Week
12 - Preparation
We are nearing week 12 which means assessments and exams,
due dates and final lectures!! Good preparation, time management and balance
are essential to this time of semester.
Get
Ready
Make sure you are prepared for your exam – when is
it? How much is it worth? What do you need to bring?
Students find practicing on old exams can give you
an idea of what to expect and also if you time yourself doing the exam it can
be good practice for making sure you spend the right amount of time on each
section.
Many students find that making a study schedule can really help stay on track.
Maybe choose one course to focus on per day. Set aside the hours you have to
study and focus on this course and then factor in study breaks. Some students
set aside more study time for the classes that they do not do so well in to
give themselves the time they need to understand the content of the course. The
schedule could include the due assessment items, exams, PASS, revision lectures
and work commitments. Then you can see the places you can pop in your study.
Create a to-do list prioritising your
upcoming tasks which may include sitting practice tests, attending PASS, going
over difficult content.
Ask questions! Your tutors are there for you to
clear up those bits you need clarification on. The earlier the better!
Avoiding
PROCRASTINATION
For some reason, many time sensitive tasks seem to
come out of nowhere as exam revision is commencing! The house desperately needs
a spring clean, facebook has many photos and articles you have never seen
before, and those odd jobs that you have put off for 13 weeks are suddenly at
the top of your priorities! Procrastinating can
take up valuable study and preparation time. If you become distracted
whilst studying, you might like to try the following:
-
Arrange to work
alongside another student who works well
-
Take short, regular
breaks
-
‘Front-load’ your
schedule – do more in the beginning – get to your study first thing. This gives
you less time to procrastinate and more time to relax after you have achieved
your study targets.
-
Use your ‘to do’ list
– ticking off those little tasks can keep you motivated to continue with the
bigger tasks
-
Make sure you are
praising yourself for committing to study and your efforts so far – negative
self talk is not helpful!
Balance
Balance can be difficult when you have various
demands on your time but it is vitally important
at this point in semester. Stress and overloading your schedule can lead to
major burn out.
In your schedule make sure you allow yourself time
to maintain the following aspects of your life which will not only keep you
healthy but ensure that study time is worthwhile!
-
Eat healthy foods and
drink plenty of water – what you’re putting into your body will help maintain
the energy to continue with your studies
-
Make sure you are
getting enough sleep – regular sleep routines will also assist with your
schedule
-
Keep up your regular
exercise – some students find that after an hour they do 15 mins of exercise to
stay alert and keep motivated
Exam
Study
Learning Development provide many resources to
assist you with exams and they also run exam
preparation workshops! Information is available on the Learning
Development Blackboard site in UoNline.
Other mySupport tips for exam study include:
-
Check out the short
loans library to see whether they have any past exams
-
Set your own practice
exam questions and allocate time in which to complete them
-
Attend PASS exam
revision sessions
-
Attend your week 13
revision lecture
-
Read the counselling
service’s tip sheet for exams which can be found here.
Student Experience Officer
Feeling overwhelmed? Do not know where to go? Remember at mySupport there are Student Experience Officers here to assist. Please book in an appointment with your Student Experience Officer (http://mysupport.newcastle.edu.au/contact-us/). We can discuss your situation and work out what may help you best.
Best of luck in your final few weeks!
mySupport Team
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