study techniques for exams! (1 Viewer)

[vaniLLa_554]

i've made all my notes for my yearly exams coming up.. but the things is that when i have to study and read them.. i get really tuned out and i can't concentrate

so.. does anyone have any tips/techniques they can share with me?!

 

[Slidey]

1) You've already benefitted a great deal by writing the notes.
2) You probably should have structured the notes in such a way that they'd flow easily and hence keep your attention more easily. Something to note for next time.
3) You're on your own. The only way to improve concentration is to concentrate (although you can eliminate distractions and such, too).

 

[vaniLLa_554]

aww yeah its true that i learnt from writing the notes... but is there another way of studying notes besides just reading them?!

 

[hipsta_jess]

find what works for you, some of my more musical friends find it helps to sing their notes (weird, i know), others just have to read them over and over...me, i like to get everything to point form, and then walk down my driveway to get the mail reading it and saying it, taking the paper away for as long as i can...usually by the time ive been down to get the mail and im back up at the house ive learnt about 10 points (eg, for bio last semester, we had to learn the cell biology of fertilization, and there was a slide on it, and i printed it off, went and got the mail, and by the time i was back home i knew it [unfort. i still do -motility, capacitation, hyperactivation, recognition, acrosome reaction, penetration, fusion, zona pellucida, vitelline membrane, polar body])...so, i learn by recital...you need to figure out what works best for you, and go with it.

 

[Kulazzi]

i read somewhere here, last yr that someone recorded their notes onto a tape recorder and would listen to it everyday. Say if ur in the car, going somewhere and its dark obviously, you can't read your notes but this person listens to them while, i think it was a she, in the car and before she goes to sleep she listens to it at that time as well. I did it for my SC last year and recieved decent marks. So if you think recording it would be much more effective, then go for it! I can't think of any other way you can read/listen your notes. I also remember that there was a good singer at the school and she couldn't just read her notes so instead she sang them, cos thats the only way she could remember.....so yeah

 

[Sweets]

Well 4 me it works really well to tape my notes so i can just listen to them because even if im going out to meet my friends on the train or in the car i can just listen to them...i didn't use it for everything though but it worked well for history.

 

[tanjap]

hey thats a mad idea bout the tape recording
but for me it works if i just read them aloud i know u cant do that everywhere...i.e on the train..(well u technically could..but anyyyyhow..) but it works for me..try talking it over like ur teaching it!!
cheers

 

[vaniLLa_554]

yeahh that sounds alright to tape them... ! cuz i really cant just read and read...
i think i benefit from writing my notes again.. like by summarising them again and again.. but i'm not sure if its effective.. cause it takes a while and my hands really hurt after ! =(

 

[Kulazzi]

apparently, resummarising them is a good idea cos you have shorter points which will make it easier to remember but i don't do that cos i can't be bothered rewriting them again, it's true your hands hurt but some people say its worthwhile.

 

[JamiL]

4 maths jus do questions... do try n remember formulas, if u dont know them ur f**ked...
any sciences yu should know the work already read over them and do practice question...
neother subject 1 dont know

 

[Sweets]

For english i know every1 says don't make up prepared essays but i actually did a 'experiment'. For my english adv exam i prepared a essay for AOS and for english ext i didn't prepare anything because the question could be so board.

I ended up getting 15/15 for the AOS essay and 23/25 for the english ext essay. What i learnt from this 'experiment' is that for AOS always prepare a essay because the question is always very broad and then u can just use the question words throughout. I am soo glad i didnt prepare a essay for ext though because the question was so specific and i would have gone crappy if i had prepared something.

The modules are generally more specific but i did prepare responses for both and i got 20/20 and 19/20 respectively. The thing was i didn't really use my response but they gave me confidence because i'm always nervous that i'll just forget everything and not rite anything.

Anyway i hope that helps some with english but that is just my personal experience and what works for me.

 

[_muse_]

my trick: post your notes around the house, i do this all the time and without even realising it i learnt heaps! i have them next to my bed, in the bathroom, in the kitchen. It's not very attractive for your house, but it works for me!

 

[vaniLLa_554]

Sweets- for english.. i get scared that i wont know what to write so i end up memorising a broad essay which has shown to help a lot =)

muse- i stuck up all my maths formulas using different colours around my room for my last exam and it really helped.. i didn't have to put much effort into remembering them !