How much Hard-core Revision you doing?

cupid_s

Phil - but for my main exams I'd have say 40 individual topics to learn over 4 or so different modules. I imagine that whatever subject you take there will be lots of smaller topics and a few different modules. So I planned my timetable so the topics were completely broken up. I'd have hour sessions at most, so I'd work for an hour on anti-depressants say, then move onto the structure of nicotinic receptors, then read a journal on asthma treatments. And I'd have 3 or so sessions timetabled for each individual topic. So the topics are broken up and really it's not the same task as it is different work you're revising.

sali_mali

Ah you sound like you're doing a similar subject to me!

I prefer to stick to one module per day, but then each lecture covers a different disease/drug type/etc so I suppose it's the same sort of thing.

I'm off to learn about Parkinson's disease now

studentphil

But on an exam that is essay based you only need to game and not learn it all. You really only need to know 5 or 6 topics out of maybe 25 to pass an exam if you have to answer 2 or 3 questions in an exam. If you know 6 of the major topics of the module then you will know enough to pass the exam.

studentphil

In one of my modules there are 3 philosophical postions which you need to learn. Then the module had 6 case studies in it. So considering that there will be at least one question on the philosophical positions, if I know them then I can do half of what I need to answer on the paper straight away. Then if I learn 2 or 3 of the case studies I will able to answer something on the second half of the paper.

melancholly

studentphil wrote: »

But on an exam that is essay based you only need to game and not learn it all. You really only need to know 5 or 6 topics out of maybe 25 to pass an exam if you have to answer 2 or 3 questions in an exam. If you know 6 of the major topics of the module then you will know enough to pass the exam.

well that's the right aim to start with - make sure you know enough to pass everything - but then go back and learn more so that you can try and do mroe than just pass.

definitley get the minimum possible first, but if you have time, go learn more!

i used to only manage to work for about an hour, then had an hour or two off, then go back - ended up doing 5/6 hours a day like that. then when i'd done nothing all year and needed to sit and work for 14 hours straight to scrape a pass, that's what i had to do!

if you feel you're doing everything that you can, then fine! i think most final year students would be doing more than 2 hours a day - i'm not saying work every minute you're awake! and you can break up your revision to different things - learn facts for an hour (dates and names of references and specific quotes), then general arguements and wider reading, then do some practise essay plans.... if you do one thing solidly for hours on end then it's dull, but you don't have to do it like that

sali_mali

My exams are essay based too. Surely you don't know what they will ask and so need to learn everything? What if the 3 questions you have to answer are not the 3 you learnt?

Also, I find to get high marks in the exams you don't just include the information they've given you - you need to show that you've done further reading as well and you may need to intergrate information learnt in other subjects within the same module to show a complete understanding. So if you've only learnt half of what they give you, you won't be able to get higher than maybe a 2:2 if you're lucky.

Just my opinion and experience. Swings and roundabouts

studentphil

I must admit I have never got that how learning tons of round about stuff from all the 100s of related articles in existence is going to help you in maybe 2 or 3 sides in an exam. There is just not the time to be writing in lots of quotes and lots of semi related stuff. You are far better learning the course materials than articles which are related to the topic but are often useless to a very specific exam title.

When you pick topics to revise you revise the major topics which will almost certainly come up.

If you can find out the set up on the exam then that helps a lot in picking topics. If you know that an exam section A will be general principles and section B is applied case studies then you have two pools straight away to select topics across.

studentphil

You see I would never learn quotes for an exam (maybe I am a bad academic) but I just would not have the time to write them in such a short space of time. I think general points serve you much better in a short time.

Impet_Limpet

I'm doing biomed science!

I wish i could spend so many hours a day revising, its impossible to fit around 30hours a week of employment!!

I'll generally start revising about 4 weeks before the exam. My exams start on 7th May and my last piece of coursework is in on the 11th May. Thankfully all coursework is pretty much handed in now with the exception of two assignments.

I can only fit a max of 3.5 hours in on a weekday evening, but weekends I try do about 6 hours per day.

I find actually PLANNING what you are going to revise before you start means you revise smarter and more effectively, it prevents 6 hours of vague reading. If you set yourself Specific Measurable Aims that are Realistic with a Timeframe (SMART) you can really see your progress.

Chnage the type of revisions you do too, eg CD roms (i find they have been great in immunology), reading, testing each other, flash cards, group teaching (3ish students pick a topic, concept or question each - become an expert on the topic and deliver the "teaching" to others in the group.

melancholly

as someone who does marking (which may be on a different scale), regurgitating class notes will get you to pass - but someone who throws in some good quotes or nice references will impress me!

i always found that answering a less popular question worked well too - if you get compared to lots of other people, you're less likely to be one of the best (slightly negative thinking, but it helped me in exams!)