Exams are in progress or just around the corner, so we wanted to give you some advice on how to get ready for exams.
Know the dates
Make sure you know the exact date of your exam. This may sound basic but sometimes different course sections have different dates for exams. If you happen to look at the wrong section, then you'll be looking at the wrong date.
Locations
Make sure you know the exact location of your exam, and if you get anxious during exams, sometimes it helps to go look at the location prior to writing the exam. This is what a lot of professional athletes do ahead of major competitions. Not only do they visualize the day, but they'll go to the venue to get familiar with their surroundings. This is part of the reason behind home court advantage because people tend to perform better in familiar locations.
Practice, practice, practice
Building on the sports analogy in the previous paragraph, not only do people tend to perform better in familiar locations, but they also tend to perform better in familiar situations. So, doing past exams and exercises will help build your confidence and memory. It might not be a coincidence why exercise can refer to physical exercise or mental exercise, they have a lot in common. Sometimes Professor's will use questions or content from previous exams too, so you'll already know the answer or at least know how to approach it if you practiced it.
Teacher’s assistants, lab assistants and tutors
Teacher's assistants and lab assistance are there to assist you. If you ever have questions or challenges, let them know so they can take the time to help you. Since some of them are students, they are sometimes better at relating to you and can understand and communicate content more effectively. That's not to say your professor can't do this, but if your still having trouble, a second opinion doesn't hurt. Tutors are also an option if you have the time and money.
Double check, then triple check content
Some professors will let you know the content that will be in an exam. If they don't tell you directly, don't be afraid to ask. Some will say everything will be included, while others will be more specific about the content. Knowing this will help you focus on relevant material and help you make the best use of your time. Always ask if you're allowed a cheat sheet or if an exam is open book, since this could make a huge difference.
What's the weighting?
Sometimes we must budget our time and make compromises because we have limited time. If you must divide your time, it should be somewhat proportional to the weighting of the exams. If one exam is 50% of the course grade and another exam is 20% of the course grade, then the 50% exam should take up more attention. In some programs and specializations, you need to maintain a minimum GPA or must pass certain exams or courses to remain in the specialization. If you're not sure if this applies to you, you can always speak to an advisor.
Study groups
Study groups can be an effective way to learn material and expand your perspective and knowledge on subject matter. Think of it as dividing and conquering a problem or challenge. This may not work for everyone, but it can serve as a good life line in times of need.
Plan and budget your time
We've all heard the old cliché, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. We all have different ways of planning and budgeting our time, but if you don't have a method, do some research into different approaches and experiment with them and see what works for you. It could make a major difference
Take care of yourself (eat, drink, sleep, repeat)
The last and most important thing is to take care of yourself. Don't only plan your study times and hours, but also plan when to eat, sleep, relax and decompress. When you're faced with assignments and exams, this may not seem that important or practical, but make the effort to do it because you deserve it.
If you have any other ideas, please comment below,contact us or comment on our social media. Otherwise, good luck with your exams and enjoy the long weekend!!
