Exam guide - how to survive your exams

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EXAM GUIDE Revision tips to help you survive your exams

DON’T PANIC

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Exams are coming up and you need to start revising, but it can feel very daunting! How do you stay focused?

This useful guide will equip you with tips and handy hints to help support your journey through the exam period.

Quick revision and exam tips 1. Speak out loud instead of simply reading – you’ll remember much more.

2. Teach someone else what you’ve learnt – it will help the ideas stick in your brain. This is known as the Protégé Effect.

3. Watch a documentary or YouTube video on the topic – this will help you remember key details from a story or subject.

4. When you get into the exam room, take your time to read through the whole paper slowly, before deciding which questions to answer.

5. When writing exam answers, make sure you avoid waffle! It’s best to be clear and concise, and it means you’ll stick to the key points.

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Revision planning timetable

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SUBJECT 1 SUBJECT 2 SUBJECT 3 SUBJECT 4 SUBJECT 5

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Revision tips Get comfy Find the right environment to revise in: Look for a comfortable space, whether at home, school or a local cafe. You might want a quiet space or background noise – just find the right atmosphere that works for you.

Sleep!

Staying up all night studying isn’t going to help your brain function well. Make sure you get enough sleep – taking short breaks, or even a power nap will help you be at your best.

Eat well Help your brain by eating healthy snacks. Bananas can help improve mental alertness. They can also calm an upset stomach and boost your immune system.

Create a plan Making a revision timetable (including scheduled breaks) will keep you focused. Revise for short periods – 45 minutes – then have a quick 15 minute break.

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Highlight Make revision notes of anything you want to remember and read over them several times. Highlight anything (with coloured pens) that you don’t remember. Next time you read through, you can just revise the highlights. If you keep doing this, eventually your notes will get smaller and smaller, and you’ll remember most of it!

Start early It’s best to revise a little bit each day far in advance of your exams, rather than cramming the week or day before. This effect, known as “spacing”, helps because it allows your brain a bit of time in between revision sessions to forget and re-learn the material, meaning you’ll retain it for longer.

“A good tip which I’ve found very helpful is to meet with a friend (or a few friends) and discuss the topic at hand, in detail, and make notes together.”

Einer Gomez, BSc (Hons) Business Management (Marketing).

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REVISION APPS 06

Our top picks Exam countdown lite (free) Available on App Store and Google Play You can use this to keep track of when your exams are and set a countdown!

Get Revising by the Student Room This website from the Student Room (the UK’s biggest online student community) helps you to create a personalised study plan, practise past papers and build mindmaps.

Gojimo (free) Available on App Store and Google Play This app was built by a student when he was at university. It allows you to access practice questions for GCSE, A level, IB and more. Gojimo say they’re the UK’s most popular revision app, with 1 in 3 students using it.

Pomodoro Focus keeper (free) Available on App Store and Google Play There are a number of useful Pomodoro focus apps to help you concentrate for short periods of time (each 25-minute work block is called a ‘pomodoro’) and prevent burnout and procrastination.

Quizlet (free) Available on App Store and Google Play A flashcards maker to help you learn those facts.

Create your own, or choose from millions created by other students.

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HOW TO DE-STRESS Z

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Revision can be stressful for our brains and bodies so here are some useful tools to help you relax.

Mindfulness Stopping to pay attention to the present moment can help you refocus and improve your mental wellbeing.

Apps such as Headspace have videos and audio tutorials to help you learn how to meditate. You can trial the app for free. www.headspace.com Self-care Keeping an eye on where you are emotionally, physically and mentally is important. Often our bodies tell us there is something wrong before we realise. If you’re struggling, reach out to someone or take some time out for yourself. The Blurt Foundation has a whole page of resources on mental health while studying. www.blurtitout.org/resource/mental-health-university Exercise Going to the gym, attending an exercise class or even a walk around the block can clear your mind and relax you.

Drink water Staying hydrated will help you feel more alert. Use the Waterminder app to keep track of your water intake. www.waterminder.com Get some sleep We all know sleep is essential but it can sometimes be impossible to find. Try the Pzizz app (free) which plays personalised soundscapes to help you sleep. Similar to the Headspace app, Pzizz have meditation-based sleepcasts - stories specifically designed to relax your mind and help your drift off. www.pzizz.com

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WHAT NEXT? 10

Once your exams are finished and after you’ve had a well-deserved rest, you’ll be thinking about what to do next. This could be an apprenticeship, a gap year, a job, or heading off to university.

Work Getting a job may be the last thing on your mind, but earning some money this summer could be a useful buffer for the future. You could save up to see the world, or for your next step into university.

Holiday You deserve a break after all that study. If you’re planning a gap year you could use this time for further research, or it might be a chance for a short getaway to refresh yourself.

