Thinking Positively 2 Prep arin g for

Thinking
Positively
2
Prep arin g for
R e v isi on
Challenging
Disabling beliefs
3
Organising your
Time and Study
4
How to
survive
exams
Organi si ng
yo ur
R e v isi on
Be structured
and focused
5
St u dy
Ti ps
Study Goals
5
'Work Blocks'
5
Re-organising
your knowledge
6
R e v isi on
St ra t egi es
'Boiling down'
and 'building up'
6
Using past
exam papers
7
The review
process
8
R e v iew i ng
Yo ur
L ea rni ng
Way to improve your
powers of recall
9
R e cal li ng
w hat yo u
L ea rn
Practicing
recall
10
Final Checks
11
Ju st
Be fo re
t he
Exa m
Outside the
exam room
11
Before you
start
12
Beginning:
making decisions
12
I n t he
Ex a m
Answering a
question
12
Finishing the
exam
12
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1. PREPARING FOR REVISION
The first step: think positively
At times of stress thinking negatively increases our anxiety.
Examples:
‘Other people are brighter than me’
‘I can always do the resits’.
Result? A vicious circle.
What negative things do you say to yourself? You may recognise some of the following,
and have some more of your own to add:
•
It would be catastrophic if I didn’t do very well.
•
My parents will be devastated if I fail
•
It’s all too late, there’s nothing I can do about it now.
Can you think of any more?
•
•
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Challenging Disabling Beliefs
During times of stress, learn to support yourself. Talk to yourself in an affirmative way.
Remind yourself of your skills and resources. The following may be
useful or help you to create your own supportive statements:
•
I’ve succeeded in exams in the past
•
I have done a lot of revision
•
I’m not alone in finding exams stressful
•
There are practical ways I can cope with my anxiety
•
Being anxious is helping me to stay alert and get on with my revision.
•
I’ll do better in exams if I give myself proper breaks
•
There are people I can turn to for advice and support
Can you think of any more?
•
•
•
•
•
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2. ORGANISING YOUR REVISION
Organising your time and your study
•
Plan your revision – make a timetable for the revision period as a whole, then break it
down into weekly and daily plans.
•
In the beginning, try to put in two good learning sessions a day. Vary these between
the morning, afternoon and evening. You can increase this to three sessions as you
get nearer the exams BUT ONLY if you need to, because you need to…
•
Remember the principles of time management – allow time off for yourself and do not
set impossible tasks. But don’t put off work by constantly revising your timetable!
•
Remember to negotiate your needs with others.
•
Build in rewards - consider allowing yourself one whole day off a week, as well as
some time each day.
•
Establish good working practices. (See section on ‘Study Tips’, p5).
•
Set ‘Study Goals’. (See section on ‘Study Tips’, p 5).
•
Use ‘Work Blocks’. (See section on ‘Work Blocks’, p 5).
•
‘Review’ your learning. (See section on ‘Reviewing Your Work’, p 8).
3. Study Tips
Know why you are
watching a video;
attending a lecture or
class - what do you want
from that session?
If reading - know why you are
reading that text. What do
you want or need from it?
Which bit of your work will it
help you with?
Work at
relaxation
techniques.
D on 't fi n ish a
se ssi on o n a
pr oblem.
B e stru cture d
an d fo cus ed
O th er ideas
Look after yourself,
eat properly/
exercise, etc.
It will be hard to start next time if you
do. If you do have to stop at a difficult
point make a note of the difficulty and
why it was a problem. Try to talk it
over with someone, or make a mental
note to sleep on it and come up with a
solution.
Kn ow wha t y ou
w an t to ach i eve
ha v e clea r study
go als
Se t you rself ne w
stu dy g oa ls .
Use
' Work B lock s'
&
do n' t bi ng e
Set goals for
each study
period. Know
what you want
to achieve
before you
start work. Be
clear, be
specific.
What are
you going to
do next?
