While everyone will have their own study style and what might work for one person wont necessarily be effective for another, there are some general skills and techniques which seem to get good results for most people.
Before the Exam
Have a Plan!
If you think of study as a journey you need to complete, it's going to be important to have a map to make sure you get there. A good study plan can save you from wandering off course and into the wilderness. During SWOT Vac, you know you have a certain amount of time and a range of tasks to accomplish so it's a good idea to try to account for all your available time to maximise your chance of getting the most out of it. You need to factor in, not only study, but work, rest and play as well. Figuring out when to study is crucial. Slotting in some swotting after a night of heavy drinking or an exhausting game of basketball is not going to be effective, neither is trying to cram just before the exam.
A good guide is to plan your study time for when you are well rested and focused. Most people have times of the day when they're most productive. Having said that, it's also good to bear in mind when you will be doing your exams. For example, if you have any exams at 9.00 am, getting into a rhythm of studying into the night and rising late the next day is probably not a good idea. Set goals and try to stick to them, you may find making a list of areas you want to achieve useful in this. Try to be as task focused as possible, if your plan is too vague or general it may contribute to feeling overwhelmed and procrastination.
The Gentle Art of Procrastination and Where to Study
This may seem obvious -- but you need to find a place with as few distractions and interruptions as possible. Studying at home in a quiet, private space may be good, but beware of the temptations around you. If you find yourself surveying the contents of the fridge for the 70th time or can't avoid the call of the TV, computer game or sudden urge to do housework, then you might fare better in a neutral environment such as a library or study area on campus.
Another problem besides location, can be feeling overwhelmed. If you have set yourself the goal of revising the entire semester's work in one sitting, you'd be forgiven for feeling daunted. Try breaking your goals down into smaller achievable tasks. Try to be realistic about how long it will take to review, for example, one week of lecture notes or one chapter of the textbook or one discrete part of the subject. Have a look at the list you've made. Is it too long or lacking priority? This too can lead to feeling overwhelmed.
For most people, breaking your study up into small blocks of time works well. You will be the best judge of how long you an concentrate in a sitting. Somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour is a good place to start. Take short breaks to refresh yourself.
Study Techniques
Get as much info on the exam format as you can. For example, will it be multiple choice, short answer, or essay type questions or a combination of these? You might glean this from your lecturer or tutor or from reviewing past exam papers.
Try to anticipate possible exam questions. Attempt answering practice questions, including those from past papers which can be downloaded from the Exam Papers website. You can also make up sample questions and answer them. It's not a bad idea to do a dry run and practice answering a past paper in the time allowed. If you lack confidence with handwriting answers, this is a particularly good idea.
Learn actively. Just reading or re-reading your notes or textbooks isn't really enough unless you have a photographic memory. Try summarising your notes then putting it away and checking whether you can recall the main points.
Some people find "flashcards†helpful. Put facts, formulae or questions on small cards or pieces of paper and keep them in your pocket so you can review them at any time. One word of warning with this technique, particularly if you are having one last review before entering the exam -- do not accidentally bring these into the exam area with you. If you are found with these on your person, you may be at risk of an allegation of academic misconduct.
Another area to consider is the way that works best for you to memorise information. Mnemonics, concept maps and using rhymes or songs are all examples of memory techniques.
University of Melbourne Academic Skills Unit: Exams
mindtools
Where has my motivation gone? Studying with Friends
Studying alone can be isolating and for some it may lead to a bit of a motivational crisis. Having said that, "studying†with friends who really just want to socialise or expand their repertoire of procrastination techniques is not going to help much. If you do find some like minded individuals then it's good to set some ground rules. Make sure you have clear agreement on when and how long you are going to spend studying, when to have breaks and how much or little you're going to discuss things.
One of the biggest benefits of studying collaboratively is being able to explain or recount what you're studying to a friend. Get them to test you, ask questions and see how well you are retaining the info you're revising.
Stress Management
Eat well, get some exercise -- even if it's just a regular brisk walk or a quick swim, practice some relaxation techniques. Don't feel like you have to get everything done at once -- focus on one thing at a time (the value of having a plan or schedule).
There are some good ideas on the McKinley Health Centre Stress Management page.
Exam Techniques
Hopefully SWOTVac went well for you, you've studied effectively and you feel calm, well prepared and raring to go. Well, even if that's not the case, here are a few tips which may help you to perform at your best during the exam itself.
Scout's honour -- I will be Prepared
You should ensure you know exactly where the exam is to be held, at what time it starts and how you are going to get there.
Your exam timetable will be on the Student Information System approximately a month before the examination period.
On the day of the exam, make sure you have a good meal before — something with low GI that will keep your energy levels up for several hours — complex carbohydrates and protein is a good combination.
Get everything together that you'll need. Student card, pens, other required stationary. Be aware of the exam rules -- don't take anything you don't need or are forbidden to have, such as calculators (unless authorised), bags, pencil cases, loose notes or paper, textbooks or course notes (unless it's an open book exam), diaries, personal organisers, laptop computers or audio equipment (leave the iPOD at home for once!)
Most people are nervous before an exam so too reduce anxiety and feel as calm as possible, make sure you arrive in plenty of time.
Directions to the various exam venues can be found on the Student Information System. Also make sure you are familiar with the things you need to know about your exams.
It's often best to avoid too much pre-exam conversation about what others think may or may not be in the paper as this can contribute to your nervousness, especially if someone mentions something you don't feel confident about. If you want to chat, talk about something neutral or what you plan to do after the exam.
