5. Plan a definite study time Don’t cram for hours the
and place for each day night before a test or exam
6. The following are characteristics of a successful student.
Develop these in yourself
Ask questions
Discuss topics with your peers
If you don’t understand
something, speak up
7. You are responsible for your own learning
‘Ideas are funny things, they don’t work unless you
do’
8. ‘Learning is not filling the bucket, but the lighting of
the fire’
9. Study sessions just don’t happen when you feel like
doing them.
They need to be scheduled on an organised timetable.
Your study timetable should rule your life.
10. Don’t study after 11.00pm
Divide time equally between subjects
Put a copy somewhere to keep parents informed
Revise your study timetable – things change
Stick to it !
“Well done is better than well said”
11. How do you study?
What are you supposed to do?
Study has 3 parts
Organising subject matter efficiently
Getting ongoing day to day work and assignments done
Researching and revising work for exams
12. Don’t make study sessions too long
Drink some water before you start
Break tasks down into smaller manageable ones
Do daily summaries of work covered in class in your own
words under Main Points
Set a task to achieve for each session
13. Record your plan of attack for each session
Practise skills learned by doing problems, exercises and
essays
Aim to build a clear understanding by connecting areas
of knowledge
These sessions are the backbone of your Study
Programme
‘ Some succeed because they are destined to:
most succeed because they are determined to.’
14. When do you study?
How often?
What about the other things you do?
Write down :
The fixed things that you have to do
Time you have no control over – the ‘musts’
Activities where you have a choice of the ‘options’
15. What are your favourites?
You can’t do everything
To achieve your goals, sacrifices have to be made
Avoid time wasters – make a list of the main ones
Reward yourself for working well and achieving short
term goals
To perform at your best requires fulfilling and
stimulating leisure/relaxation time
You are responsible for the organisation of your time
and lifestyle
‘The first step is the most difficult part of the journey’
16. Setting yourself a specific task to achieve each night is
a necessary skill
Too often you tend to ‘let it happen’ and don’t plan
ahead
Procrastination is an obstacle to your goals
Each morning or each night before, make a list of study
tasks in order of priority for the following night
17. You can also use travel time to and from school for
Planning
Listening to recorded summaries or points on an MP3
player
Then when you arrive home, it is much easier to get down
to study
You are psyched up
Your purpose and task are set
You can apply yourself immediately
18. In the run up to your exams, you must adopt a more
disciplined attitude
Your performance in the exam is vital to your success
Look at them positively as an opportunity to
demonstrate your understanding
19. Social Life :
Put this on hold
Give up parties, nights out etc.
Plan your rewards you will give yourself after the exams
Exercise :
Walk or jog daily to reduce the pressure
It clears the mind and encourages positive thoughts
21. Travel time :
Read over notes
Listen to study tapes
Plan and revise
22. The key is to study actively :
Take notes
Test yourself
Don’t just read
‘ Many drops fill the bucket ‘
23. The secrets to success:
Have genuine faith in your preparation
Don’t leave anything to chance
Know exactly what is required for each exam
Understand each subject
Quiz your teachers
Know your exam format
Multiple choice
Short answer
Essays
How many questions
24. Around the house put up lists of
Key facts
Formulae
Quotes
Examples
Recite them aloud when you see them
Do past papers under exam conditions
Identify areas of weakness and address them
Become comfortable with the vocabulary used
Perfect the pace you must work at
Your timing is critical
25. Test your knowledge and understanding
Discuss it, explain it
Justify it with friends
Question each other
List any improvements needed
Work through them systematically
Retest your knowledge
Be thorough and focused – have a Study Timetable in your
study area
‘ When only the best will do ‘
26. Understanding Instructions
On the front cover of the exam paper are instructions
Read them
Understand them
Know what questions to do
Where to put your answers
27. Reading Time
Read the paper through
Plan your approach
Identify questions you can do immediately
Put the questions in the order you wish to do them
Don’t work out answers
Your confidence will build with more difficult questions
28. The Exam itself
Start on straight forward questions
Don’t dwell on those you can’t do
Move on
On multiple choice questions
Eliminate those answers you think are incorrect
Beware of careless mistakes
Plan your answers
Draw big, clear and accurate diagrams
29. The magic word in exams is
Not fast
Not slow
But consistently and persistently
‘ You make your own luck’
30. Follow these guidelines – they will work for you
Put a copy of your Exam Timetable in a place where
your family can double check times and dates
Take a bottle of water to the exam
Arrive in plenty time before the exam, but don’t be too
early
Don’t listen to music beforehand – the songs will play on
your mind
Have a watch and the necessary equipment
Be relaxed and focused – your preparation has you
ready for your exam
31. Use reading time effectively
Underline / highlight key words and phrases
Do plans - do they address the questions?
But don’t spend too much time on planning
Make sure that you have filled in all the details
During the answer, consider how well it answers the
question
Stay alert – don’t daydream
Don’t panic if short on time – note the main points
If you finish early, check your work thoroughly
Never leave early
Cross out any answer if it is not required
Write neatly and legibly
‘ Achievement is a habit – work on it ‘
33. Try to work to a Revision Timetable
Start planning well before exams begin
Make your Books, Notes and Essays user friendly
with Summary Notes, Headings,Sub-Headings
and Revision Cards
Use Key Words and / or
Spider Charts
Get tips on other revision
techniques from others
34. DON’T
Don’t leave Revision to the last minute
Don’t avoid revising subjects you don’t like or find
difficult
Don’t forget that there is life beyond Revision and
Exams
35. REMEMBER :
Remember it is important to eat and sleep well
Put yourself first – it is an important time for you – try
to talk to family about how they can make studying a
little easier for you, e.g. by agreeing times when you
can have your own space, when they will try to be a bit
quieter around the house and when you would rather
not be disturbed
DON’T REVISE ALL THE TIME – TAKE BREAKS AND DO
THINGS YOU ENJOY AND HELP YOU RELAX
36. CHECK …
Have a good breakfast
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the exam room
Make sure you know where the exam is being held
Take everything you need – pens, pencils, water,
anything else?
Go to the toilet before the exam starts
37. Read the instructions
Read all the questions and give yourself time to answer
those you are required to answer
Plan how much time you will need for each question
If you are stuck, go to the next question. You can come
back to the unfinished one later. If you are really stuck,
try to have an intelligent guess
38. Perform as well as you can – ‘YOU are YOU’ so you can
only do the best you can on the day
Don’t go through the answers with your friends
afterwards, if it is only going to worry you
Try to put the last exam out of your mind and look
ahead to the next one – you can’t go back to change
things
Exams are Important, but they are not the only key to
a successful future.
GOOD LUCK !