Preparing for exams
Preparing for an exam requires a good understanding of what is expected of you, a rigid work-life balance than maximises your energy and strengths, a certain amount of self discipline, and a set of study skills that are effective, varied, and interesting.
The A2C Method
1. Preview: Look at the topic you have to learn glancing over the major headings or the points in the syllabus.
2. Question: Formulate questions that you would like to be able to answer once you have finished the topic. It is important that you match as much as possible what you would like to know to your syllabus or course direction. This allows a certain flexibility to take in other topics that may aid your learning of the main point or if you are just interested. Make sure that your questions are neither more specific or more open-ended than they might be in an exam.
3. Read: Read through your reference material that relates to the topic you want to learn for your exam being mindful to pick out the information that best relates to the questions you wish to answer.
4. Summary: This is the most flexible part of the method and allows individual students to bring any ways that they used to summarise information into the process. This can include making written notes, spider diagrams, flow diagrams, labelled diagrams, mnemonics, making a voice recording of you summarising the topic, or any method that feels most appropriate for what has to be learnt. You can combine several methods as long as this doesn't extend the process too long as you may lose sight that you are merely seeking to use the information in the most appropriate way.
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Preparing for exams