Revising for Exams: How Do You Do It?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around various methods and strategies for revising for exams, particularly in the context of STEM subjects. Participants share their personal approaches, experiences, and insights into effective study techniques, highlighting both theoretical understanding and problem-solving skills.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants condense their notes into bullet points to extract key information, finding this method effective for revision.
  • Others emphasize the importance of rewriting notes to reinforce understanding and eliminate unnecessary details.
  • A participant mentions using highlighting techniques to focus on important points in their notes before reviewing them again.
  • One contributor suggests that understanding the material rather than rote memorization is crucial, especially for physics, and recommends practicing specific types of problems.
  • Another participant points out the necessity of learning problem-solving tricks and spending significant time on practical applications of theory, suggesting a 30/70 split between theory and problem practice.
  • Collaboration with peers is highlighted as beneficial, with advice to engage with fellow students to clarify concepts and ensure comprehensive understanding.
  • One participant warns against overconfidence and suggests that students should remain vigilant about their preparedness for exams.
  • Another contributor stresses the importance of being able to explain concepts to others as a measure of understanding.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of various study methods, but there are differing opinions on the balance between theory and problem-solving practice. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the optimal approach to revision, as multiple strategies are presented without consensus.

Contextual Notes

Some methods discussed may depend on individual learning styles and the specific requirements of different courses. There is also a recognition that time constraints can impact the effectiveness of revision strategies.

Hootenanny
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Examination time has come round again (for me) and I was just wondering how those of you who are students revise for exams?

Personally, I get all my notes together and then set about condensing them into as small amount as I possibley can (usally in the form of bullet points). Then I get as many exam type questions as I can and do as much as I can without looking at my notes, only referring to them when I'm completely stuck. I'm not a fan of timed practise exams.

Regards,
~Hoot
 
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"revise?" I do not think that word means what you think it means.

However, yes. Your method is a good one; it's the one I use(d). Rewrite all your notes in condensed form. This forces you to extract the most meaning and discard the chaff.
 
useful study methods

I realize that in the U.K. revise has the meaning of study or review, pertaining to exams. The method Hoot describes is a useful one. I've used that many times myself, especially in science/math courses. In classes that are strickly information based, I've also used another method; read through my notes, highlight the important points, then review again just catching the highlighted material.
 
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Hootenanny said:
Examination time has come round again (for me) and I was just wondering how those of you who are students revise for exams?

Personally, I get all my notes together and then set about condensing them into as small amount as I possibley can (usally in the form of bullet points). Then I get as many exam type questions as I can and do as much as I can without looking at my notes, only referring to them when I'm completely stuck. I'm not a fan of timed practise exams.

Regards,
~Hoot

Usually I take a look at what we covered in the textbook and try to properly understand it rather than memorize; also, for physics, I go over some specific kinds of problems I've had with questions we've done.
However, now that AP exams are coming up, I'm focusing more on past examination papers in order to get a "feel" for what to expect/study.
 
No matter how much theory you know, there are always little problem solving tricks that most students need to be shown and go over to be ready to use on tests. Spend a lot of time on these. If your not sure what I'm talking about, think about the problem that stumped you for 20 to 30 mins or more and when you found the solution (either on you own, or someone showed you) you smacked your forehead and screamed "OF COURSE!" At the same time, it's the theory that will give you shot to suddenly come up with the solution to a type of problem that you might have forgotten about or never seen.

I usually spend about 30% of my time going over proofs and theory, and 70% going over specific problems that we seemed to spend a lot of time on in class or in the homework. It might not be the most balanced approach, but It's saved my ass more times then I can count.

Also, talk to your fellow students, if they seem concerned about something that your not, you may have missed something. Maybe your oversimplifing something, or maybe you just know it better then they do, but check it out. Never assume you are ready for a test, be paranoid until it's over :-p.

Edit:
one other thing that has helped me out a lot. Get together with some weaker students to study. Answer their questions and show them how to do things. If you can easily tanslate what you know into language that they can understand, you have the subject nailed, if their questions throw you off your game, you still have some work to do. I can't tell you how many times a friend of mine has asked me a question that I couldn't answer without looking things up in the book, and then it showed up on the test. Honestly, if I hadn't made some truly epic stupid mistaks on tests, I would have 96% average on my general circuirts/digital logic tests. As it is, I've scored 88% to 92% on all 3 of them, so take my advice for what it's worth.
 
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Just make sure you understand everything that happened in the course (theory + problems) well enough to do it all yourself. If you can't do every proof and every problem gone over in the course by the time of the test, then you're not making par. If you don't have enough time to do all that right then maybe you are taking on too much work (like I did this semester). Beyond that, practicing more problems doesn't hurt.
 

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