It’s Week 7, aka assessment season.
If you’re anything like us, this is the time of semester when, instead of studying, you’d rather just to stay in bed and binge old seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
But as the good people at Old El Paso say, “Por que no los dos?”
To help you muster the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent needed to conquer your study blues, we’ve compiled our Peer Learning Advisers’ top study tips for Week 7 – and sandwiched them between some gag-worthy Drag Race GIFs.
1. Don’t freak out! Yes it is Week 7 and exams are creeping up but you need to remain calm and get yourself out of that panic! Freaking out can waste valuable time.
2. Most of us only have 5 more weeks to go, DON’T stop now. By staying up to date with each week’s content and making summaries, it makes revision and study for the exam so much easier and will significantly reduce your levels of stress leading up to and during the exam period.
3. Keep going to class! As we approach the end of the semester, lecturers and tutors give great input, advice and tips relating to exams that can assist in excelling in the exam.
4. Get organised: start compiling lecture notes, etc – things you will need to review now, so that you don’t have 12 weeks of scattered content to sift through when it comes to revising for exams.
5. Get in contact with us! Major assignments are due soon and if you don’t understand something about what you need to do, then ask.
6. Quality over quantity: try and achieve quality study time as opposed to studying for long periods of time. Small, regular sessions, with breaks in between, are a good approach.
7. Put your phone in another room/in your bag! this helps to avoid the major distraction that is our phones and social media platforms. Use your phone as a ‘break time’ for five to 10 minutes every hour or so.
8. Plan! Plan! Plan! Backtrack from your exam date and plan out what you want to study, when you want to complete practice exams and when you need to hand in assignments.
9. You need to have a healthy balance between study and relaxation! We do not want you to burn out, especially during this time. Instead plan in adequate breaks each day so that your mind and body get a bit of a rest (including adequate sleep). Try taking a mental health day. Don’t forget to get plenty of fresh air.
10. Be consistent – try and study regularly and chip away at any tasks or exam study over the remaining weeks. Don’t cram and you will feel much more prepared and confident.