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Effective learning at University series

 

Revision

 

Revise in reverse order to learning - start with the main concepts and work down to specific examples. Learning involves constructing these "big ideas" from detailed specific situations. You are supposed to learn the "big ideas" and principles, not all the specific examples used as illustrations. By taking this approach you:

 

• Ensures the entire course is covered - you do not have time to repeat the whole subject during the revision period.
• Promote a deep approach to learning. This reduces the chance of engaging in “busy work” that makes you feel you have done something, but is really worthless.
• Encourage “application of principles to situations” - exactly what exams set out to test.

Make a list of tasks to complete during your revision. To be effective they must:

 

• cover all parts of all subjects, not just your favourite bits that you probably understand already. The common trap is that revision ends up being comprehensive, but only of the first few weeks, or a very limited range of topics. One way to ensure that this is done is to put a code against each topic for a subject, and then code each task. Is every topic covered?
• very specific tasks that have a clear starting and ending point.
• emphasise understanding "big ideas" not memorising examples.

 

Concept maps. Maps can be made of each topic, and then higher order maps relate teh topics. All subjects have a well organised pattern of knowledge to them - if you can map this out you will benefit by:

 

• Maintaining an overview of how the ideas fit together in the subject - it is then easier to see how they apply to the new situations provided in exams.
• It promotes linking of ideas, which improves understanding and recall.
• Creates mental images that are very powerful in recalling key ideas and their relationship to other concepts.

 

 

Near the end: Practice what you have to do at the time you have to do it - exams in the morning should be prepared for by doing practice exams at the same time under as similar conditions as you can muster. Final practice essays should be under the same time constraint as exams. Project yourself to the situation and try and imagine you are doing the actual event as you practice. When you come to the actual event it will just be "another day in the office" and you will experience reduced exam stress.

 

 

 

 

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