Exams period can sometimes be a tense moment for students. The amount of time and effort you must have put into preparation oftentimes determines the amount of tension you will feel as the examinations approach.
But the fact still remains that feeling tension as an examination approach is quite inevitable. Very little tension may be felt for those that have begun to prepare well ahead of time but it will always be there.
How you revise for semester exams is very important, more essential is how early you began to prepare, how much effort you put into your preparation and how you prepared. But, my focus in this article will be on tips on how to revise for your semester exams.
Focus on your lecture notes
While it will be tempting to want to read so many materials and textbooks to satisfy yourself that you are ready, this is not so much of a good idea, at least not when the examination is already around the corner. It’s very important that you focus on reading through those notes you must have taken during lectures because it’s most likely that the examiner or lecturer will restrict himself to what he or she taught you in class.
Revise and share with others
Our excuse for not agreeing with this is most times that we have not yet finished reading but trust me, students hardly ever finish reading. The little you have learned is enough to share with either your study group or colleague.
Solving problems and discussing likely questions with others is one good way to make your course information rank high in your brain’s index for easy recall because the body gestures and movements of your study partners will help you remember easily.
Scan through your course materials over and over again
Scanning through your notes helps your brain search out the pieces of information about those courses it had earlier processed and bring them to remembrance. In other words, by skimming through your course materials over and over, you are telling your brain: ‘Hey, I will be needing this information soon, prepare it for me’.
Answer as many questions as possible
If you can source for past and previous exam questions, that would be great because going through them and solving them gives you an idea of what to expect in the exams and how the questions are likely to come. If you are unable to get previous questions, you can set tasking questions for yourself. This goes a long way in giving you an idea of the exam condition before you write it.
Write the semester exams in your mind and examine all case scenarios
Every human being has the power of imagination and it is a great power indeed. The ability to visualize and envisage things in the mind is inherent in us.
Using your previous experiences with exams, try to imagine yourself writing the exams and go through all the processes of collecting the exam questions, writing your name on the answer sheet, answering the questions, being asked to stop and submit your papers and so on. Believe me, this will helps a lot during exams.