Taking Revision to a Whole New Level | The Student Pocket Guide
by Farhana Choudhury

Without exams, life would be so much easier for students. Many may think that uni life is stress free, full of partying and all about having fun. However, when it comes to preparing yourself for a 1, 2 or 3 hour exam, the story is very different…

If you’ve got the most important exam coming up in a matter of weeks, there are ways to overcome the stress and boost your confidence, which can make a huge difference for you and your results. It’s normal to feel nervous about exams, but its up to you to control your nerves. Here’s how.

Eating

After hearing the word ‘Exam’ you might not feel hungry, but in actual fact you are – you’re just letting your nerves get to you. The proper way to revise is to eat healthily before you start as it gets your body filled with carbs and vitamins (obviously dependent on what you eat). If you’re tired, make yourself a coffee or cup of tea.

Where to revise

Now that you’ve had your breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s time to find a nice and quiet space for you to revise peacefully for a few hours or so. Avoid any distractions, such as Facebook, Twitter or even worse, the television! If you are the kind of student that prefers to listen to music whilst revising, then go ahead- but be careful and don’t get distracted.

How to revise

Many students have their own ways of revising. A popular way to revise is to post sticky notes all over your room, which will help you remember key points. When going over a term’s worth of work, make notes along the way; use highlighters, make it stand out, and keep reading over anything you don’t quite understand. You can also meet up with your friend to revise, but be careful not to get side-tracked and end up in the cinema!

After revising for half an hour or so, take a break for 15 minutes and then get back to it. The more you revise without giving yourself any breaks, the more you’ll just confuse yourself.

Create a revision plan

List all of your exam modules and work out how long each one will take to revise properly. Then, draw up a revision plan for each week – and stick to it! (Remember to give yourself plenty of time to revise for each module) – DO NOT RUSH IT! Write up your plan and display it somewhere clearly visible.

The day of the exam!

So, the day finally arrives. Remember to not let your nerves get to you. Allow yourself plenty of time beforehand to go over your notes, eat well, take a water bottle with you, and take a deep breath…

Lastly, do not stress yourself out – stay calm and keep positive!