Cannot retain revision. Stress!

paulineb_2

Its actually quite normal to feel like you cant remember anything when you shut the books. I spent a fortnight cramming for an exam, not a degree exam but a nutrition exam. I passed it but every time I put my notes down I thought how am I going to remember all of this?

I think working yourself up into a state over it wont help. I never had any open book exams in my degree, I know some people who did but I think thats the exception rather than the norm. When I did my undergraduate degree the pass mark was 40 per cent, HNCs and D's were 50 per cent pass marks, may have changed now. But you dont need to get fantastic marks to pass, you just need to get enough to pass.

What are you studying subject wise and at what level?

paulineb_2

Luckylucy wrote: »

Access Diploma, All taught which I have used as mentioned above. I am not forgetting the information because I haven't revised or haven't been taught to revise. It's just not sticking in my head.

Ask me a question which I can answer by talking and I could speak you an essay, get me to write it from memory recall and I don't remember a thing.

Surely when you are asked a question in an exam you can write 3 or 4 lines in notes on a scrap of paper that you dont hand in and then work from there?

If you are answering a question by talking there is still memory recall involved there.

Bennifred

springdreams wrote: »

I prefer to use linear notes and colour to study.

As someone who has sat over 40 university exams, all of them whilst also still working full time and without benefit of lectures, I can tell you that memory retention is a matter of practice. There is no magic solution.

Perhaps you are trying to do too many revision methods for any of them to actually be effective for you. Choose one.

What I do is:

Read one chapter of the material I need to revise.

Read through the chapter again and underline the important points in pencil.

Read through again and write down the important points in my own words.

Read my own notes and highlight the key words with a highlighter.

Before I start on the next chapter, I read through my hand written notes one more time, then do the above steps for the next chapter.

Two weeks before the exams I read through all of my hand written notes again, and transcribe the key words onto index cards. I then read the index cards every day.

I don't spend time trying to answer past papers - this is precious time that you could be using to fine tune your own notes. Instead, I read through the questions of the past papers and the model answer or examiner's comments, and make notes of any topic that comes up fairly frequently, then make sure I include that topic in my studies.

The benefit of trying to answer a past paper is to help you practice answering a paper under exam conditions within the time allocated. Only do this if you have time to spare.

Another very important thing to do is to make sure you are aware of what subject matter you should be focussing on. I have made the mistake of trying to study entire text books, yet the exam was only going to be on certain sections of it. Follow the recommended course outline - that way you are more likely to study the material that is relevant, and not be bogged down with stuff you don't need to know.

When studying, intially start with 45 minutes of revision, and a 15 minute break. Your brain needs time to absorb what you are trying to get it to remember. In time, increase this to an hour revision with a 10 minute break. Any longer, and the brain becomes too bogged down with information, so very little is retained. Think of it as a sponge - when a sponge is saturated with liquid it can eventually hold no more, and the excess will not be retained.

HTH

Ideal! Many people with dyslexia have to "overlearn" in order to retain information, which is an extension of what you do, springdreams. It's also helpful to record yourself reading the information and listen to it back. I remember reading somewhere that one has to access the information six times in different ways (read it, write it, type it, speak it aloud, hear it etc) for it to be "locked in" to the memory.

daisiegg

fluffnutter wrote: »

I had to re-read the first post because I was curious what course the OP's studying. No doubt I'll come across as a right meanie but I despair that someone who's studying for a degree doesn't know how to revise well and can't think what difference there might be between a manager and a leader.

A degree, fgs. Are people being completed failed at secondary school?? How can you get to university without having devised some sort of revision technique that works and having a modicum of common sense?

