Exam Survival Guide Isabelle Pottinger Effective Learning Advisor/ Academic Counsellor Careers Advisory Service Careers Advisory Service  451 3391  [email_address]

Isabelle Pottinger

Effective Learning Advisor/

Academic Counsellor

Careers Advisory Service

Objectives Purpose of exams Advantages of exams Pitfalls Approaching revision Other preparation Strategies and techniques during exam Managing stress Control over exam experience

Purpose of exams

Advantages of exams

Pitfalls

Approaching revision

Other preparation

Strategies and techniques during exam

Managing stress

Control over exam experience

Purpose of exams Check your understanding of course content Confirm that work submitted is entirely your own.

Check your understanding of course content

Confirm that work submitted is entirely your own.

Advantages of exams Can’t give long or detailed answers Less in-depth research needed Less detailed references/ bibliographies Examiners more sympathetic to: Scrawled handwriting Minor grammatical errors Spelling Forgotten details

Can’t give long or detailed answers

Less in-depth research needed

Less detailed references/ bibliographies

Examiners more sympathetic to:

Scrawled handwriting

Minor grammatical errors

Spelling

Forgotten details

Pitfalls Leaving revision till last minute Reading through notes over and over again Writing notes out over and over again Writing out essays and learning them off by heart Procrastinating/ putting off revision Lack of motivation

Leaving revision till last minute

Reading through notes over and over again

Writing notes out over and over again

Writing out essays and learning them off by heart

Procrastinating/ putting off revision

Lack of motivation

Pitfalls Starting to panic Becoming bored Too many other responsibilities Stopping revision before the process of over-learning is complete.

Starting to panic

Becoming bored

Too many other responsibilities

Stopping revision before the process of over-learning is complete.

Approaching revision Have a revision mentality for the whole semester or year Use time carefully Keep a positive mindset Work with others Ask for help

Have a revision mentality for the whole semester or year

Use time carefully

Keep a positive mindset

Work with others

Ask for help

Approaching revision Use memory triggers Revise by ear Stay healthy Use past exam papers/ sample papers

Use memory triggers

Revise by ear

Stay healthy

Use past exam papers/ sample papers

Self Evaluation Please complete the self-evaluation sheet In pairs, discuss your responses

Please complete the self-evaluation sheet

In pairs, discuss your responses

Other preparation Find out basic information Find out the ‘exam instructions’ Plan out your time in advance Practice The week before The night before The day of the exam

Find out basic information

Find out the ‘exam instructions’

Plan out your time in advance

Practice

The week before

The night before

The day of the exam

Strategies during exam First things Selecting exam questions What if I go blank?

First things

Selecting exam questions

What if I go blank?

Common Pitfalls in exam Doing silly things Mystifying the exam Answering too few questions/ poor use of time Tell all that you know about a topic Abandoning structure and the usual essay-writing techniques

Doing silly things

Mystifying the exam

Answering too few questions/ poor use of time

Tell all that you know about a topic

Abandoning structure and the usual essay-writing techniques

Managing stress “My main worries about the exam are…”

“My main worries about the exam are…”

Control over exam experience Don’t build the exam out of proportion

Don’t build the exam out of proportion

Contact Details Isabelle Pottinger Effective Learning Advisor/ Academic Counsellor Careers Advisory Service Ext: 3062 E-mail: I.Pottinger@hw.ac.uk

Isabelle Pottinger

Effective Learning Advisor/ Academic Counsellor

Careers Advisory Service

Ext: 3062

E-mail: I.Pottinger@hw.ac.uk