help - can I get through this?

sadstudent

Thanks dmg24...PM sent. You are really very kind. Thankyou

melancholly

right - i'm now going to administer advice that i will then completely ignore for myself

log off, read some work for a few mins and get some sleep!
ration MSE to a brief burst after you have done a set amount of work
cover everything once and then go over it all again in bits (unless you are a genius question spotter and/or know what will come up on the exams)
see if there is anyone else revising for resits who you can meet up with to test eachother
log off MSE again (i promise i will in a minute )

dmg24

melancholly wrote: »

right - i'm now going to administer advice that i will then completely ignore for myself

log off, read some work for a few mins and get some sleep!
ration MSE to a brief burst after you have done a set amount of work
cover everything once and then go over it all again in bits (unless you are a genius question spotter and/or know what will come up on the exams)
see if there is anyone else revising for resits who you can meet up with to test eachother
log off MSE again (i promise i will in a minute )

You're still here!

ss, a file of ramblings on its way to you now! x

bestpud

sadstudent wrote: »

I can't and won't list everything that has happened to me, but most people would have given up a long time ago by now. This is a repeat of my first year and won't count towards my classification.

I do accept full responsibility for my life but the things that have happened to me have been beyond my control, I can't change that. I have not missed lectures and exams through laziness, alcohol or anything remotely irresponsible...I really haven't. I could have quit but I didn't see that as the best option. In hindsight in may have been, but we all make mistakes.

Thankyou for you confidence in me being able to pass by knuckling down - the luck I referred to was the right type of questions popping up in the exam(s).

I apologise if I came a cross as harsh - it wasn't clear from your first post whether you hadn't got yourself motivated enough (lots never do!) or whether you had mitigating circumstances. Neither was it clear that you are repeating.

I hadn't realised you meant luck with questions either! Doh!

I've had lots of problems while on my course too and it makes life very difficult, I know. I have had a lot of help from the student counsellor and would highly recommend speaking to them if you haven't already. Also my personal tutor is a godsend! Don't suffer in silence basically, as there is lots of help available to you.

Best wishes with it.

TigerAngel11

You can do it! The first - and most crucial - step is to believe that you can do it.

Draw up a timetable, making sure you cover all topics. I find it's best to plan what to do every 2/3 days rather than a day-by-day, time-by-time plan as it's easy to feel demotivated if you miss a planned study session for whatever reason. I tend to use a checklist method, listing details under topic headline and ticking them off as I cover them. This is also a great method for staying motivated, as seeing the items get ticked off can spur you on.

When under pressure, I usually make sure I cover all the topics at first and then focus on problem areas in the middle of the time available, before finally covering a condensed version of all topics just before the exam. This works well when used in conjunction with revision notes - do more detailed notes when covering everything at first, then condense them for final revision. The process of writing it down means you're processing the information more than if you're just reading.

As someone else said, borrow good notes off of a classmate and ask them to clarify anything you don't understand. Use a variety of methods to learn and revise - I find it useful to highlight notes and textbooks and to draw mind-maps, as I tend to think visually. You may find it better to use flashcards (which are ideal near the exam, as you can use them to jog your memory and carry them around with you everywhere), to record yourself reading notes and listen to it a lot, to set notes to a tune (sounds weird, but really helps you remember) or just make your textbooks your new best friends and read them constantly (as one of my friends swears by!). Use what works for you - there's no point in re-reading your textbook if experience tells you it won't stick - but using a lot of different methods increases your chances of recalling the information in the exam.

Use whatever help is available - your tutor or lecturers may be willing to help you out, if they're really nice and understanding about what you've been through, so it's worth asking. The worst they can do is say no. Similarly, fellow students may be willing to give you a hand, either in person or via email. Ask them for advice and/or to help you understand everything.

Stating the obvious, make sure you know what to expect in the exam. I find planning answers and taking mock exams really useful. Sample exam questions used throughout your revision can help you chart your progress and highlight what you need to work on. Gathering as much info as possible will help you stay calm and focused.