Why are you
going to do
it? When
are you
going to do
it?
Study time: around
50 minutes
maximum, then a ten
minute break. Then
another 50 minutes.
If you are continuing
I would recommend
a break of 30
minutes.
look out for
signs of
tiredness
Then repeat the process. For example,
45 - 50 minutes work th en 10 minutes break
45 - 50 minutes work th en 20/30 minutes break
45 - 50 minutes work th en 10 minutes break
45 - 50 minutes work th en Pass out !
Form a study
group? up with a
mate or mates?
Some students take
off their watch when
they sit down to work.
They then set a kitchen
timer (or similar). This
helps them stay
focused on their work
and means they are
less likely to be
distracted. They say
that the time can go
really quickly. When
the timer goes off, they
stop work and have
their break.
4. Revision Strategies
understanding
is the key - use
paraphrase
and summary
techniques,
based on the
SQ3R reading
system
Survey
REMEMBER...
Question
Read
Recall
Review
you have to do something
with the material - you
have to process it in some
way!
learning is most
effective if it is
continually being
tested. Above
all, practise, be
active:
don't be
passive - don't
just re-read
material, or sit
and stare at
books and
notes - be
active. Talk to
yourself, sing!
walk around be active!
Get organised
Try re-organising your knowledge of a subject.
Make notes of gaps in your knowledge – you have a chance to rectify
them.
When reading, read with a pen or pencil in your hand to write down
relevant points.
Vary the kind of revision you do so you don’t become stale.
Consult tutors – ask them to check if your notes are on the right lines.
Boiling down and building up
Reduce notes to key headings, points and references (name and
date only).
Reduce information to a series of memory triggers. Then reduce a
set of triggers to one key word or image.
Practice expanding your information from the key word or key
image, up to an essay in ‘kit form’.
Make master cards with key memory triggers for whole topics.
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Use past exam papers.
Each question links to an area of your course, try to find the link.
Look for recurring patterns.
Spend time reflecting on, and practicing, a range of answers to a range of possible
exam questions for each topic.
Develop a ‘topic bank’ – once you know the material you can apply it to any question
that might come up.
Select the most important theories, references and evidence for each topic.
Work out in advance what you can leave out.
Other useful strategies
Practice your handwriting under timed conditions – you need to know how much you
can write. This might affect the way you prepare your material.
Eventually, attempt a full length answer in timed conditions. Then, try a full length
paper. N. B. When you try a practise essay, write on alternate lines. This leaves a
space so you can make comments, add missing details, etc.
Rewards – treat yourself kindly – reward yourself as you achieve targets.
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5. REVIEWING YOUR LEARNING
I do revise, but then forget it the next day. What can I do?
Within 24 hours of a one hour leaning period, at least 80% of the detailed information
that you have learnt is lost . . . unless you review your learning.
‘Review’ is essential to help strengthen your learning.
Aim to review your work as you go – try to build some review time into your revision plan.
If you find that you soon forget what you have learnt, learn to build in a process of
reviewing your learning.
•
Work only for a maximum of 50 minutes, then take a ten minute break.
•
After this break you should review your learning. Try to make brief notes to make
your learning conscious. Do it at this time because you actually remember better
10 minutes after you have finished studying! This review will only take a few
minutes.
•
The next review should take place one hour later. The next review should take
place one day later. After this, recall will probably be okay for about a week, when
another 2-4 minute review can be completed followed by a further review after
about one month. After this time the knowledge will be lodged in long term
memory.
Summary
Begin with the learning session - review 10 minutes later.
Review 1 hour later.
Review one day (24 hours) later.
Review a week later.
Review a month later.
•
Make it active: don’t just re-read your knowledge: test it. Each review shouldn’t
take more than a few minutes.
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6. RECALL WHAT YOU LEARN
The principle task of learning in revision is putting the information into your long-term
memory store so that you can retrieve it in the exam, into your working memory.
