Revision is inherently not meant to be enjoyable. At the same
time, we all need to do it at some point or another and we can’t put it off for
ever.
With the latest set of case study exams just around the corner
for operational, management and strategic case study students, it is currently
crunch time when it comes to swotting up on everything you need to know!
Having spoken to many students in the past regarding all
levels of exams, as well as during the lead up to these particular ones, I have
had a number of questions concerning how best to approach the exam and revision
process in general. Although it can be different for every student
individually, one common theme I have gathered from listening to these students
is that the revision is not the only thing that they have had to think about
during the last few weeks.
Many students come from all manner of backgrounds and lead very
busy lives away from their studying. Whether it’s juggling a full time job,
personal commitments or even in some instances other studies(!), it can be
difficult to find time to even plan where to start, let alone start the
revision.
I have put together a small list of things to think about
below, hopefully offering some form of guidance towards the structure of your
own studies, with the latest set of exams in mind.
1) Learn the Content
Hopefully by now this is perhaps the more obvious step along
this revision structure guide. However, it is the essential starting place when
it comes to any form of revision plan, and requires the most amount of time and
effort. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of time will be required to get to
know the content, often involving many hours worth of reading.
However, this does not mean that you should spend hours on
end ploughing through pages and pages of notes. Why not mix it up a little when
it comes to your learning? This could potentially mean changing the amount of
time you spend per session.
It is recommended that students complete sessions up to 20
minutes long, with small breaks in between; however, such sessions could be
spread out throughout your week, fitting in a little bit every time you get a
spare 20 minutes. Very much like an exercise routine, every little bit that you
can do at a time, can count up to make a big difference by the end.
You can also “mix it up” by changing the way you receive the
information too. As it is the norm, reading has been the most accepted form of
learning for years, alongside hours and hours of endless lectures and classes.
However, with the resources that we have available to us today, there are so
many other ways in which you can develop your knowledge.
Video learning sessions are an excellent way to learn and
give you the opportunity to give your eyes a rest, and instead let your ears
interpret some of the information for a change. We’ve found that videos are
becoming more and more popular among our student base, especially when it comes
to preparing for the case study exams, where students are required to learn
about a company/industry that they have never heard of before!
This little bit of variety along with the more regular,
shorter sessions might enable you to break up the “information overload” that is
revision.
2) Test as You Go
As students progress through the study content, they often
reach a point where they feel that all of the content has been covered and the
next logical step is to go through it again in order to almost memorise the
material.
The second step to this revision structure guide however, is
to aim to test your knowledge so far.
This is a good step for a number of reasons. Firstly, it
continues the idea of creating a bit of variety within your revision regime. It
also allows you to get a feel for the types of questions which may be asked
regarding the content, letting you think more “outside of the box” when it
comes to certain theories etc.
An example of this that I would use concerning our study materials
at Astranti, is the chapter revision questions and study texts combination. Testing
your knowledge in little bite size portions like this, helps to reduce the
overall scale of the revision, whilst also enabling you to keep working away a
little (manageable) bit at a time.
3) Fill in the Gaps
Now that you have tested your knowledge, it is inevitable
that there will be certain areas of the syllabus that perhaps you haven’t quite
grasped yet, or that you believe you would benefit from having another look at
having covered all that you can.
The third step therefore is to plan time for you to do just
this, filling in any gaps in your knowledge that may exist. The length of time
you spend on this section is entirely dependent on how you preformed in your mini
test in step 2, as well as how well you feel you really understand the content.
4) Practice, Practice, Practice
Now that you have developed your knowledge and understanding
of the content, the next step would be to practice, practice, practice! Mock
exams are a great way to do this, and offer you both the ability to test your
knowledge of the material, as well as your ability to perform under exam
conditions.
With the revision system used so far, it is also important
to test you ability to sit down for a longer period of time and physically
complete an exam. There is no need to stop at one though, the more you can
practice before the real exam, the more prepared you should be when the time
comes.
5) Constructive Criticism
The final step in this revision structure guide, consists of
any final swotting up that may be required. This could include having another
look over all of the material, picking areas that you may not feel as confident
in. Or alternatively it could come as a result of any holes in your knowledge
highlighted through the practice sessions. It is important that any marks,
feedback or comments at this time are taken on board with a positive attitude;
being able to learn from mistakes is vital at this stage, as it means that you
can still do something about it as it’s not out of your control just yet!
Just make sure you do not leave this step too late! Having
being stated at the start of this article, the majority of students like
yourself lead extremely busy lives away from your studying. Ensuring that you
plan each of the above stages into your revision plan from the start, you
should always give a little extra room for any further study or anything else
that may happen along the way.
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