This is it. Third term is here and the mammoth task of revising is slowly taking over our lives, or at least it should be anyway. We all know how to revise as we have already sat enough exams to last a lifetime, so I’m sure you all know exactly what technique works best for you. What is less certain however is whether it would be more beneficial to your learning to form a study group or battle it on alone?
Revising is something you can never do enough of and I’m sure most of us have sat in a lecture theatre wishing we had covered that extra reading to avoid sitting there tapping our pen ferociously. When D-Day comes, hopefully we shall all stride into the exam hall feeling pleasantly confident, knowing we’ve learnt everything we could and worked as hard as possible. But how focused can you stay working alone, with no-one to shame you into being on Facebook or browsing the net for some other procrastination method? On the other hand, can it really be as productive to revise with friends?
Doing a certain amount of revision on your own really is a must; after all you are the one who needs to feel confident about answering the questions. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than revising with friends who know the subject inside out. It will scare you and put you into panic mode, surely there is enough stress surrounding exams without comparing yourself to what others know? So, it’s probably best to kick-start things on your lonesome and meet up with your friends when you are fully prepared and you know your stuff.
Revising in groups can be very useful for exam preparation, but just make sure you’re not left revising with someone who wings it, steals all your answers and doesn’t make any contribution. Likewise, don’t expect your peers to tell you the answers; group work only works best when everyone pulls their weight. Meet some friends and make sure everyone is prepared and run through the more generic points of the exam. The nitty-gritty stuff is down to you, you need to make sure you know your module thoroughly and can make your answer stand out from the rest.
It is without doubt that study groups are beneficial as it’s a great chance to compare answers, notes and cover any areas of weakness. Try making some essay plans with your friends and discuss some possible questions that may arise in the exam. Once you put your heads together, some effective arguments and conclusions can be made ensuring you are another step closer to acing that exam. However you choose to revise, make sure it is effective for you and use your time accordingly. Whilst a study group has a lot of positives, you can get easily distracted and find yourself discussing the latest episode of The Only Way Is Essex, which sadly, will not get you that anticipated grade you have been working all year for. I wish it did though, as I would sure walk away with a first.
