#universitystudy

1. Be informed

Check the latest draft of the examination timetable. 

Contact AccessAbility if you require modification of exam conditions. 

Check if a bilingual English translation dictionary is allowable for those students whose English is an additional language. 

Contact the Counselling service if you have experienced exceptional personal circumstances which may affect exam performance.

2. Gather all materials

Overview your study material from each subject: texts, lecture notes, readings, practical notes, lab books, feedback on assessment tasks etc. 

What sort of material can you gather for each subject? The subject calendar will have a list of core topics/concepts covered over the semester. 

3. Refine your study strategy

Create a new study planner for the final 4 weeks to ensure all assessment tasks are completed and sufficient time is planned for revision. 

Maintain reading, lecture and tutorial activities, as well as time to study for exams. 

Rearrange work or family commitments to minimise distractions that might impact on your exam performance. 

Access strategies for specific types of exams like multiple choice or open book exams which do require different preparation and practice. 

4. Create a topic list of what you need to know

Write a topic list for each subject (your subject calendar will help). 

Organise the content into sections forming the basis of study for the next 4 weeks. 

Review your lecture notes and identify anything your lecturer has emphasised. 

By start of study week you should have streamlined all the content and now be ready to study strategically.

5. Intensely review topics on the list

Look at the content sections you have compiled. Identify what you already know and understand about a topic and then identify what you need to work on. For example, look at each section and give each topic a rating out of 10, with 10 showing excellent knowledge and 1 showing least knowledge. Refer to this scale throughout your study prep to help prioritise how much time you will need to spend on studying each of the topics. 

Revisit and alter your ratings as you progress. 

Write notes, make up index cards, and draw diagrams. 

6. Test yourself under exam conditions

Testing yourself under exam conditions is a useful strategy. 

Time - how long is the exam? 

Format- short answer, multiple choice, essay? 

Allowable materials - what can you take into the exam? 

Topics examined – check subject calendar, your lecturer, past exams. 

Other useful strategies

Summarise notes even further

Make time in the final week before the exam to fine tune your understanding of the topics and concepts. One way to do this is to develop an overview of your course by reducing your notes to a summarised version.

Allocate more time for study

If you have started late, then allocate more time and effort between now and the exam than if you had started earlier.

Set study session goals

Write them down before you begin the session; this helps you begin the session quickly and avoid procrastination:

Goals need to be measurable and achievable.

Examples if study session goals could be

I will work through five equations

I will read and summarise chapters 3 and 4

Study in the morning

Study the topics you know least about first AND when you are most alert (in the morning)

Aim to study for a set time

Fifty minutes of study with a ten minute break is thought to be ideal – but it has to work for YOU!

Keep a revision checklist

Keep a separate list for each subject so that you are clear about what you have done and what you still need to do.

Use targets and rewards for motivation

It could be a chocolate, watching an episode on Netflix, anything that will keep you motivated to complete your goals!

Join a study group

Talk through concepts to clarify understanding and test each other.