oh no! my exams are real soon, but i haven’t studied, what do i do?
heyooo it’s ya gurl rachel back with some tips on how to buckle down and get some revision done - asap.
1. simplicity is your friend.
i know that tumblr #studyspo makes you reach for your stash brush pens and washi tape and mildliners but NO! while re-writing notes may be helpful for memory retention, they may end up taking up a lot of time with minimal returns, especially for content-heavy subjects! instead, sit down and consider how you can take notes for each of your subjects. some methods would be mind maps (limit yourself to one or two pens + highlighters!), a softcopy document (highly recommend this for literature texts, divide the doc into characterisation/scene summaries/themes/symbols for easy reference), or maybe just utilising seniors’ notes + adding bits to it to aid with memory retention (make sure the syllabus hasn’t changed!)
2. force yourself to stop procrastinating.
it’s so easy to fall into the mentality of ‘haha i’m already screwed for exams, might as well watch another youtube video’, but it’s important to know that all the time you have left before exams is crucial for getting in as much work as you possibly can! i suggest getting website/app blockers (like this one for macs or this for android/ios phones) or even simply deleting distracting apps off your phone completely. i’ve deleted all my social media (instagram, snapchat) off my phone so that there’s virtually nothing for me to procrastinate with on my phone. you could also put all your distracting apps into one folder on another page so it’s more inconvenient for you to procrastinate, as compared to it being in your shortcuts or on your home page. turning off notifications is also a very very good way to cut off distractions! the do not disturb mode on macs/iphones comes in useful here.
3. tap on all your resources.
remember what i said earlier about using your seniors’ notes? seniors, friends and teachers are such invaluable resources for studying, especially when pressed for time. more information is retained when you talk out a topic or have discourse on stuff you don’t understand, so go ahead and find study groups or just ask your friends if you can talk things out/ask them a few questions about a certain subject. also, since this is less tiring than just mugging by yourself, you will probably enjoy studying more and might maybe discover interest in your subjects again!
4. after all that’s said and done, get down to it.
there just comes a point where you need to ask yourself what your goals are for the exams. make sure they’re reasonable and achievable, then work towards that. if you only have 7 days to your exams, and you know you can’t get straight As with those few days of revision, aim for something feasible. after setting those goals, just get down to it. you’re equipped with everything you need, you’ve blocked out your distractions, just study. grind hard for those few days, then you can breathe a sigh of relief after the exams are over. just remember to not make this a cycle, and maybe write/type out proper notes for your next exams.
that’s all i have for y’all, so good luck! if you have any more tips, feel free to add them on :-)
