Introduction

If you are currently reading this and you have your exam in a few weeks but haven’t started revising or studying, then this is for you. If you also can't keep up with studying, you don’t have to worry. These strategies has been crafted for your sakes. I don’t recommend studying at the last minute or leaving this 1-3 weeks before your exam, because I did it and regretted it. Nevertheless, there is still hope and this is what you can do:

Step 1: Place yourself in a good & quiet study environment

This is very important, and I always emphasise it. Put yourself in a good study environment that will allow you to focus. Avoid being with your family or your friends, which may distract you once in a while. It’s crazy how much you can learn in just a day of ultimate focus. You can go to libraries, your accommodation study room or even your own accommodation if you won’t end up sleeping in your bed.

Step 2: List your topics and rank them

List all your topics and rank them from hard to easy. Let’s assume you have two weeks before your exam, and you have 13 types of content/topics to revise for. You can spend 1 day each revising one type of content for the whole day, starting from harder topics first, which carry a lot of weight. If you have more than 14 content, you will have to consider studying one content in the morning and another in the evening.

Step 3: Get straight-to-the-point summary guides and explain them to yourself

Once you have established that, start by reading a summary guide on the platforms I talked about in my previous posts (Quizlet or Knowt). You may not have the time to read every single content of the slides from the lecture, so a summary of key points is really helpful. Once you read for a while, repeat the information to yourself as though you were a lecturer and move on. Don’t forget to have breaks and use the Pomodoro technique to avoid burnout (20 minute study and 5 minute breaks repeats).

Step 4: Test yourself !

After you have understood what it’s all about, establish it by taking tests or quizzes. Take them either on Quizlet or Knot or on your university content platform (if lecturers do post test for the content). Keep taking these tests until it sticks to your memory. See it as a game rather than an obligation. The more quizzes you get right, the more snacks you eat. Dunno, personalise it. Do this for every content and observe the learning objectives to see if you are getting it right.

Important Tips:

• Do not multitask, instead focus on one topic first and then move on. When you multitask, you become less efficient, mostly when it comes to studying.

• Do not fill your brain with too much information, nothing will get in. Take breaks when you study for a set amount of time.

• Plan your studies. It’s possible to have other responsibilities alongside your revision. Plan these study sessions during your day and always know what you will do during these sessions. If passing your exam with good marks is important to you, you will be able to make time for these sessions even if you are busy.

• Lastly, be calm. I know I've been there. There is literally just a few weeks before the exam, and you haven't studied at all. You can still get good marks if you think wisely and follow these steps. Trust me, it will feel less overwhelming having your topics in one document and keeping track of your revision sessions. Have a good mindset even though you feel like you won't do well and be confident.

Tap in your email for a free pdf template ✨ ↓↓↓

You can add as much topics as you want but I recommend no more than 3 topics per day. Depending on the number of topics you need to revise for.

To ensure that the "topics" table has sufficient space when printed, its advisable to fill it with your topics first before printing

Step 5: Keep re-revising the completed topics

If you're done revising a topic, and you're moving on to the next one. Make sure that you re-revise the previous completed topic so you don't forget the information. To do that, before the start of your revision session. Either complete a test or re-read the summary guide for that completed topic. You don't have to do this for every single topic but for the hard & medium ones only, until you're confident.

>Watch this video if you don't know how to upload your content on Quizlet (which is what I'm familiar with)

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