Your exam survival guide

It's that time of year again! You're nearly there, so let's talk about some study tips for your final exams.

Active Recall

In my first year of uni, I came across a study method known as active recall, which was a real game-changer for how I studied for exams. Instead of rereading notes and feeling like nothing was really sinking in, I started reading notes for around 15 minutes - and then trying to explain in my own words what I had read - continuously testing myself. By spacing out study sessions like this, information enters your long-term memory. Using active recall can feel mentally draining, but that's a good sign because it means you are working out your brain like working out your muscles at the gym. 

Specific Questions

The type of questions in your exam will determine how you study for them. If it's a multiple-choice question, practice with old multiple-choice quizzes. A really good way to study for this is to feed your study notes into ChatGPT and have it create some MCQ examples. This is great because it will create new questions for you, you get used to exam conditions, and you can change the difficulty of the questions.

If it is a short answer or essay question, practice by seeing how much you can write about a topic in 30 minutes. Generally, there are only so many topics taught throughout the semester that have enough information to answer a short answer or essay question, so try to predict what topics the questions could be on. Under exam conditions and time limitations, I jot down everything I can think of on the subject in a quasi-mind map style and then plan how to structure my argument.

For problem-solving questions, practice with similar questions from past exams. Read each question carefully, and remember to write down all your calculations and steps. Even if you give the wrong answer, you will get points if you can logically explain your thought process. Again, ChatGPT can help create problem-solving questions based on your study notes so you can feel more confident on exam day.

Look After Yourself

A big part of exam study is to stay motivated and better manage stress and anxiety. Remember that eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and staying physically active are all essentials that nourish your brain and make the job easier. It's OK to feel overwhelmed, frustrated and stressed, but try not to let these feelings take over. It's OK if you didn't get everything done today on your to-do list; a 75% strike rate is better than nothing; the main thing is to keep moving forward. 

Rewards

After all the hard work you have done in the past year, you definitely deserve a reward! It's a great idea to plan a reward after your final exam - whether going out for dinner or soaking up the sun at the beach. Rewarding yourself leading up to the exams is also a good idea as it can help keep you motivated. As the wise man Homer Simpson once said, "All work no play makes Homer something, something!" If you have completed a solid day's worth of study, take the night off! Watch something guilt-free! Give your mind a break. 

I hope some of these tips can help you navigate the exam period. For more study tips, check out The Student Health and Wellbeing website. And remember, university isn't easy, so if you've reached this point, well done! It's not long until we can all have a well-deserved break, but until then, let's give this final stretch our best.