EXAMS // STUDY ADVICE

Hi Readers, 

So this post will appeal to a lot of you! As I've mentioned before I love writing this kind of post, not only because there's a small chance it will help someone out, but it also helps me organise my thoughts and prove to myself some of the skills I have. 

I have three weeks until my final exam for my first year of college as a Social Sciences student. This about the time I generally start to study, and here are my tips for nailing those exams!

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Organisation

There are two elements to this. Firstly, be organised in terms of not leaving the start of your studies to the last minute - make sure you start in plenty of time because if there's one thing I've learned over the past year (and from experiences in high school) it's that I kick myself the most for cramming my studies into one or two nights. 

Secondly is physically organising your studies. Try and keep separate subjects or units apart from each other so it's easy to refer back to. Keeping things neat and tidy will also help you feel more prepared and improve your overall attitude towards your exam. 

I try to do some revision every night in the run up to my exam, but if you're super busy the SQA Revision Timetable Creator is a really good resource!

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Resources

You don't need to break the bank to have solid revision. I make sure I have at least two or three lined notebooks/Pukka Pads, plenty of biros (also useful for the actual exam!) and I also use a pack of Stabilo coloured writing pens for writing key/important words in a bright, eye-catching colour (highlighters may be a cheaper option). Also try and make best use of any textbooks or online resources you have been given. I use post-it notes and organiser items to mark pages, studies, texts, etc. in textbooks so that they're easy to find later. 

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Technique

Technique depends on your personal style, and we've all heard the spiel about mind-mapping, note-taking, watching videos, etc. etc. I am going to talk about what works for me.
Firstly, I write a list of the various subjects and units within those subjects that I need to revise.
I then use my resources such as lecture notes, textbooks and other online resources to make a concise bunch of in-depth notes about each unit, writing key terms or words in a different colour.
I then go back over these notes and create flashcards, which I practice every night.
During the last week or so I'll create mock-essays/answers for each of my units (practice papers are a great resource for testing your depth of knowledge if you can use them).
I feel like doing this, whilst also going over my notes and flashcards helps me know my subject inside out.

In general, I'd say be prepared, try and keep focussed with a positive attitude and do what works for you, not what works for others! I wish you all the best of luck in all of your tests and exams this year and thank you so much for reading! 

As always, you can find me at;

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