Leveraging Past Papers Digital Tools Study

Exam preparation can be tricky at times thus the reason I choose to practice using past papers because they reflect on the areas and topics tested frequently. Past papers allow me to focus my study on the specific areas within the syllabus as I skim and revise on other significant topic. To fully revise and study for my exams I use Evernote and StudyBlue to help me in organizing my notes, relating with what other students have done in the past and how I can improve on that. Moreover, I value study groups because they bring in multiple ideas especially when using StudyBlue that facilitates multiple users at a specific time. In preparing for exams, I prefer to study in a group because one can learn a lot from how another student explains a concept different from the teacher or textbook. I prefer the members of the study group to be my classmates because they understand what we are learning on the same level as me.

I am confident about handling case studies, practicals, and group work because this allows me to gain more information while taking on exams. However, I am nervous about presentations and long exams because I get confused on how to manage time effectively. Among the revision tools I can use include My Study Life – School Planner and Goconqr Revision Timetable because they help manage time and put my brain in an active mode during exams (Preiss, 2006). During terms 1 and 2, I can read ahead and write short notes on the topics that are hard so that when it is term 3, I can refer to my hand-written notes to increase the rate at which I understand the concepts.

Some of the things I need to bring to the exam include my ID because it facilitates registration, my calculator incase of any mathematical problem and pens. Pens are crucial when tackling exams but this is facilitated by pencils because I can write and erase points after I arrive on the best ones (Preiss, 2006). Moreover, I need a drink preferably water to ease my tension and ensure I stay hydrated throughout the exam. It is not suitable to forget anything because one can lose concentration while handling the questions. During exams, I do in doing a memory dump whereby I reflect on the important things and ideas I have to employ to handle questions. Secondly, I am keen in reading the instructions carefully because details missed can lead to a poor grade.

Another aspect which I do well in is answering all the questions presented because without doing this, one can lose marks and points for not completing the questions given. However, I need to improve in terms of arrival time to the exam room because the earlier one gets there, the easier it becomes to revise and eliminate tension. Time management is important while tackling exams (Preiss, 2006). In case of a two hours exam, I can give more time to complex questions while I reduce the time on simple questions that do not need a lot of explaining or solving. It is essential to understand the amount of time given to a particular question so that I do not handle the last questions during the last minute (Preiss, 2006). Also to save time, I need to look for cues from other questions because a particular question can give one an idea about the other.

During exams, my mood is usually calm because I know when tension kicks in, it becomes hard to handle questions effectively. However, I tend to be stressed when I handle various hard questions continuously because I tend to think I did not prepare well for the test. To effectively handle the stress, I get back to these questions and refresh my mind on the best to approach them. In order to cope well during exams now and in the future, I should practice the power of positive thinking (Preiss, 2006). Positive thinking is important during exams because one can solve questions from another perspective which is different and more effective. Secondly, I need to observe my diet and water intake so help me cope with the tensions in the exam rooms especially when the questions seem difficult than I expected.

I can always improve next time by revising and studying extensively for the exam to come using revision papers and frequently tested questions. Secondly, relating topics to one another is another strategy I can utilize next time so that ideas can flow easily while tackling exam questions (Preiss, 2006). Also, having plenty of sleep is important because the mind becomes relaxed during exams hence I can concentrate without having any distractions. During exams, instructions are always important thus for future purposes, I need to improve my listening skills especially for the last minute instructions which may determine how instructions will work out for different sections of the exam (Preiss, 2006).

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References

• Preiss, R. W., Gayle, B. M., & Allen, M. (2006). Test anxiety, academic self-efficacy, and study skills: A meta-analytic review. Classroom communication and instructional processes: Advances through meta-analysis, 99-111.