Thank God it’s April! I had mixed feelings when April came. On the one hand, I was very excited because of my Europe trip that my friends and I had planned months in advance. On the other hand, I was also anxious because it literally means that exams are approaching!
As I am writing this monthly blog, I am in the middle of my revision time and I would like to share some tips based on my personal experience on how to do revision, especially during the holiday.
There are various ways people do to prepare themselves for exams. I suggest you know your own learning style (visual, auditory, or kinesthetic), which will make you understand how to effectively learn and absorb information. Back then when I was doing my undergraduate study, I had a learning style assessment held in a workshop. Surprisingly, my result showed that I am actually a combination of all three types, by achieving the same points for all of the indicators. The instructor said that it is pretty uncommon as people tend to have a dominant learning style. He also mentioned that while it is fortunate since I can easily learn through various types of methods, I will also be easily distracted more than anyone else, because I respond to all types of stimulation. Thus, when we know exactly what our dominant learning style is, it will be easier to formulate the revision strategy. For instance, a visual learner should make their desk tidy to minimise visual distractions that possibly divert their focus.
Personally, I prefer to make colourful notes. I will do it in few steps, starting from a very detailed one. After I finish reading through it, I will start making a more concise summary to get a more comprehensive idea of what I have understood. I often use mnemonic to better capture the pattern of the materials that I am revising. Once I feel confident enough with my understanding, I will try to attempt past papers, to get a sense of the type of questions that I will encounter during the real exam. However, it is worth noting that different modules need different approaches, but so far, this method generally works for me to revise the 4 modules I have this semester (Corporate Finance, Advanced Management Accounting, Qualitative Research Methods, and Mergers and Acquisition).
Last but not least, do not forget that it is also a holiday period, which means that you deserve a proper study break! I find that taking some breaks between study sessions is really helpful to keep myself sane (it sounds exaggerating but well it is true, at least for me). Flashback to my first-semester exam preparation, I was pushing myself too hard, I even felt guilty if I did not revise for a whole day. Learning from that experience, I am trying to keep a good balance between study and life.
My typical day activities are attending various events, doing my part-time work, or hanging out with my friends during the day. At the end of the day, I start my revision because I know that I am more productive at night. In addition to it, eating healthy food is equally important during this period. I try to eat more fruits and vegetables during this period (It saves time and it is absolutely healthy, so it’s a double win). I am convinced that when we are physically and mentally fit, facing exams should not be that frightening and we will be able to nail it - fingers-crossed!
