Exams at both sixth form and university will always exist, and sometimes there can be a lot of pressure associated with them. Developing healthy study habits are key to managing and thriving under this familiar pressure felt by all students. In this blog post, I am sharing some tips that have helped me study for a variety of exam formats. You might find this advice will not only aid your revision, but assist you in approaching future topics.
Setting goals
One piece of advice I have found that has changed my perception on goal setting is the concept of aims and objectives. Explained by my dissertation supervisor, aims are broad targets made up of smaller objectives that will help you accomplish a bigger goal. To set clear objectives I have found following the ‘SMART’ acronym extremely useful. It stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound.
Time management
Having a revision timetable or study planner can be a significant tool in managing your time. As mentioned in the ‘SMART’ goal acronym, it is important to set a definite time. By setting a realistic time frame for certain tasks, it boosts my motivation and allows me to monitor the change in my understanding. Although sometimes I set flexible time when I revise topics I find harder. Another factor that can help with time management that I have started to recognise is knowing when I study most effectively. This can differ for everyone, and I have found that I work better in the mornings between 8am and 12pm rather than late at night. Since this realisation, I allocate morning study sessions to read new information.
Managing burnout
By developing positive time management habits, it can help to avoid burnout. It can be expected from time to time to feel exhausted revising a certain module. One possible solution to avoid burnout is to use spaced repetition. I have found that by implementing the ‘little but often’ approach to study sessions, I don’t find myself getting stuck on specific content for a prolonged amount of time.
Reflections on study sessions
I think there are three aspects to a study session that are crucial to reflect on. These are: how focused you are, the amount of work you have done and the quality of the work. Using this structure, I am able to identify sessions where I might not have had the best focus and so haven’t retained key information. Similarly, I can see where I have worked well and have had the best study conditions.
Best methods to study – Practise tests and mark schemes
An effective method of revising is to condense class or lecture notes into more succinct bullet points. A habit that I have started that helps me retain key information better is to link specific bullets points to the questions that might come up in an exam. By doing frequent practise tests and understanding the mark schemes, I have started to find patterns in the types types of questions to expect and linked them with the topic’s content.
Maximise free time
During my A-Levels and in my university studies, I often find myself feeling like I should work as much as possible until a task is complete. However, it is important to allocate free time around different tasks to do activities that you enjoy. This can range from setting aside time for a sport’s team training, going out with friends or even as simple as reading a book.
Day before an exam
I have found one of the most important habits that I have developed at A-Level and throughout university is to feel confident in my abilities in a subject a few days before an exam. This helps combat the normal feelings of nervousness and doubt that many people feel. Despite the urge to compare with my friends on my course how much revision we’ve done, I have seen an improvement to my overall performance in exams when I have felt secure in the content that I have covered.
Overall, developing healthy study habits is a very personal experience and it can take a while to find what best works for you. Also, the habits that might have worked at A-Level or GCSE could require adaptations for university study. I hope these tips will help, but if you are stuck with how to personalise this advice, your friends, teachers or lecturers are there to help direct you.
Written by Tom, a BSc Biology student
