Revision Strategies That Work pdf

8/11/2019 Revision Strategies That Work pdf

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Revision Strategies That Work!

Formoreinformation,gotowww.hscintheholidays.com.au

There is no doubt that there is plenty of informaon, and misinformaon, circulang about the best way to

study for your HSC exams. This guide, therefore, has been wrien with the help of students who have re-

ceived ATAR results of more than 95 so that you may benet from their experience. We hope that there is

something in this for everyone to make life a lile easier in the lead-up to the exams!

The Basics Core Principles for Eecve Study

Making a Study Plan. It is easy to become overwhelmed by

the task ahead of you and so to avoid facing your anxiees

through procrasnaon. Drawing up a workable study meta-

ble will increase your sense of control over the task (and

hence, reduce anxiety) and also will help you to become more

ecient with your me. It is important to be realisc: dont set impossible goals for yourself.

Allow for the limitaons of your aenon span.Avoid scheduling large slabs of me for one subject. Al-

ternang subjects for study will help you to sustain your concentraon and interest.

Dont cram several reviews are more eecve. More material will be retained in memory if you sched-

ule several review mes over an extended period rather than one long session.

Work in terms of tasks not me.Rather than having a vague aim to study biology for two hours, set a

parcular secon of work for each study period. A sense of achievement comes from successfully com-

pleng small tasks, and breaking the work up into smaller secons makes the whole process of revision

seem less daunng.

Review your approach. If your study plan is not helping you to revise eecvely, review your strategies

and consider making changes. Resist the temptaon to throw away your plan and allow yourself to fall in

a heap. Some minor adjustments may be all you need to stay on track.

Make sure you include some recreaon me.If you allocateme for such acvity you will be less tempt-

ed to waste me avoiding work because of the unrealisc demands you have made upon yourself.


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Specic Strategies for Examinaons

Find out what you need to know. Your method of revision should con-

sider the nature of the examinaon. Find out from your teachers what

the structure of the exam will be and what subject areas will be on the

exam. Course outlines and handouts can provide important informaon

about exam mes, locaons, formats and requirements. Exam review

sessions are invaluable and not to be missed! Not only will they give

you an idea of what will be on the exam, but also give you a chance to

ask quesons. Former students may also be able to give you helpful

informaon about what to expect.

Use past exam papers to direct your study and take notes. This will

give you an idea of the sorts of quesons and overall structure of the

exam. However, do not assume that the same format will be used this

year. Teachers change their exams over the years, so double check to

make sure of any changes. At this stage, use your notes and other

sources to give full answers to past exam quesons. A good strategy is

to pracce wring responses to past exam quesons throughout the

term. When you nish a topic, check to see if there is a related past ex-

am queson. It will be easier to prepare a response while the topic is

sll fresh in your mind. You can use these notes later to revise for the exam.

Pracse past exam papers under exam condions. Do this closer to the exam me. Without looking at

your prepared answers or other notes, test your recall of knowledge and your ability to write under me

constraints.

If there are no past exam papers available for a subject, try to predict possible quesons. Look over your

lecture notes and make a list of probable quesons. Think about the sorts of quesons the lecturers asked

in the subject and take note of any areas that were highlighted as important. Prepare answers for some or

all of the quesons you predict.

Further Important Tips

Reduce anxiety and stay movated

Although a small amount of stress before exams may aid your performance, too much anxiety will nega-vely aect your exam performance.

If you feel overwhelmed by exam stress or study movaon problems and unable to cope, it is worth

speaking to someone.

There are several strategies you can try to reduce your anxiety before and during exams.

Start early and stay on track with your exam preparaonto reduce your stress levels. If you have trouble

geng organized and making a study plan, seek help from someone that you trust.

Look aer your health.Get plenty of sleep, eat healthy food and try to nd me to exercise. Many people

nd that yoga and breathing exercises can help keep them in tune both physically and mentally.


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Wrien summariesfor each topic -Numbering each point can

help with recall in the exam.

Diagrams such as ow charts and mind maps. During the ex-

am, it is easier to recall informaon which has been repre-

sented diagrammacally. Coloursare parcularly helpful to

smulate the memory.

Audio Try recording your summaries or prepared answers to pracce quesons onto a portable record-

ing device. Comprehension improves if you listen and read at the same me. The other advantage for

those who like multasking is that you can listen while doing something else like walking, ironing or

sing on a bus!

Disnguish between recall and recognion. Many students, aer having read over material several

mes, assume that because it looks very familiar they have learned it. Simply being able to recognizema-

terial does not automacally mean that you will be able to recallit later in the exam.

Pracse recall.The following suggesons may be useful:

When learning denions, divide a piece of paper in two vercally and write the words on one sideand the denions on the other. Cover the words and pracse recalling them, using the denions.

Then cover the denions and pracse recalling them, looking at the words.

Use cards with the subject on the front and the informaon to be recalled on the back. Look at thesubject, pracse recalling the informaon, then look on the back of the card to check.

If you need to memorise diagrams, make large ones and sck them up on your walls. Use rhymes and mnemonics to assist recall. For example, to remember electron loss and gain in

oxidaon and reducon, the following may be easy to remember: OIL RIG -Oxidaon Is Loss; Re-

ducon Is Gain (of electrons)

Revise with a friend or a study group to share knowledge and exam strategies and to pracse recall.

Im a great believer in luck, and I nd the harder I work the more I have of it.Thomas Jeerson


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Have a specic place to study without distracons: somewhere

quiet, without TV or music

Study the hard subjects rst, when youre most alert and focused

Have a specic me of the day for studying, and make it the same

me every day

Work out how long you can concentrate for before you lose focus.

Its going to be dierent for everyone, so keep a track of your ide-

al concentraon me. Then take breaks when youre approaching

your limit

Have everything you need close by -books, notes, pens, pads, etc

-all within easy reach

Let friends and family know your allocated daily study me, and

ask them not to disturb you. Turn o your phone and leave Fa-

cebook alone for a while.

Start studying when you say you will: delaying the start will only

make the task harder

One thing at a me: multasking may sound smart, but it means

youre not giving each task your full aenon

Avoid eang a large meal before studying, as it will just make you

drowsy

Study Checklist

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Revision Strategies That Work pdf