Finally, look after yourself. It might be difficult, but eat properly and get enough sleep. Whilst no one would advise you to go out every night, meeting friends one or twice a week for a coffee will be good for your wellbeing and give you a break from studying. Try not to rely on caffeine to keep you up - you might stay awake, but it's not great for concentration or anxiety.

Good luck!

foxyd3vil12

please dont worry yourself and think ova the next month and during the exam that you cant do it, because u can (hopefully). trust me, it works. if u think u can pass, u will pass. im a single mother and have just passed my first yr of uni and i never thought i would pass until someone gave me that advice.

u can do it, u just need a lot of positive mental attitude!!!

good luck!!

lilysgarden

Hey SS,

Like you I had various problems over a crucial part of my course. I was going through a rough patch with my boyfriend, was doing a 50 hour week on practice placement along with working part time, my mums heart was playing up again, my dad was diagnosed with scarring of the lungs which was giving him trouble, and then my 4 year old niece was diagnosed with Leukaemia. All in the month before Christmas!!! So I understand how difficult it can all get when everything hits the fan at once!

Luckily I seemed to be just coping with it all. At least until the new year when I then crashed my car....Thats when the tears came and I nearly gave up. But like you, I stuck at it because this was something I wanted to do. So congratulate yourself on having the courage to keep trying when others give up at the first hurdle!

As for advice, don't think I can tell you much different from anyone else, just make sure you look after yourself while revising as much as possible. Maybe find something you can do as well as revising. One of my mates loves cycling, so would revise while riding an exercise bike!!!!

Also, talk to your tutors and ask for copies of past exam papers. It'll give you an idea what sort of questions to expect and how much work will be expected for each answer. Talk to student services, see if they have tips on good revision. Maybe a student advisor can help by questionning you on things you've revised?

Whatever happens though, good luck and take care. Might seem stressful now, but it will all be worth it when you've achieved whatever you dream of!

Nik xx

sadstudent

Just popping in to say that I have been knucking down with work - I could still do some more, but I do feel positive. First exam is three weeks today...fingers crossed there.

I feel much better thanks to all your kind words, including some very helpful notes sent to me by dmg24. Thankyou

I have done some question spotting and think that I might be able to streamline a couple of things...I might just do this.

HM-Yorks

"I have done some question spotting" Don't overdo it - though most tutors I knew do tend to set similar questions from year to year for ease of setting and marking. That tended IME to be more so in first year exams. It's a bit obvious but even without question spotting if you have a paper that is "answer 4 questions out of 8" then you don't need to know the whole syllabus - though you'd need to check that you don't have questions that cover one area more than once. My revision technique once you've got the basics in place was to work on standard structures for different areas. For example in contract with an offer and acceptance question there will usually be an issue about firstly when and whether the offer is made, then there will be an issue over acceptance so you can structure a standard answer plan looking at the issues over what constitutes an offer. I made flowcharts of this approach but that might be just my learning style. You won't need to apply all those to the actual question but it will give you a framwork to work with. I also liked to round of each revision session by doing a question from a past paper. It seems like a huge amount of effort but it's very useful as you start to memorise particular phrases eg "whilst an offer can be withdrawn at any point up to acceptance any such revocation must be communicated" My other top tip is don't over do it. I found 2 x 2 1/2 - 3 hour sessions a day - of rigorous work not just pretending! - were all I could manage. The "24 hours revising without any sleep" approach is pretty counter productive. Get plenty of sleep & breaks and eat healthily. I took Berocca and Omega 3 supplements I'm not sure it made any difference but it put me in a "training" mindset. I know plenty of people who passed their first year exams on very little effort so it's certainly doable.

SuziQ

A friends daughter nearly got booted off her engineering course last year after missing work throug illness (followed by a period of apathy.) I fully appreciate that's a totally different course to Law,however she got her head down and actually achieved very respectable marks in her resits even though those modules were her 'nightmare' ones-so it can be done. If you waste time and fail to give it your best shot,you will be kicking yourself for years! You have had excellent advice and I really wish you all the best with it-fortune favours a tryer! (along with another cliche-the harder I work,the luckier I get! )