In our last blog we looked at ways of preparing to study and revise – why it is vital to ensure that you have set up the best environment to study and that you have your preferred study method organised as well as a well-structured timetable.

So now that you are prepared to study, we have a range of ideas and study tips which should help you make the most of your time so you are on time with your coursework or are well prepared for your exams. Again this is a combination of several people’s ways of studying and they do vary greatly, so whatever feels more comfortable to you is the best plan for you.

At Stonebridge, we value our students greatly, because we have so many students from all across the world, our distance learning platform provides not only help and support and advice when you need it, but we also provide all our students with a start-up pack to help them with their coursework and revision.

Positive Thinking

One of the most daunting parts of revision and studying is actually starting. All the course materials, exercises etc. this can be the worse stage. One way around it is positive thinking; if you look at all the work you need to do and get afraid, that will carry on throughout your revision and it will get worse, fretting about getting everything done in a rapidly reducing timeline. If you break up the workload into smaller sections it will appear less daunting and you will get through each section much quicker.

Re-writing

Re-writing I think is the best form of studying (providing it isn’t a subject like Mathematics etc.). By writing out your course notes and all the additional information and then re-writing this so the content gets gradually smaller because you are learning as you write this reinforcing the knowledge in your head and because it isn’t just course notes, you are adding your opinion to them. This technique is ideal for kinaesthetic leaners a you are actually writing the words down instead of typing them on your computer. Plus this technique also prepares you for continual writing which is great in exam conditions.

Cramming

Unanimously Cramming is a definite no! The idea of being able to study a year’s course in 1 night or write and proof read a piece of coursework in 1 night to an acceptable standard is impossible. The stress, anxiety as well as panic will overcome and the amount of knowledge you take in will diminish plus it will also affect your memory, leaving you susceptible to blank outs in the exam. One final night revising is perfectly normal but you must have had at least a full week studying before as everything the night before should just be additional information as you already know all the key points.

Take Breaks

Studying endlessly for hours is not only unwise, but unhealthy. Your mind needs regular breaks as it can only absorb so much information in a short space of time (think about a time when you were in school and your mind started wandering, this is your braining trying to get a break. An ideal routine would be to have a break every hour. For example you start studying at 9am, break at 9.45 and then commence work again at 10am and repeat. Your brain needs to absorb what you trying to remember and continually working and not stopping will not help. Fresh air, quick walk, quick cigarette etc. will be enough time to let your brain digest the information then you can go back for the next part refreshed.

Study Tools - Laptop, Notes, Cue Cards

Like in our previous blog, we have a mix of ideal study materials, the answer is not clear as it all depends on you, if you prefer studying and typing up notes on a laptop/ PC then this is the best form of studying for you (a good way of continuing this, is printing off your notes and read through them, adding any additional information as and when required). If you prefer manually writing notes then stay away from a computer as it will be a distraction (SuperFan game anyone?). The final method which appeared was cue cards; very good tool for memorising points as there is limited space you fill each card with important information and when you are travelling or waiting anywhere you can take these out and read them on the go as they are less bulky than notepads and much lighter than laptops!

Revision Rewards - “Study without ambition is a bird without wings”

A very simple way of promoting your study technique is to have a reward at the end. Rewards vary from person to person – Watching TV, Playing Games, shopping etc. but by setting out goals of what you want to achieve each day/ week you can set rewards for reaching them. What is the point in all the studying if all the rewards are so far away? By having your own reward structure set up you can work towards these as these rewards will help you focus in on studying and you will get the big reward in the end.

Colour Coordinate

This was suggested and it never occurred to anyone else but colour coordinating is a great idea. A lot of the people here had different coloured folders for different subjects etc. but to have different colours for what you’re revising is a great idea. You can have multiple categories but an outline could be (colours vary person to person & preference):

• Green: Core notes from the course, things that are absolutely essential, key dates, people etc.
• Blue: Supplementary information but would make good answers or arguments for a question.
• Yellow: Personal opinions, exams are about what you have learned and if you agree with it or not, not just regurgitating what you have learned.
• Pink: Noted authors, additional factual evidence to back up your arguments/ make a case against.

The other positive of this approach is that instead of just looking at pages of black and white paper, it is broken up by colour so there are natural breaks and you are picking up the additional information and remembering it instead of skimming through and missing points which could lead to extra marks.

Self-Critique

You are your own worst critic, if you are studying and don’t think that you are getting the best out of your environment/ situation, you can change your environment, move from laptop to notes or take less or more breaks if you think it will benefit you. Sticking to a plan that you don’t think is working, is a bad idea as this will add unnecessary stress on your shoulders.

The Caffeine Rule

Like Cramming in the previous post, drinking loads of Tea/ Coffee is an absolute no! All that caffeine will give you bursts of energy and make you feel better then, but in the end you will crash as the caffeine has left your system. Relying on caffeine in a study environment is a recipe for disaster. As you will need to drink plenty of fluids, water is the best solution as it has been medically proven to boost your brain power and does not have the same side effects as Tea/ Coffee/ Fizzy Drinks.

We hope that these hints and tips have provided you with some positive and new ways of looking at your revision and coursework plans as they have worked for us.

There are a million other ways of studying though so why not leave us some suggestions on how you study and revise.