Making recall easier
Flanagan (1997) argues that we remember:
We
remember:
20% of
what
we read
30%
of
what
we
hear
40% of
what
we see
50% of
what
we say
60% of
what
we do
90% of what we
read, hear, see,
say and do
To make information distinctive try using:
Keywords – summarise important points on postcards or posters – carry cards around
with you. Put lively, colourful posters on your wall/ceiling. Keep looking at them –
absorb the information!
Use numbers – numbered points can sometimes help you remember
Use mindmind-maps – these add shape and colour to your notes
Create mnemonics – be silly or rude? – use capital letters to remember lists?
Use ‘pegging’ techniques – visualise a room and ‘peg’ your notes about a topic to
different features of the room. Create your own system.
Tape record your notes – use personal stereos/car stereos. Get friends to help by
recording in their voice to avoid tedium
Use musicmusic add this to tapes as an association tool – or revise to music, always using
the same tunes for the same topic.
Use rhymes – rhyme is a very powerful memory trigger
Use colour – maybe write introductions in one colour, main points in another?
Use multimulti-sensory methods – look at colours, listen to sounds, write with a pen and
move around the room – speak aloud
Revise with a pen – write it, say it, review it, recall it, check it.
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PRACTICING RECALL
In the exam you need to be able to get the information out of long-term memory.
You need to practise getting it out.
The more you practice the more likely you are to be able to recall information under
pressure. This means testing yourself:
Test yourself actively – not just by re-reading.
Practise recalling the main points. Ask yourself questions and write down answers.
Use post-it notes /note cards to cue your recall
Set yourself questions
‘Pal up’ – work with a friend and prepare questions for the other to answer
Imagine yourself in the exam recalling the information
Work on past papers – generate sketches for answers in kit form – practice
responding quickly to the title. Finally build up to writing full, timed answers.
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7. Just Before the Exam
Final checks and things
Check all details – time/place/paper-reference, code number. Make sure you know the
time and place of the exam.
If you are worried about getting up – or getting there on time – make a deal with a
friend to get each other up and to get each other to the exam.
Work on your game plan – organise your timings – check the rubric
Check that all is organised regarding any special arrangements for the exam.
Visualise what lies ahead - imagine yourself waiting to start, even visit the room?
Outside the exam room
•
Don’t stand near to people who panic.
•
Try to stay calm - don’t compare notes, have some private time.
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8. In the exam
Before you start
Have you got everything you need? Sweets? Drinks? Pens?
Get comfy. Ask for windows to be opened or shut - wedge wobbly desks
Check the clock with your watch – take it off and lay it on the desk.
Use relaxation techniques to decrease your panic.
Beginning – making decisions
REMEMBER TO STICK TO YOUR GAME PLAN
Read the exam paper, instructions and all sides of the paper.
Select your questions and allocate your time (already planned).
Remember to include time for planning / writing / checking
Answer on your strongest topic first, while you are still fresh.
Answering a question
Analyse the title – identify Process and Content1 words. Then read all the other
words to make sure you don’t miss something. Read the question again.
Brainstorm.
Plan.
Start writing – get to the point and keep to the point!
Keep the question in mind – make sure that you are answering it –check after each
paragraph. Don’t leave out things you think are obvious – explain the relevance.
If you blank out, try to write something, even if it is not very good! – you can always
cross it out but at least it will keep you writing. Trust your techniques for analysing
the title – discuss it and analyse its implications.
Or . . . brainstorm to look for thoughts or information related to the ‘lost’ item. Jot
them down. Join up the linking ideas – you’re off!
Finishing the exam
Always try to answer the correct number of questions. The first marks are the
easiest to pick up.
If you run out of time - make brief notes – give the marker some idea
where you were going with the answer if you had had the time.
Never, ever, leave before the end of an exam.
Make a deal with yourself only to worry about the next exam.
1
Process words tell you what you are doing (e.g. discuss) whereas Content words tell you what you’re doing it to (e.g. Civil War).