A Students Guide to Success: 6 tips to support your exam study
Date 2 May 2024
For students who have exams this can be a stressful time of year, but there are things that can make it easier. We’ve collated some hints and tips that students might find useful when navigating such an important time, and included some useful links for further resources that students can access even before they start with us.
Prepare for your exams
Make a plan
Sounds obvious doesn’t it, but a day of study ahead with no clear focus or objectives can leave you at a loss for where to begin and make way for some serious procrastination before you get started. 20 minutes planning your day could make all the difference in your productivity. It could be a detailed plan where specific time is allocated to certain tasks, or as simple as a list of topics you’re aiming to cover that day. It can help to mix things up throughout the day too – back-to-back exam questions will make for a heavy day but scheduling in one or two could be a good way to break up the day and put your studying into practice in the same way that you’re going to be assessed.
Be realistic
A solid 12 hours of studying might sound like the best use of time, but there are numerous studies that show shorter periods of study with a break in between are far more effective. Similarly, if you know you’re not a morning person but are happy to study later in the day then work with that – the timings and methods of study you’re using might not work for your peers and that’s fine, as long as they’re working for you. You might be sharing a computer with siblings or your home is quieter at certain times, try not to compare with others.
If you are using practice papers and completing exam questions make sure you time yourself so that it’s an accurate representation of the exam itself. Try not to be disheartened if you find that you’ve run out of time on a question, now is the time to work on that – go over your answer and see where you can improve. Could you have spent 4 or 5 minutes of your exam time planning your answer so that the rest of the time had a clear focus? Would highlighting key elements or words of the question before beginning your answer keep you on topic and in time?
Give yourself a break
It’s incredibly important to build breaks into your day. More breaks than study is obviously not ideal, but a short time away from your study space to make a drink and then get back to it can be hugely helpful. Even better if you can get some fresh air or exercise if you’re able to. Breaks should be breaks. So avoid more screen time or staying in the same spot that you’re studying in.
Think fuel
A quick online search into the effects of dehydration on concentration should be enough to convince you how important it is to keep your water bottle nearby. Research also shows that dehydration can also affect short and long term memory and anxiety levels.
An energy drink or sugary snack might feel like a good idea at the time and will probably give you a quick boost, but it’s likely to be short lived. If you can, snack on something healthier and keep your drinks water based, you’ll feel better for it both mentally and physically.
Recognise your achievements
End your day by revisiting the plan or list of tasks you’ve been working from and tick off what you’ve achieved that day. A mind map for each subject you’re studying would be a great visual way of doing this, and seeing how far you’ve come. If you didn’t meet all your objectives for the day don’t dwell on it. Acknowledge what you have achieved and make sure to build the tasks you didn’t get to into the plan for another day. If you find yourself spending more time on subjects you enjoy or are good at, rather than those that perhaps need more time for you to become confident in, then it’s important to address this. You could end the day on your favourite topics so that you finish on a high but spend the majority of the day on your other subjects and give them the attention they need for you to succeed in all of your exams.
We wish everyone taking exams the best of luck and hope that some of these points are helpful in the run up to them. You might also find the resources on our Skills Hub useful, the sections ‘Academic Skills’, ‘How to Study’, ‘How to Research’ and ‘Schools and Community’ are accessible for students not currently studying at UON.
Support and guidance around the transition to University is also available online from UCAS.
Verity is the Assistant Director for Student Engagement and Conversion, and works closely with the Ecomms, Social Media, Enquiries and Schools and Colleges Liaison Teams.