How do you motivate yourself when revising for exams?

fonefather

liz24 wrote:

I try and go to the library 9-5 and then I can have the evening off. It's not something that may work for everyone but it really does help for me. Treats tend to just distract me and I do absolutely nothing!

The annoying being that alot of libraries are closed for the 4 day weekend which (I know it's easter) is upsetting as I really need to get down on it.

I think my only view would be ''what's the point in doing something like a degree if you're not gonna give it 100% when it comes to revising''. After all, it'll save you a summer of horror if you have re-takes (which do hurt!)

Princess_Cinderella_2

im revising for my finals at the moment and take two subjects (not sure why but it was a wonderful idea in first year) but i split my time between the two so i find that if my brain is full of stuff from one subject i can switch to the other subject and it really helps. i also find that i am an early bird and really struggle after about 4 in the afternoon to take any information in so i get up early and start revising about 8 in the morining and can have done 5 hours by lunch time and i find that that helps to motivate me. i also hope to take a masters course so i know i need to get at least a 2:1 to get on the course i want and that really keeps me going.

Esoog

far too busy with dissertation to bother with revision.
How do I motivate myself to do it (eventually) ? well I take the "If I don't, I'll fail" approach.

Savvy_Sue

fonefather wrote:

The annoying being that alot of libraries are closed for the 4 day weekend which (I know it's easter) is upsetting as I really need to get down on it.

Now that is a shame. When I worked for a Uni, the library staff used to have to work Easter weekend so it could be open at least for shorter periods, I'm surprised things have changed because we didn't live in a 24 hour society back then!

jamminjamaica

i literally stay at the library no distractions or tv or cups of tea

lellie

I'm trying to write a 6500 word essay this weekend. One hitch = librarys are closed so haven't been able to get half the books I need. I'm going away for a couple days next week and I wanted to get my whole essay done before I go. I now have to leave some quotes missing because I can't get the books until I get back. I'm also going really slowly - I can usually do about 2500 words a day.. I'm managing about 500 at the moment.

SoScrooge

Hi everyone

A little achievement today! Went to a liabrary and reworked my out of date study plan - made it more realistic, taking into account all these days off and etc. And done everything I planned for today. Feel very nice actually about it.

Any progress anyone?

aimeelister

First, good luck to you all taking exams out there. Im so glad they are over for me.

My history teacher was the best person for giving me exam tips and motivation to revise, Thank you very much to her Mrs Wright, she suggested the following things and they do work

1. plan a revision time table, with breaks
I would split the days up into 3 periods, morning afternoon and evening and then split the subjects into mini topics we had to do. Then i would cycle through all the topics putting 1 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon and 1 in the eve, mixing the subjects up. I would always try and pick 2 slightly longer ones for the day and a shorter one for the eve so it didnt drag on into the eve. I would of course have 1 of those 3 periods when i would timetable doing something, like going for a walk, that would be every 2 or so days and then only doing 1 topic on a Sunday. Lunchtime i would make sure i would take a good hour off and normaly about 1 1/2 hrs in the eve and then i would finish not to late in the eve and watch a bit of TV before bed.

When you go through the topics, I found that first I made notes and when through the stuff, second repeat i would go over the notes and then do practice questions and then thrid repeat I would do the practice questions straight off. Sometimes I got together with friends doing the same subject for the questions, but not before I had gone through the notes, that way if you dont understand something you can go through it together (and you dont look so dumb when you ask a simple question that was in the notes!) Its a real boost when you see how many mini topics you have gone through, and when you repeat them again it is amazing what you had learnt from the previous 2 times.

2. use post-it notes
Write important definitions, dates etc on a post it note, nice and big. Then stick them everywhere you go about everyday life. So you could read a couple on the shower, 1 opposite you on the loo, 1 on the kettle, 1 on the toaster, 1 by the light switches. Its amazing what sinks in when you just read them as you go about your everyday chores. I can still remember that the Treaty of Lausanne was in 1923 between us and Turkey, and was stuck to the wall oposite our loo for my History GCSE, that was 8 years ago (heaven knows what use that is to me now, but it shows it works)#

3. eat well!
If your cooking for yourself you can never be arsed (well at least i found that) so get some decent (good for you and good portion size) microwave meals in and loads of fruit.

Sorry for the essay, but you asked for inspiration.

The other thing is to just look at it in the cold light of day, and say to yourself, If you dont do the work, the time and effort doing the course is wasted and you will not be able to better yourself.

Once again, good luck!

casson2006

i dont have any problems with revision, i just cant revise. all i ever do is just make notes on my notes and then do past papers. they past papers seem 2help but i neva feel like ive actually lernt the stuff i need to know. ive never been good with exams, i have got my 2nd year final exams, and one is molecular biology, so im not looking forward to it! :eek:

SoScrooge

Hi casson2006

I don't know what to say.... Maybe try to make most out of it. Pretend you like molecular biology...

I am doing accountancy and it is boring (but hopefully rewarding financially afterwards).

I remember back at school (I went to school abroad), I really hated chemistry in my first year. Then I changed schools and a new teacher made me love it. It made me to read the previous year text book and understand almost everything.

My next teacher (changed schools again) was a real terror, so I had to do a lot of studying, but it did not kill my love for the subject. I even took it as a final exam (something like A level) and passed flying colours.

I know, when I just can't stand a subject, it roots into my lacking of understanding it. And as soon as I 'wipe off' what I don't understand, I start loving it.

Hope I did not bore you to death with my post