowntree, D. (1998). Learn How to Study: A Realistic Approach. London: Time Warner.
