1. Put your exam study plan together
Even if you haven't done already done this, there is still plenty of time for you to put an exam study plan and timetable together! When you do this you will feel much more at ease and you will feel that you have time to get everything done before the exams. But remember, dont spend all your study time makeing study plans and timetables, this defeates the purpose!! For each topic, make a rough plan or content page so you know exactly what needs to be covered in that topic and as you complete each part, put a tick beside it. You will also become more and more motivated as you tick things off your lists. Don't forget to have variety in your study plan so you dont get bored. Don't study the same thing two days in a row and make sure you cover every subject, not just the ones you like. Never leave anything out!!
2. Stay organised and focused
Organisation is key to studying effectively. If you have an allocated time on your study plan to cover certain topics, you need to ensure that you are not spending the first 20 minutes trying to get your text books, notes and stationary together. Effective time management in essential!! You can stay on top of things by ensuring that you tidy up after each session and also by ensuring that you keep the notes for each topic together in folders where possible. It also means that you won't lose anything! Keep notes in folders and folders with books so everyting is grouped together. Being organised will also help you manage your stress and keep you on track to succeed and its a great habit to get into for college!
3. Keep making notes and go over old notes
In order to ensure that you are staying engaged and to prevent boredom it is important that you keep making notes as you go along. Unfortunately, it is not enough to read your text book - this won’t help you. Reading a chapter and then summarising and making notes (in your own words) will reaffirm that you understand what you have just read and will help you to retain the information.
When looking over old notes, try to summarise the information you have written down so you can quickly reference it closer to the exams. Get flashcards and write the most important information on them so you can carry these around with you and check them in your spare time. And dont forget to make important things stand out by using highlighters and coloured pens! If reading large chunks of text intimidates you, try recording your notes on to an audio device like your iPhone and use this to study. Doing this will also allow you to study in your spare time like on the bus or walking to the shops!
4. Make sure you have somewhere suitable to study
We do not recommend that you study in groups unless you are very disciplined - remember, you are only kidding yourself! We recommend that you work without the television on in the background and that you sit at a desk. It can be quite difficult to read and write lying out on a bed. And turn off Facebook and Twitter...these will not help your study and you won't miss much! Having a dedicated place to work will help you stay focused. If you dont have a dedicated place, try and find somewhere that works for you. Remember, how your friends study isn't necessarily how you study so stay focused on what you are doing and how you can get through your study plan.
5. Keep working through past exam papers
Past exam papers are key to your success. They allow you to familiarise yourself with the layout of the papers, the marking schemes, helps you allocate time per question and cover all the topics that could come up in the exam. It is really important that you keep working through these papers to help you stay prepared! If you have run out of questions, go back over the ones you have completes and test yourself. Make sure you know exactly how questions can be asked and how to interpret what they are asking. If you run out of questions, don't be afraid to ask your teachers to give you questions and make them when you are done. Remember, they are there to help you succeed!
Don't forget to leave time for you to relax, exercise and to reward yourself for a good day's work. Organisation and focus is essential to a good study plan, and we hope that this will assist you towards success in your upcoming exams.