Explore If you’re planning to go to university, you could spend time getting to know the city or town you’re moving to. It will help orientate you when you arrive.

University Setting out on your journey to higher education is exciting. At the University of East London (UEL), we pride ourselves in the level of support we offer new students to help you make the right choices.

With a degree, you’re more likely to be in employment than those who haven’t been to uni. You’ll earn more than a non-graduate during your lifetime.

At UEL, we have a Centre for Student Success, who provide careers and employability support to all our students and offer advice and opportunities for placements and internships during study and after graduation.

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HOW TO APPLY 12

If you decide that university is the right step for you, here’s how to apply.

If you would like to start in September, the UCAS deadline for most applications is 15 January. If you missed the deadline, don’t worry, you can still apply late through a process called Clearing. See our Clearing section in the following pages for more information.

You can select a maximum of five courses on the UCAS website. To apply, you just need a few things: -----

the unique UCAS code for your course a personal statement explaining why you’d like to study the course a reference from a teacher and to pay the application fee.

ucas.com/apply Selecting a university University websites are a helpful way to find out more about the location, culture and facilities of the place you’re interested in.

Going to a university open day is a great experience; you can often meet lecturers, current students and see the accommodation. If you can’t make it there, many universities offer virtual tours.

To visit the University of East London, go to uel.ac.uk/open-days How do I choose a course?

Use the UCAS website to research courses and subjects. Have a think about whether you want to study full or part time, with a work placement year or a year abroad. Consider your career opportunities and jobs you might want to do in the future.

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CLEARING uel.ac.uk/clearing

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If your exams don’t go to plan, all is not lost!

What is Clearing?

Clearing is another way of finding a place at university.

There’s no need to panic – you can still secure a place on a course starting in September. Students who come to the University of East London through Clearing often go on to achieve first-class grades and inspirational careers.

Why Clearing?

There might be lots of reasons why Clearing could be an option for you.

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You don’t hold any offers You missed the UCAS deadline Your exams don’t go as well as you’d hoped You’ve changed your mind about the course or city you want to study in.

When is Clearing?

Clearing runs every year from July to September but it’s never too early to start your research. Have a look at courses and universities you’re interested in. Lots of unis (including the University of East London) offer a preClearing service, where you can sign up in advance and be the first to get an offer when Clearing officially opens.

Find out more at uel.ac.uk/clearing Remember, you’re not alone! According to UCAS, in 2018, over 60,000 students found a uni place through Clearing.

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“Clearing was a straightforward and hugely beneficial process for me - the UEL clearing team made it really easy to apply.�

Jacob Stapleton BA (Hons) Graphic Design

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WHY UEL?

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Meet people You’ll meet people from around the world. Here at UEL we have students representing 140 nationalities.

You can find new interests, make lifelong friends and enjoy the excitement of university life. At UEL we currently have 20 active societies and 26 different sports clubs (our world-class sports facilities were used by Team USA during the Olympics)!

We are a supportive community where everyone is encouraged to become leaders, contributors to society, and change makers.

Reach your potential Studying will stretch your mind and challenge you to make the most of your potential. We are dedicated to giving you the skills, emotional intelligence and creativity needed to thrive in a constantly changing world.

Your career The University of East London has been pioneering futures since 1898; from the 2nd Industrial Revolution through to where we are now, the 4th. We are a careersled university. Our mission is to prepare you for the jobs of the future. We are working with global organisations to make sure our courses are creative, entrepreneurial and inspirational.

Wherever you want to work – in business, technology, teaching, arts, media, science, sport or the public sector – you’ll need the skills necessary to adapt to the world of tomorrow, and to be the leaders and pioneers of today.

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What our students say East London Our Docklands campus and accommodation is set in a beautiful, calm location, right next to the river, with the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) on your doorstep (and free UEL buses running to Stratford). You’ll live in stunning surroundings, and you’re also never far from the action and work experience opportunities of central London.

“The location of the Docklands campus is simply amazing.

During my very first day in university, it was early morning, I was quite nervous, but when I saw the sunrise and the reflection of the sun in the river, that made me stop, think and calm down.”

Kristiyan Krastev BA (Hons) Computer Games Design: Story Development

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“By living on campus you’re at the centre of all the action and there is a real sense of community here. There’s always something to do, things to get involved with and always someone to talk to.”

Lauren Wheeler BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre & Performance

Support University can be a life-changing experience, and at UEL we ensure that you get the support you need along your journey. Our Centre for Student Success has a dedicated Career Coaching team, as well as one to-one advice from our academic tutors, study skills sessions, mental wellbeing support, and peer advice from recent graduates to help you stay on track.

We’ll advise and encourage you from the moment you apply to the day you graduate – and beyond.

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We’re ranked in the world’s top 200 young universities (Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2018)

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