Hello friends! Now it is the end of the semester, and final exams are coming! Are you excited? Well, I am, because this is my last semester at uni! I have successfully survived five semesters of exams, and only need one more semester to unlock the “Graduation” achievement.
Before that, I still have three final exams to go, which makes it less exciting. I want to score good marks in the final exams, and that is the main reason I need to start the planning of my revision now. A well-planned revision schedule could save you time, solve your problems, and relieve your anxiety about taking exams.
First of all, start planning early. As soon as you get your exam timetables, you can start planning your revision schedules, and then after finishing all your assignments (usually at the end of Week 12), you can start the reviews. By using your SWOTVAC and days prior to your actual exams wisely, you can finish a thorough revision of the whole semester.
Second, you also want to check the office hours of your lecturers and tutors, to ensure that if you encounter any problem during the revision, you can solve them before your lecturers and/or tutors stop replying to emails or go off campus. Typically, I would make a question list that contains all the issues I want to ask along with my revision, in case I forget while talking to lecturers/tutors. Once I was still working on a problem the night before the exam, and I couldn’t do it. I emailed my lecturer, asked for the solutions at 11:20 pm and he replied to me within 10 minutes… Well, I was lucky that time, but this will not happen on most occasions. So make sure you have plenty of time, otherwise you may panic the night before the exam.
Third, stay connected with your classmates. A hard question for you may be an easy piece of cake for them! A revision group could be a good idea; you can help each other by studying together, and many simple problems can be solved efficiently. Also, a review partner/partners could remind you of anything you may forget about the exams: What kind of materials are allowed in the exam? Is this part of content important? The lecturer mentioned that something will definitely appear on the final exam but what was it? The information will make your revision a lot easier than doing it by yourself. And a bonus is that you may know your classmates better and become friends!
Also, remember to make your revision plan flexible, so you will not be overstressed if you cannot finish it on time. Typically in my plan, I would assign the time block to each course, instead of listing detailed topics or contents to review every day. Then if I am bored of studying this course, I can simply switch it to another time block.
Basically, my revision tactics are about time management, which is an essential ability to survive in university. Hopefully this blog helps. If you still have the problem of arranging your revision timetable, come to see us in the library at Gippsland or Mt Helen, or send us an email at ask.sal@federation.edu.au! We still work during SWOTVAC!
– Lily