Exam season is rapidly approaching. Whether you’re a university student or taking your A-Levels this is a time that is feared by many and if you’re feeling at all stressed, then I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone! I’ve just received my exam timetable, and my first exam is less than two months away. Although this seems so close, when I actually sat down and thought about it; I realised that if I plan my time effectively then this is actually more than enough time for me to sort myself out and be on track with everything that I need to do.
This leads to my first exam tip: PLAN PLAN PLAN! It seems very cliché for someone to tell you to make a timetable and stick to it but there’s a reason why it’s said so much. It works! If you break down your time in good chunks and assign each chunk to a topic or module then you’re bound to complete everything in time. The trick here is to leave yourself plenty of time per chunk. This means that you definitely know you can get through things without rushing, leading to you retaining the most information possible. As a mathematician (in the making) I make sure to leave myself enough time to go through content and also an equal amount of time to practice everything I have learnt.
My second exam tip: BREAKS BREAKS BREAKS. When you’re revising it’s often quite easy to become overwhelmed and feel as though you need to keep going or else you’ll fail. I’m exactly like this too, but the truth of the matter is that doing this leads me to either taking no breaks whatsoever, or taking breaks that are far too long. Bottom line is, my productivity becomes basically non-existent and this is not a good way to revise AT ALL! The way I often like to do it now is split my revision into hour long sessions where I’m working for fifty minutes at a time and then taking a ten minute break. This way, I know I’m never far away from checking up on my socials and don’t get tempted to procrastinate whilst I’m in the middle of doing something. Also, by doing this – I tend to take breaks when I’m making a breakthrough and really engaged, which leaves me wanting to come back even sooner to carry on! This means that when my break is over, I get straight back into working without wasting any time at all.
My final tip is more of a way of reassuring you all. It’ll be okay, and we’ll all end up doing amazingly! Work hard, and work smart and that’s all you can ever do. Until next time!
