As UniMelb students ready for their exams this week, here are some extra tips for last-minute revision if you spent your SWOTVac sleeping as I did...
1. Switching up your Environment If you’re anything like me, I can’t study at all in my room, which has made studying this SWOTVac particularly challenging because of the lockdown. If you live in an area where lockdown does not affect you, finding a new study spot could help give you the extra push to do some study. Ensure that this new space has good lighting, little distractions, wide table space (free of clutter) and a comfy chair! A good option is your local library. Get up in the morning, get a good cup of coffee or tea and find a nook in the library to settle and study for the day. Remember to bring along some earphones (for music), a mask, some brain foods and all the materials you need to study for the day. 2. Understanding Your ILOs Sometimes, you might not know where to start in terms of study. It might be because you’ve procrastinated up to this point and have to go over everything, or you’ve done the majority of your study and now you're not sure what to do next to sum up your studying. Either way, a good way to facilitate studying for the exams is to go through the intended learning outcomes (ILOs) that are usually provided in your lecture slides/subject outline to see what you need to know to prepare for the exams. It’s unlikely that you need to know every single detail taught in your class, and a good way to gauge what you actually need to know is these ILO dot points that your professors have provided. At the very least, being able to answer the ILO will help you pass the exams. 3. Phone Notes (personal technique) For those who have not done exams pre-covid, you might not know that exams were actually on paper (*gasp*) and that they were not open book (*gasp again*). One of the things I used to do back then was to go through my notes and quickly glance over any information I still couldn’t remember. I’m someone who’s horrible at rote learning (repetition/memorisation technique), so mastering the minor details was a pain! As a solution, I would note down these details onto a note app on my phone. Disclaimer: do not re-write or re-summarise your notes. The point here is to note down any inconspicuous details that you are not confident with. They don’t have to be an entire definition, but rather one-worded lines or a particular molecular formula, etc. With this saved in your phone, you can come back any time later to scroll through and look through this list. As you become confident with some of the information, you can start deleting them from your list. Anything left on the list becomes a good set of ‘last-minute notes’ that you can go through a few hours before your exam (also a good way to pass time on the train). 4. Take a Break... Like a BIG Break You might be scoffing at this tip but if you’re worried about your exams and reading this post, you’ve likely already done enough study to get you a decent grade. What you need effectively right now is to sit down and take a breather (or a nap) and destress before the exam. I remember telling my parents once that the exams I end up doing best in were the ones where nature calls halfway through… yeah… One of my biggest weaknesses about exams is that I always overthink. So, my worrying about my bladder ends up taking away the stress I have about doing well in my exams and getting the answer perfect. Instead, I answer every question instead of sitting there questioning my existence over this one particular question. Anyway, the point is, don’t stress. If you are, it might be a good idea to put down your notes and go take a toilet break.
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