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How To Excel In Exams

1 - Introduction To This Guide
Tests or exams of any sort can be scary. But with the right preparation and the utilisation of sensible methods, you can take them in your stride. If...

1a - Make Things Easier For Yourself
As you go through the course, you can make things easier for yourself. If there is something you do not understand, raise it. Do not just keep quiet and worry...

1b - Get A Head Start Before You Revise
Ensure that you do all the necessary work at the time, and have a good grasp of everything you cover. This will give you a head start before it even comes...

2 - Revision Timetable: Introduction
You have worked steadily throughout the course. Now it is time to revise! The first thing to remember is that you should never do so much revision that...

2a - The Revision Timetable
As for the revision timetable itself, we suggest you follow these guidelines: Make your targets realistic - do not aim for 12 hours revision a...

2b - Revision Timetable In Practice
Perhaps just give 30minute slots to subjects initially, then build up to an hour or more as you feel appropriate with a few weeks left, as you step up a gear...

3 - Revision Techniques Explained
To state the obvious, different people use different techniques when they are revising. And some people?s minds seem naturally better suited to one method or...

3a - When To Use Each Method
A lot of people use the second form for small amounts of revision; for instance when learning how to spell words and to remember foreign vocabulary for tests...

3b - Pros And Cons Of The Mental Method
The mental method is much quicker than the first method because you are not writing which is what takes the time and slows the process down. However, it...

3c - Benefits Of Written Revision
The other reason why most people use the first method is because of ?the practice factor?. It is very important that when you revise you practice what you are...

3d - The Dangers Of Written Revision Notes
The danger of the first method is slavishly writing down everything you see, and thinking you are revising. T his is dangerous because after a couple of...

3e - Tips On Making Revision Notes 1
So, when you are revising by taking notes, which should be the majority of the revision, we recommend you employ the technique as follows...

3f - Tips On Making Revision Notes 2
You may like to use different colours or abbreviate certain words when taking notes, as long as you will know what you mean later on; perhaps take the vowels...

3g - How To Make Revision Notes Summary
In summary then, concentrate and make discerning notes. Do not revise for long periods. Avoid copying and writing reams and reams of information. Write...

4a - Memory Techniques Introduced
We are not experts on the theory behind memory, nor do we claim to be. What we do know, though, is what has worked for us and other people who have...

4b - Two Types Of Memory
Most people make a distinction between two types of memory, short term and long term, with short term memory lasting for a period of time under 30 seconds or...

4c - Memory And Intelligence
Perhaps surprisingly, it does not seem that memory is related to intelligence. So even if you don?t think you are the brightest person in the world, you...

4d - Attention And Concentration Are The Keys
The first thing to mention is attention? if you don?t pay attention to what you are doing, you cannot really expect to be able to remember what you are trying...

4e - Be Selective About What You Remember
So, in order to remember things, we must ?shove it in?, as it were, so that it is very definitely in our brains. If you want a system to run efficiently,...

4f - What Is Chunking
What methods of organising should you use? Well, you may already know a method that works for you. Most people naturally organise and order certain types...

4g - Revising With Spider Diagrams
One way to organise certain material is to use spider diagrams. Start with the key topic in the centre and draw lines coming out from this with key points,...

4h - Diagrams And Hierarchies
Diagrams in general are an underused asset. It may be a clich? that a picture is worth a thousand words, but they are certainly very effective when used...

4i - Revision Techniques: Revision Cards
Revision cards: again, these should contain key points and be well organised. You might also like to try and reduce your notes again and again until you...

4j - Use Highlighting For Key Points
Highlighting: this can help certain words and concepts stand out. Many seem afraid to do this, but when used in conjunction with other methods can help....

4k - Use Colour In Your Revision Notes
Some people find it useful to use different colours when making note to add an extra dimension to memorising. You could, for instance, when trying to...

4l - Remember By Association
Both Thatcher and Major were Conservative Prime Ministers; the colour of the party? Blue. Most people don?t seem sure of where Tony Blair?s politics lie: a...

4m - Association With Existing Knowledge
The above method, then, uses interaction with existing knowledge. The time spent processing the details and using what we already know helps the material...

4n - What Is A Mnemonic
Another key technique to remembering material is the use of mnemonics. They are a completely underused yet extremely effective method for remembering...

4o - Remember By Forming A Sentence
A simple example: lots of people mix up starboard and port and which side they refer to. Well, port is left and starboard is right. How on earth do you...

4p - How Long Is The Word
Others notice the order of letters in the words to help them remember, or the number of letters in the word. Both ?port? and ?left? have four letters in...

4q - Form Words To Help You Remember
Or you may like to form words around what you are trying to learn. With respect to port and starboard you get one word to remember all this: PLayeRS - Port...

4r - Acronyms Help You Learn Mathematical Relationships
Acronyms, then, are a good method. Lots of people have problems remembering trigonometric functions in Maths and the relation between the functions, e.g....

4s - Use Shapes To Help You Revise
Some people use shapes to help them remember, and have a standard list of shapes they have created to represent numbers of items in a useful way? for...

4t - Committing To Memory: Summary
Essentially, then, when committing to memory, you should associate. Do not try and learn obscure/unobvious material completely in isolation as this is...

How To Revise Successfully
If you have a big exam coming up and need to do some revision, here are some tips to make it successful. Firstly, make sure you set aside a whole morning or...

Useful Tips For Exam Preparation
With the exam season coming up, preparation is the key to success. Try making your own revision cards to help you memorise important facts or equations. Use...


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