Laura Says Relax!

 Hey Lovelies,

Hope you are all ay okay and are all enjoying the sunshine that is finally here! Now not long until we break up for summer and for all you third years you get to graduate!!!! But unfortunately before we can think about that we have to think about the dreaded E word, last blog I spoke to you guys about revision techniques and this blog I will be talking about stress relieving and making time to relax during exam season, which trust me, I know is easier said than done.

• The most important thing when revising is to give yourself a break, don’t sit there for all day and night because it is unlikely your brain will process a lot of information, if it is anything like mine it will start to frazzle haha. So every hour – 1 hour and a half get up and walk somewhere, go outside, get some drinks/snacks and give yourself a chance to process the info you just read.
• Whilst exam season does include a lot of heavy hours, make sure you do assign at least a couple of days a few weeks before exams to do nothing exam related- go shopping, meet up with friends etc., I know we are students but we need to make sure we don’t overload ourselves because the chances are if we do we may start to really panic and become over anxious.
• When it comes to just before an exam- BREATHE, soooo obvious but really important haha if we panic too much and our minds race at trying to think about what we can remember and this can cause an even bigger distraction. Stay focussed but remember the calmer you are the easier it will be to remember information. One of my biggest tips will be don’t linger right outside the exam room beforehand if you do you will become over anxious and hear what other people have revised and panic can build.

So guys those are some very simple but useful tips I can offer you in terms of not getting over-stressed. But I know you will all do great! This weekend I am giving myself a break and on Saturday I am going to Norfolk to see my lovely second cousin Rachel who I grew up with and haven’t seen for absolute years so that will be amazing and I’m really excited about it J

I hope whatever you guys get up to this weekend, you have a lovely one and if you are revising remember what I said ;) I will speak to you all again soon about how to make use of your time in exams and also my third year psychology choices which I choose on Monday – aaaah. If I don’t speak to you before good luck.

Take Care Lovelies,

Xoxo

L

Keep Calm and We Will Get Through These Exams!!!

Hey Guys,

It seems like ages ago I last spoke to you, but I hope you have all been well and you had a nice relaxing Easter break, some of you like me have another week off yay. During the holidays I went to Colchester zoo and got to feed giraffes and elephants- that was defiantly one to tick off the bucket list!

Today and over some of my next few blogs I will be providing you with some hints and tips for various aspects of exams and how to get through them in the least stressful way possible. Today I am talking REVISING these tips can be used by all the students taking exams, however some may just be focussed on Psychology so if you aren’t studying the subject, obviously ignore those ones, I will put a ** next to them so you know which ones are more specific to my course J

1. So first things first DON’T PANIC, remember almost every student at this uni and those all over the country are in the same position as you.
2. I know now is about the time we all look at our notes and realise there are some things that are a blur but it’s perfectly normal, the key here is to look over the notes briefly ASAP so you can determine as quickly as possible where the parts that aren’t so clear are and ask the lecturers or fellow students to help.
3. Revision Timetable – it may sound cliché and obvious but it is surprising how much making one of these works, especially if you have different modules/courses to revise for. It is also a way to see that your time gets divided equally focussing on each part.
4. It is easy to get stressed from thinking about all the exams coming up and panicking but it is a good idea to take things one step at a time, think about each course individually and not all of them together, that way it seems like less of a mountain to climb.
5. ** For the open book exams (mainly statistics- but I know some of the other courses are holding them too) remember it is only one book you get to take with you, so get a notebook or something similar and make sure your notes/lectures slides are organised well and in a way that you will be able to find what you need quickly. Although we have the book there to support us, we don’t want to be spending all our time flipping through the pages thinking ‘I know it’s in here somewhere’ **
6. Make notes colourful and important parts stand out. Use flash cards, record yourself, make spider diagrams etc. No one knows you better than yourself, only you can know what revision techniques work best for you and what ways work to help information stay in your head longer J If you have no idea what way you learn best then here is an interactive test to help you determine whether visual, auditory or kinaesthetic revision techniques are best for you. http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html
7. Spend time revising with others on the course, sounds simple and easy but by spending even a little time doing this not only makes revision more bearable but also helps you get other opinions, revision techniques and methods – just make sure you do revise and not chat about other things, which is a big trap with this technique ha-ha.
8. ** Anyone studying psychology, the statistics lecturers will be there to help with our revision. Josh will be holding sessions for the first years which he will be letting you know about and Damian is holding drop in sessions for the second years, of which you have to book with him in advance via his email, these drop ins will be held on the 25^th April and 2^nd May and will only be on particular aspects you are having trouble with and not whole lectures/topics. This is a definite for first and second years, for third years I’m not 100% so best to check with Trevor or Ian to find out if they are holding any J **

So guys, those are just a few tips in terms of revision, if you want to ask me anything just leave a comment and I will try and get back to you. But I know we will get through this together. Don’t give up, I will be back soon to talk to you more about exams and some stress relieving techniques.

Good Luck Guys,

Xoxo

Laura