Use your reading time
Most examinations include some reading time. Even if they don't, it's a really good idea to survey the whole paper before you start. Don't get stressed if you see questions you didn't expect or don't immediately know the answer to. You can use the reading time to make a bit of a strategy – make a mental note of the easy or easier questions and when it's time to start writing, answer them first. You might also do a quick calculation of how much time you should be allocating to each question. Remember, questions that are worth more marks will generally deserve more time. For example, in a three hour exam, a question worth 10% would be worth allocating approximately 18 minutes. If there is a choice, make sure you read through all the questions before deciding which one(s) to attempt.
Also take note of how many questions must be answered, are any compulsory, does each question require a fresh answer book, do the questions carry equal marks? Double check that there aren't more questions over the page or any you might have not seen the first time. Check no pages are stuck together or missing.
You may begin writing
Some of the things you've just sussed during reading time are worth writing down as soon as you're allowed. Making a note of the questions you will attempt and the time allowance for each is worth doing while it's fresh in your mind.
Dump your memory -- write down everything you’ve memorised – facts, names, dates, ideas, events. This is particularly useful if you find that beginning to answer questions can distract you from what you’ve memorised. If you write down everything possible before you begin writing your answers, ideally you are less likely to forget something important. If you feel pressured for time, use this technique wisely however.
Another way of doing this is to jot down information quickly as it comes to you, even if you're answering a different question at the time. This is useful to prevent forgetting that point later on when you get to that question.
Read the Question. Now read it again
It is absolutely vital you understand what the question is asking. You may do a perfect answer, but if it's not the answer to the question on the paper, you wont get anything for it. Some questions may have specific directions about how you are to answer. Indicate your answers exactly the way you are asked. For example, words such as “list”, “describe”, "discussâ€, "evaluateâ€, “compare and contrast” and “outline” have particular meanings.
A list of some of these terms is at the Know-It-All website.
Before beginning to write the answer, take a moment to underline the key words or phrases in the question. Is there more than one part to the question? Make sure you are answering the whole question.
Timing is everything
If you get stuck, move on. Stick to the time you have allocated for each question. It can be a critical mistake to spend too long over something you may not be able to do well, and run out of time for answers you can do really well at.
If you go blank in the middle of answering a question leave a few pages and go to the next question. You can then come back to it later.
If you do find yourself running out of time, at least try to write something rather than leave the whole answer blank. Concentrate on at least getting down the main points in bullet points or note form. If you really have no idea, it's still worth writing down anything that you can think of that may be even vaguely related to the question.
Multiple guess…
It's generally best to work through these methodically, but if you don't know the answer to one, mark it and continue on. You can then come back to it later. It's generally good to read the question and try to think of the answer before actually looking at the options. The you should choose the option that most closely matches your answer. If you really don't know the answer, it's still better to guess than leave it blank (unless you'll lose marks for an incorrect answer). Try however, to make an informed guess. Reject any options which are clearly not correct and choose the best remaining option.
This exam is essay…
The first thing to remember is that writing essays under exam conditions is not the same as spending your time working on a term time essay at your leisure. Unless it is an open book or take home exam, you won't have text books or notes to refer to and you will be far more time pressured in making a plan or editing your answer. Of course, examiners are not expecting the same polish either. The demand for thorough referencing, sophisticated structure and extensive quotations will be somewhat relaxed.
Write clearly and legibly. It's unlikely you'll get any marks for something indecipherable, no matter how brilliant it is. Despite the expected standard of exam essays being lower than usual, you will still likely benefit from writing a brief plan. Ensure you have at least an idea of what points you want to cover and the most logical order to put them to support your answer. A basic introduction and conclusion are also worthwhile to ensure the points you have made a clearly related to the question.
Re-read the question one last time and make sure your essay has answered it (not just part of it and not just what you thought it was asking).
I finished!
That's great, but don't just jump up and leave. Make sure you read over your paper and check for mistakes or omissions. Once again -- make sure there aren't any questions lurking that you didn't see before.
When things don't go to plan
First of all -- don't panic.
What happens if I'm late or miss the exam entirely?
As long as you arrive within the first 30 minutes of writing time, you'll be allowed to sit the exam. Unfortunately you won't get any extra time at the end to make up for the bit you missed. If you were late due to an event outside of your control, such as your train, tram or bus being delayed or cancelled, you may apply for special consideration.
Once you are more than half an hour outside of the writing time, you won't be allowed to sit the exam. Instead you should head over to your Faculty office to get some advice about what to do next. This is also the case where you wake up on the day of the exam and realise you are too ill to move or a flash flood has surrounded your house and you can't get out -- you should contact the Faculty as soon as possible to let them know and get advice on your next course of action.
What if things have happened that have affected my ability to study?
If a situation beyond your control is affecting your studies or prevents you from sitting for an exam, you should apply for Special Consideration. For further information and to apply for special consideration, complete the online application.
Supplementary or Special Exams
The grounds for getting a supp vary from Faculty to Faculty, but usually include very specific conditions which must be met. Some Faculties only allow supps if you're your last subject to pass before graduation and you are above a certain grade (e.g. 40%), others allow students to sit a supp as long as they didn't fail by too much and had been doing OK during semester.
Some just have a policy of never offering supplementary exams at all although most Faculties do make provision for Special exams if you actually were unable to attend the original exam and your application for Special Consideration is accepted. Besides these rules, you will generally only be eligible for supplementary assessment if you have applied for and been granted special consideration. Regardless, you don't apply for a supplementary exam, it is decided on by the subject Board of Examiners and offered to you. You'll know if you've been granted supplementary assessment because there'll be an ‘S’ beside your original grade on the SIS and on the Student InfoLine.
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Posted Wednesday 6 February, 2008. Updated Friday 3 April, 2009.
