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rida

Real Member

Registered: 2006-09-25

Posts: 839

Tips for revising and exams

A good tip for revising.

Never revise for too long.If you do you'll start feeling very tired and your revision shall go wrong.

Tip for the day before exam: Go to sleep early.Don't stay up for last minute revising it'll make you feel tense.

Tip for the day of exam: Stay calm.Just think "I will definitely get something right I'm not that dumb."

Tip for while sitting the exam: Answer the questions that are easy first.

Hope you find these tips useful.

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Dreams don't come true, you gotta make them come true.

Devantè

Real Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 6,400

Re: Tips for revising and exams

The last one is arguable. It is split-second stuff, and it takes time to see which ones to answer first.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Tips for revising and exams

Exams, as well as a test of knowledge, are an exercise in time-management.

I would advise people to spend the first few minutes looking over all questions first, and decide which to do first (if allowed). Similar to what rida said, but you need to look at how many points each one is worth also.

So, I would choose a harder question worth more points IF I thought there was a chance of getting it right.

And be careful of essay-type questions. They can look like easy points, but can take a lot more time than you think. So try to mention the main points quickly and come back later if you have time.

Use the last few minutes to go over all your questions to see if you have made any silly mistakes or could add a bit more.

Oh, and one good thing about going for the easy points first, it relaxes you and helps you think better.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

rida

Real Member

Registered: 2006-09-25

Posts: 839

Re: Tips for revising and exams

The best thing to do is stay calm.

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Dreams don't come true, you gotta make them come true.

Patrick

Real Member

Registered: 2006-02-24

Posts: 1,005

Re: Tips for revising and exams

The best thing to do is stay calm.

But, for many I know at least, als othe hardest.

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mathsyperson

Moderator

Registered: 2005-06-22

Posts: 4,900

Re: Tips for revising and exams

I disagree with the going to sleep early point as well. While you certainly shouldn't stay up very late because you do need a lot of sleep, that is probably one of the best times to study.

That way, your brain can process all the stuff you were looking at while you're asleep, and the next day you'll remember lots of it. The worst time to study is just before the exam. You'll be distracted by the fact that your exam is imminent, and try to study lots of stuff in a short time in panic, and end up not remembering anything.

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Why did the vector cross the road?
It wanted to be normal.

Toast

Real Member

Registered: 2006-10-08

Posts: 1,321

Re: Tips for revising and exams

Probably make a general outline of important points the night before, so you can spend maybe one or two hours poring directly over them then you can rest.

rida

Real Member

Registered: 2006-09-25

Posts: 839

Re: Tips for revising and exams

I disagree with the going to sleep early point as well.

I mean revise a bit and then go to sleep

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Dreams don't come true, you gotta make them come true.

Devantè

Real Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 6,400

Re: Tips for revising and exams

I doubt that would help either. Your brain needs more than a 'bit' to process all the information. For instance, if you look at a huge piece of information, your brain will almost certainly process more than half of it overnight. Then in the morning you won't need any papers or books, or...anything, really. You'll have all the facts and points in your head. Then you can just keep reciting facts in your mind until school starts.

Toast

Real Member

Registered: 2006-10-08

Posts: 1,321

Re: Tips for revising and exams

So information takes time for the brain to digest, like food? That's interesting.

I always find when I'm struggling on a piano piece and I practice it for a long time, when I come back the next day, I can play it heaps better.

Devantè

Real Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 6,400

Re: Tips for revising and exams

Yep. Like guitar. Never play it in equal chunks. If you have the whole day free, just do it for a few minutes every so often. That way you don't get bored, and you always learn new things. Make it random. That's how the brain processes its information, it needs time. You can't just feed it everything all at once in a whole hour bolck, or something like that. It's like a human digestive system.

Toast

Real Member

Registered: 2006-10-08

Posts: 1,321

Re: Tips for revising and exams

Wait, so what you're saying is those virtuosos who practice ~3 hours a day are really not that much better off than those who might practice an hour a day.

Devantè

Real Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 6,400

Re: Tips for revising and exams

Not exactly. The virtuoso will be better off if they practiced their 3 hours bit by bit throughout the day.