Unless you are supremely gifted or you enjoy infallible good luck, then the need to study for exams is absolutely vital. Studying for exams should already be an integral part of your student life. It is not something you start just a few weeks or even months before the event. But "how best to study?" you ask. Well here are some useful pointers.
ORGANISATION
The organisation of your study should be paramount. You should arrange to study somewhere where you can be relaxed, free from interruption and where you feel secure. You should ensure that you have access to the resources you need i.e. desk, PC or laptop. Try to create your own ambience, or matrix, in which you feel happy working. Many students find that playing music at a reasonable volume helps them to concentrate; others prefer silence. You need to find what best suits you.
DISCIPLINE
Another essential ingredient for successful exam study is discipline. It should not be random or hit and miss. Planned times should be designated for study and you must try to keep to these. There will always be temptations for you, to do other things all of which may seem infinitely preferable than having to work, but you should try and resist these when they are offered. If you do have to miss a planned study session then have a contingency plan to make up for what has been missed.
STUDY TECHNIQUES
Finding information – There are a number of ways to access information be it via the internet, books, magazines or articles or other forms of the written word. Course books which have been recommended by your tutors are of course fundamentally important, but examiners tend to respond positively to evidence and information gathered outside of these. If you do make reference to something you have read on the internet or in any other written form it is essential that you acknowledge it by referencing it. You must at all costs avoid plagiarism! Do not pretend the work of others is your own. You will invariably be found out.
So by following these 3 simple principles you can set yourself on the road to academic success.
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