1. Making the Most of Revision and Exams
RVC Counselling Service
Making the Most of Revision and Exams
Tips and techniques for surviving

2. Why Do I need a Timetable and Why Do they Never Work?
Be Realistic! Work with how you are, not how you’d like to be!
Are You a Lark or an Owl? Do you work best early or late in the day?
How Good is Your Concentration? Do you work best in 30 minute stints (for eg) or 3-4 hr blocks?
Be Realistic! Work with your strengths and weaknesses
Take Breaks! Otherwise your brain will take one for you and just ‘switch off’!
Reward Yourself! Revising is often boring, tedious and a bit of a slog. Keep yourself motivated by ‘mini’ treats eg cups of tea, snacks, 30 mins of TV/gaming
Have a Life! Keeping some work-life balance in mind will mean you return to your studies refreshed and less resentful. A night out /day off during revision time can work wonders.

3. Making a Revision Timetable: Part I
Print out the Revision Plan from slide 5 of this presentation. Ideally, fill out one for each week for 3-4 weeks before exams.
Write in ……………..
Dates from now until your last exam
Exam dates /times/length
Any time allocated to lectures, seminars, tutorials, placements
Other standing commitments e.g. employment, chores (shopping/cooking)
Relaxation time – as a guide, a 2-3 hr block each day plus one whole evening/afternoon midweek and at weekend

4. Making a Revision Timetable: Part II
For each module you need to revise, divide up into sub-topics.
Allocate time needed to revise depending on whether topic is easy/hard, big/small
Work out total number of study blocks available
Allocate revision topics into study blocks
Try to allow a ‘free time block’ for catching up/unforeseen problems
A common mistake is overfilling your timetable , and getting disheartened – Be Realistic!!!

5. Revision Timetable Monday (e.g.) Morning Break Afternoon Evening Treat
(subject 1)
Break
Afternoon
Evening
(subject 2)
Treat
(see film)
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
GOAL
REWARD

6. Where Do I Begin??? You cannot learn everything Be Selective
Make Educated Guesses
Look at Course Outline
Look at Past Exams
Ask Lecturers
Study and Summarize Lecture Notes
Use Note Cards
Do Practice Exams

7. How Do I Learn?
Active Study: Look, Listen, Write. Break your notes up using underlining, highlighters, boxes around etc
Concise Notes - reduce your lecture notes to memorisable key words and phrases
Use Your Own Words to describe concepts/theories etc
Test Yourself – write your own ‘mini’ questions
Make Prompts – use spider diagrams, mnemonics, rhymes

8. Do you work best alone or with others?
When trying to decide, think through…..
What helps you concentrate the best?
When do you feel more or less anxious (alone or with friends?)
If you want to work with friend(s) be clear together aims of each session
Be clear about what is right for you

9. How to use past exam papers
Find out if there are any available. If not, ask your tutor for advice.
Make a note of commonly occurring questions/topics from the last 3 years (and revise well!)
Use for ‘mock’ exams, and timing/testing yourself
Becoming already familiar with the ‘look’ and ‘style’ of the exam you will be taking will help reduce your anxiety on the exam day

10. Reassure Yourself Check and Double Check your Timetable
Check the Length of the Exam
Check the Pattern of the Exam – multiple choice/ essay/short answer/mixed
Find the Room – be aware that this can change, so keep checking and be prepared for this possibility
Visualize yourself in the Room

11. The Night Before…Part 1
Prepare your Materials: You don’t want a last minute panic in the morning!
Double-check requirements: do you need a calculator? Student ID? What else?
Pack everything you will need: extra pens, pencils, highlighter, approved calculator
Review:
Review notes on basic concepts, formulae, basic principles
Review revision notes
Don’t Study Anything New
Looking at new things makes you worry abut what you don’t know instead of building up your confidence about what you do know!
Studying new things the night before leads to panic!

12. The Night Before…Part II
Don’t discuss the exam with friends! They are bound to have revised something you haven’t, or set off your anxiety with their own!
Treat Yourself and Look After Yourself! Avoid stressful situations, people or conversations. Do something that makes you feel good
Try to get a good nights sleep! A warm bath, relaxing music, reading through notes one last time can all help. Do not worry if you can’t sleep – allow yourself some ‘snooze time’ post exam to catch up.

13. The Big Day Arrive On Time Listen to the Invigilator’s Instructions
Give yourself plenty of time to get there: you don’t want to arrive in a panic.
Don’t arrive too early: Exam panic is contagious!
Listen to the Invigilator’s Instructions
Read the Whole Paper Carefully: Be aware...
How many questions do you have to answer, and in what sections?
How many credits each question is worth
If there is a choice, decide which questions you are going to answer, and in what order
Make an Action Plan and allocate start and end time for each question

14. Take A Deep Breath and Begin
Make A Plan for Each Question. Allow your mind to freely associate around the question. Jot down hard-to remember key ideas, concepts, theories, formulae etc.
Keep Checking Back to See Whether You are Answering the Question
Be simple, direct and to the point: you only get points for answering the question, no matter how much else you know
Watch your time: DO NOT GO OVER allotted time for each question
Leave a Space Between Questions …You can always go back and add things
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION! What is it actually asking you to do…..?
Make it Readable: Skip lines if your handwriting is hard to read
Stop writing as soon as you are told, otherwise the invigilator will log this

15. What If I Go Blank????
Brainstorm Jot down any ideas that come to you or move onto another question if you are stuck
Think yourself into a Calm Place
Take Deep Breaths
Avoid Negative Thoughts
Don’t Look Around! You will be sitting next to someone who is writing furiously!!!
Remind yourself that you do have the information there, it just needs to be found

16. After The Exam Don’t Discuss the paper Reward yourself! Have a Break
You can never be sure of the right answers
Its too late to do anything about it
You need to keep yourself thinking positive
Panic is as infectious after the exam as before and is as bad for you!
Reward yourself!
You deserve it! Exams are difficult and stressful
Have a Break
You need a short break even if you have an exam the next day (or even the same day ) just to clear your mind for the next thing
Hooray – you did it!!!!!

17. Some more study skills tips for BVetMed3 students
Vicki Dale, Learning Support Officer

18. Veterinary clinical resources
Mosby review books
In Practice quizzes
Revise notes from DLs
Write your own EMQs
Computer-aided learning
e-cases
QM perception quizzes
Vet learning resources
WikiVet

22. Test yourself
Place post-it notes around the house with a single concept/disease/treatment on each one ...
Each time you walk past, ask yourself:
What do you know?
What do you need to clarify?
Change the post-its on a weekly basis
Ask your friends/family to test you
Ask yourself, making use of dictaphone

23. Make the most of EMS EMS will allow you to put theory into practice
Identify misunderstandings or gaps in your knowledge in advance of EMS
Offer to do as much as you can
Ask lots of questions

24. Make connections
Make use of BlackBoard:
Inspiration mind-mapping software

27. Be creative e.g. suture materials e.g. drugs e.g. jurisprudence
Affix samples to your notes
Create flashcards with diagrams and photo on one side and information on the other
Use the clinical skills centre
e.g. drugs
Make flashcards with (photos of) drug boxes
Make up virtual cases
e.g. jurisprudence
Scan/copy articles from the Vet Record or keep a copy of RCVS s on vets being struck off

28. Other sources of help Your tutors
RVC student support and counselling services
VetLife (
NightLine (
and each other!