HELP... im a student..need some revision tips!!?

Question

I am studying a law degree at university. Im in my 2nd year however, i failed one module last year and it needs to be passed so i can proceed into my final year.
I have got FIVE exams in MAY... which are 3 HOURS long each! i am very stressed out... Has ANYONE got any revision tips they can give me to help me focus and make me do well in my exams?? THANKS!

Answer 1

Tackle them one at a time. Don't look at the whole picture. Everyone in college has finals. Usually they are close together. You can get through it if you don't let yourself get overwhelmed.

Answer 2

Don't sicken yourself, Start and aim to study for 30min. Then take a 30min break. Do that for as long as you need. Get an easy watching DVD or good book for the in between times. Worked for me, I still use this technique today. In fact I will have to study tonight for another exam tomorrow. Keep doing it this way. You take in more in 30 mins than you do in 3 hours non stop. So just do the 30 mins at a time. Good luck.

Also the stress thing. I am lucky as I never get stressed. Just think I've done all I can, if I fail then it wasn't for me. Something else will come along. Just do the best you can.

Answer 3

First thing first - You need to keep cool!
Do not allow yourself to panic you need to be relaxed about exams. yes they are not pleasant but you must relax while you are studying.
If you can't relax get help. The Uni will have student welfare facilities use them- I got Hypnotherapy for £10 a go at my uni to help with exam revision.

Stick notes and diagrams that need to be remembered on yellow post-it notes and stick them all over your house.
Study little and often half hours study then 15 mins break in between is better than slaving over books for hours.
Write a cheat sheet. Write down everything you have to remember use a highlighter pen and copy it several times over and over. It will sink in.
Get a study buddy- study closely with someone on the course to understand the difficult stuff.
look after yourself eat and sleep well stay off alcohol and don't take too much coffee.
Cramming works! on the days of your exam don't let your notes out if sight and read them constantly swap them with friends notes and read everything.

My top tip is................Write down everything you know about the subject in question during your exam. Don't do nothing - write down whatever you know even if it's slightly off topic. You may still pick up some marks.
During an exam I was taking over half the students left after 15 mins. It was a tough exam and I was stuck like everyone else. I just wrote down what I knew as did the rest of the class which stayed on after 15 mins. All of those who stayed on to write anything passed!

Answer 4

Play some gentle classical music quietly in the background while you study. Make some mind maps/spider maps. Put basil essential oil into a bowl of hot water or oil burner (increases your attention) Make the place you study tidy, comfortable andd free from distraction. Go over your modules and type up any key points they give. Then go through and write a summary about what the modules were about. Underline key points. Most importantly, eat properly (lack of nourishment and hydration will hinder your memory) and have a rest every 20 mins - walk about etc. Can you discuss some of the material with friends or family? Or even in front of a mirror - it's surprising the ideas that you form what you talk out loud about a subject.

Best of luck to you

Answer 5

1. Make a revision timetable. Divide the work up into manageable units and plan a timetable around the divisions.

2. As others have suggested, study in manageable chunks. 20 to 30 minutes - short break. In the short breaks, get up and walk around [helps the blood circulation]. Drink water or fruit juice [dehydration causes loss of concentration].

3. You could try summarising your notes. Make notes on your notes, gradually boiling them down to the main points. See if you can reduce them to some fixed points under one, two or three-word headings.

4. If 3 above is successful, try making a mnemonic out of the main points.

5. There are several very traditional and very successful ways of memorising information based on 'hanging' the points you want to learn on a familiar journey, such as a favourite walk around the park, the journey to college in the morning, even your bedroom. Try and have a look at some of the self-help memory improver books that are currently available. The technique I have just described is at least 2000 years old; it was used in the ancient classical civilisations of Ancient Rome and Greece. It is highly effective.

6. Try recording your notes on an iPod. Listen as you go to college, as you come home, as you do the laundry.

7. If you are like me, you probably use a laptop fairly frequently. Try practising writing with your pen! Often! [A friend of mine retired recently as a university teacher. He too was heavily dependent on keyboards - and studied for an external degree through London University in a totally unfamiliar subject. He took the wise precaution of training himself for months to write with a pen so that when he faced the exams he was not put off his stride by a purely mechanical weakness]

8. Finally, a long shot - but effective - you could try listening to an iPod whilst you are asleep. It works [but it requires constant repetition].

Good luck. Don't get stressed. If you make a mess, there's always tomorrow. You have your youth, your health... and life can be full of grace for those who make a mess first time round. There are second and third chances.

Answer 6

Studies have shown that short, frequent study sessions help you to retain more information. 20-30 min of studying, then go take a quick walk or do some chores, then go back to studying. If there are terms you need to memorize, try flash cards. When you start studying make sure you have all of your materials with you when you start so you dont have to get up and waste time finding them. Know what kinds of questions will be on your exams-if they are timed essay questions, practice writing an essay. And keep your study environment comfortable to you-if you like music/tv going in the background, that's fine as long as it's not distracting, control temperature, keep it clean, turn off cell phones, keep all distractions to a minimum. Good luck!!!

Answer 7

read through notes with a highlighter in your hand and highlight important parts. then re read only the highlighted parts, or even better, write out the highlighed parts as your brain will memorise them by your writing and the colour.
this is how i got my masters, it does work. and i did french and english litterature, my finals were on 8 books of each, and the exams were 3 hours twice a day for 5 days.
I PROMISE THIS METHOD WORKED.
also, (and this is odd) put postits all around your flat, like on the kettle i had things like shakespeare quotes, on the loo wall, dickens quotes, on the ceiling, baudelaire queots. you get the picture.)
as you are doing law this is useful to learn articles, its the same prinicple.
good luck!!
oh and one last thing, i always worked at night when the house was asleep , like 4 am; it was quiet and burning the midnight oil is quite fun too...

Answer 8

i suggest making 5 folders, putting the things to study, notes etc for each test in one,,,,,, then setting aside a day a week to study each one,,,,,, find a friend or fellow college student to study with,,,, do that one day a week,,,, you can question each other,, discuss the important issues, if a fellow student,,,,,, if a friend who isnt studying the same thing,,,,,, they can ask you questions,,,,,, make note cards if needed,,,,, forming study groups with fellow students is good,,,,,, start now,, and prepare ,prepare, prepare,,, as you come to feel you are prepared,,,, you will calm down and can relax with it, but always err on the side of thinking you are not prepared enough, that it is going to be very hard,,,, dont every feel you are ready for it,,,, that will keep you sharp and studying,,,,,,as you are studying, try to pull out the major most important info, make notes about the subjects,,, summarize,,, then the last week before your test,, review,,, if you dont remember something in detail from the notes you made,, look it up again

Answer 9

Only revise one thing for one hour at a time- that's the maximum time your brain can concentrate on one thing.
Take a break in between, and allow yourself to have chocolate, as it helps give your mind and body a boost while revising.

Answer 10

the brain begins to close down after 40 minutes so revise for short periods of time and only one topic each time, they will stay in your head better.
make flashcards for bullet point facts and just play about with them whilst you are relaxing they will come easier to you if you are comfortable and easy when your retaining facts.