Because universities are accepting people with low A Level grades, who have retaken and retaken exams just to achieve even those low grades (though from this year, no more resist of modules are allowed). There are too many universities, and too many worthless courses, and universities are taking anyone so they can get bums on seats. That is the reason. (Not suggesting this applies to the OP, but just talking generally)

meritaten

luckylucy
next time don't be afraid to answer questions out of numeric order. just make it clear which question you are answering.
if you get short on time or have difficult expanding on a topic, write the salient points in bullet points. You wont lose marks and should gain a few.
if you start to panic - don't leave the exam room. sit up straight close your eyes and breathe deeply. when you feel calmer then return to the exam and read the question again. Breathe deeply then apply one of the 'tricks' above.
I like to use the bullet point technique because it helps me remember the facts. once I have as many down as I can recall I leave space, in case any more pop into my mind and write them down - its easy to forget if you are trying to formulate another point into something coherent.

panic attacks during exams are to be avoided - try signing on a relaxation course in preparation for the next exam(s). it really does help!

RobotsinDisguse

Luckylucy wrote: »

Yes perhaps but that isn't an answer worth 50 marks is it? An answer like that is easy enough for anyone.

Hi Lucy, sorry I didn't make myself clear... I wasn't being sarcastic, I was agreeing with you that that was a question that's easy to answer in a paragraph but harder to write lots about. (I also should be able to answer it fully too but couldn't).
I'm dyslexic and that's one if my issues.. I either explain too much or not enough!

I'm so pleased you saw the guidance chap and that you've been signed up for help & assessment. It took 6 months of me pestering at uni to get assessed, by which time I was a mess. I did finish my degree but nearly had a nervous breakdown in doing so. So I really can emphasis so much with how you are probably feeling. Best of luck.

gunsandbanjos

MrsAtobe wrote: »

I used to revise a particular subject to a specific band that I like - luckily I have catholic taste in music. All I had to do was start the tracks playing in my head when I got into the exams. I can still remember certain parts of my Physics course when I hear the Stranglers

I studied for most of my maths Finals to Metallica:rotfl: for some reason it calmed my brain and let me study well.

LottieLou

I understand what you must have felt before your exam.

Because of the big difference between the marks you get in an open book exam vs closed, do you not think the shear anxiety you have built up in your system is creating something like a head fogg?? stopping anything from going in and wiping everything blank. You don't have to be sat in the exam to get this it can happen days and weeks before out of blind panic.

Whenever I have to sit an exam I create exams for myself in advance. I set papers for myself (or get friends to write the questions) give myself a time limit and sit in an unfamiliar distracting environment (typically costa coffee lol!). From this I seem to focus better.

I also do quick, rough bullet point plan (and label it plan if i don't want it marked) at the beginning of each section to get some of the information out asap.

pollypenny

Luckylucy wrote: »

Access Diploma, All taught which I have used as mentioned above. I am not forgetting the information because I haven't revised or haven't been taught to revise. It's just not sticking in my head.

Ask me a question which I can answer by talking and I could speak you an essay, get me to write it from memory recall and I don't remember a thing.

I would use the whole of a page in the exam book to plan an essay, with lots of space between points, so that they stand out clearly.

I would just Z through anything I didn't want marked.

I taught this to my students, too. In fact, I don't think I was alone in spending lots of time on essay planning and exam strategies.

tyllwyd

Luckylucy wrote: »

Access Diploma, All taught which I have used as mentioned above. I am not forgetting the information because I haven't revised or haven't been taught to revise. It's just not sticking in my head.
Ask me a question which I can answer by talking and I could speak you an essay, get me to write it from memory recall and I don't remember a thing.

So from what you've said, you have been assessed as having an issue with memory? I think it is difficult for us to understand exactly how it affects you - when you go to a lecture, can you remember what has been said? Or is it that you understand it, and can read back your notes, but you can't remember it when you aren't looking at the notes?

Or is it putting the information down in writing that is the problem? I know that if you are dyslexic, it is possible to be assessed as being able to have a scribe to write for you - would that help with the problem?

I guess there might be specific memory techniques that could help, but if not I think I'd be looking at ways of getting around the problem.

If the issue is that in an exam situation you can't recall specific facts, then maybe you need to stop trying, because it is making you too stressed, and concentrate on trying to present your arguments in the best way so you can pick up as many marks as possible, even if in that exam you are never going to get top marks.

Or perhaps cut down the facts that you are trying to learn to a few key ones, that you try to squeeze into an answer somewhere, rather than attempting to learn everything you ideally would like to.