Study Skills Workshops 2015
Revising and preparing for exams
Planning effectively
Time saving and time management
Organisation
Session Aims
• Revising and preparing for exams
• Planning and structuring exam
answers
• Overcoming blocks and anxiety
Preparation before the exam
• Organise your time and break revision into
sections
• Don’t be tempted to write endless notes or
copy sections of text
• Make your notes memorable and visual
Highlighters
Sub-headings
Symbols
Mind-maps
• Revise from different formats e.g. audio notes,
videos, discussion with others etc.
Why post-its, pictures and
PCs?
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Visual aids – links to memory
Flexible
Accessible
Time saving
Motivational
Post-its
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Note post–its
Index post-its
Action pointers
Coloured post-its
To do lists
Pictures
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Mindmaps
Photos
Films & videos
Colour
PCs
E.g. Personal computers, laptops, Macs, phones
Use for:• Making notes – voice, written or
images/diagrams
• Researching
• Internet
• Open source software
How to get started...
• Start with an overview of each part of the
course
• Selecting appropriate texts – how much detail?
• Reading with a purpose – what do I want to
find out? BE ACTIVE!!
• Taking notes
• Use free software
• Recognising and
supporting visual stress
How to manage revision
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Time management is the key to success
Shift your balance between social activities and
study time
Be independent – no-one will do it for you!
Be self-aware – of learning styles, distraction etc.
Set realistic targets
Split up tasks into manageable chunks
Prioritising – use coding system/lists
Timetabling – setting a routine helps
Work backwards from deadlines
Revision Tips
• Think about the end goal – I need to pass this exam
to ....
• Get to the job of revision – DON’T waste time
thinking about it!
• Do not mistake boredom for tiredness
• Allow plenty of time – set reminders on your phone
• Take breaks & move – it will increase your
productivity
• Set study times when you concentrate
best
Types of exams
Multiple Choice Questions
Short Answers
Open Book
Oral Exams
Essay style exams
Consider the format of the exam
• Divide your time up equally for the total number
of questions to be tackled or according to the
proportion of marks each question attracts.
• Look for the task word e.g. what you are being
asked to do. Check that there is not more than
one task to perform. How much
description/critique is needed?
• Don't miss answering part of the question!
• Consider the topic that the question is about – do
you have sufficient information to address the
task.
• Set the question in context – how does it fit with
the key issues, debates and controversies?
Multiple Choice Questions
The answers required are usually more concerned
with terms and definitions.
• Read the directions very carefully before you start.
• When looking at the questions, always try to work out what the
answer is before you look at the possibilities.
• Use a ruler to make it easier to see where to enter each answer.
• Answer the questions you know first, mark the ones you are
fairly sure of and go back to them - leave the difficult ones till
last. Don't dwell on a question – move on and come back to it if
you have time.
• If you finish before the time is up, go back over your questions
and answers to check for reading errors.
Short Answer Questions
Usually require a briefer and more descriptive answer than
essay questions
• Allocate your time according to the proportion of marks
each question attracts.
• If you have questions which are a mix of short and essay
answers, check the instruction carefully so you don't miss
answering part of the question.
• Each part of the question should show the maximum
marks you can get for answering it. Don't waste a lot of
time worrying about a part of the question that only
attracts a very few marks......
Open Book Exams
(those where you are allowed to take and consult texts into the exam
room) may feel less stressful because you know you won't need to
remember facts. However, this means the marks you can get will depend
on your ability to use this information to build an argument, so be careful
to avoid just giving a list of quotes.
• Don't forget to take the text to the exam room! You won't be
able to borrow someone else's.
• Plan your essays without referring to the text - otherwise you
may be tempted to use a previously planned, but irrelevant
answer. Remember that what's being assessed is your
understanding of the topic.
• Think before you quote - make sure quotes support your
argument, not replace it. Note that you will only gain marks for
your own arguments, not someone else's words, so don't waste
time copying long quotes.
Oral Exams
Such as a ‘Viva’ or ‘Crit’...provoke similar anxieties to giving presentations.
In both cases, the more prepared you feel, the less anxious you will be.
• Act confident even if you aren't. Smile when you enter the room and
shake hands with the examiner. Make eye contact during the exam.
Ask questions as well as responding to them.
• Breathe deeply and regularly to calm nerves. Take a bottle of water in
case your mouth is dry
• Take your time! Don't rush into giving an answer before you've
thought about what you want to say - you will get confused and make
mistakes. Take a breath and think before you speak.
• Listen to the whole question carefully before you start constructing
your answer. It's tempting to latch on to one word that you recognise
and start thinking of your answer, but don't- you may miss an
important part of the question.
• If you missed part of a question or didn't understand it, ask for it to be
repeated.
Essay style exams
These exams require you to discuss and expand on a topic – more analysis is
expected than short answer questions.
What are your initial responses to the
task/question?
What you think your conclusion might
possibly be?
• Note down key words that might be useful
• Mindmap initial ideas
• Link together key points
• Prioritize ideas and select those to cover
• Decide on the order of points
Planning and structuring
Introduction: Address the question, show why
it's interesting and how you will answer it.
Main Body: Build your argument. Put your
groups of ideas in a sequence to make a
persuasive argument. One main point in each
paragraph.
Conclusion: Summarise your arguments and
evidence, and show how they answer the
original question.
Paragraphs
Point
• State the main idea that you will be explaining
Expand
• Clarify difficult or unclear terms
• Provide evidence to support your idea
• Include supporting and opposing
perspectives/ideas
Comment
• Summarise main idea
• Provide a link to the next paragraph
Academic writing
Avoid shortened forms:
• Shouldn't, it's for it is
Avoid popular phrases or cliches such as:
• at the end of the day; in a nutshell; when it comes to
the crunch
• Replace with: finally, in summary, in a crisis
Avoid casual everyday words such as really, okay, maybe.
Avoid subjective descriptions such as ‘this brilliant
business’
Avoid writing in the first person
• where possible use the third person (“it can be argued”
rather than “I think”)
Managing the writing process in
exams
• Look ahead – what should you
expect?
• Reduce stress – before, on the day
and during the exam
• Plan – outline a writing
frame and stick to your
timings
Common Pitfalls
Don't use text
speak or
colloquialisms.
Don't try to shoehorn in something
interesting just because you have revised it.
If it isn't relevant to the question it can lose
you marks.
Beware the post-mortem – it's natural to
want to discuss how it went with your
friends, but keep it in perspective. Exams
are dramatic events, and the temptation
is to describe them dramatically
Don't say "I think" or
"in my opinion".
Instead have ideas
that are supported or
opposed by your
evidence.
Useful links
Text reading & mindmapping software
https://www.dnamatters.co.uk/resourc
es/
Pronunciation software
www.howjsay.com