Students said…

Claire on buying books for your course

Your lecturer might give you a list of like four or five books to buy - but it could be a good idea to ask your lecturer which one or two books are the most essential for you and maybe even ask which chapters would be useful, as you can be easily overwhelmed by a list of loads of books, when in fact you might just be wasting time with irrelevant information.

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Sarah on planning studies

At the beginning of the year you tend to get your submission dates for assignments and things and I usually use a diary and a wall planner to help me plan my time. I've usually got multi-coloured wall planners, so that I can see very clearly, different subject areas.

I've also got a lot of assignments due in at the same time, so what I tend to do is prioritise my time and set mini deadlines for myself.

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Ewan on allowing for travel time

One thing to consider when planning your studies is the travel time - not only between lectures, but also into university in the morning as well. I have to leave an hour and a half to get myself in for anything, as I live outside Edinburgh. Whilst this gives me plenty of time to read notes and double check my work, it does mean that I really need to think a day ahead. If you need to travel between campuses for lectures or exams, make sure you know the bus time ahead - don't just rely on a bus turning up when you need it! It can be useful to make a trip beforehand so you know how long to give yourself.

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Sarah on study routine

It's quite useful to think about a study routine, that suits you as well, like when do you study best – in the mornings, the afternoons or evenings? Again, you need to factor in relaxation time, which is important, and other commitments you might have.

Take regular breaks, especially if you're doing intensive reading - so maybe every 45 minutes to an hour, make sure you stop. Eat regularly, drink regularly, keep to a good routine!

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Romana on study groups

It's useful, I've found, to have study groups with other students in the class, and to go over past papers or any issues you're having. Sometimes one person understands a topic better than another person, so you can work together and just help each other. Past papers are available in the library, if not, go and ask your lecturers.

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Carey on exams

Exams are not insurmountable objects and they are not written by sadists. In fact the person who poses the questions wants you to pass just as much as you do.

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Alistair on revising effectively

Revise as much as you can, but memorise the key points, such as theorists, diagrams, dates and events. Don't memorise anything not covered in lectures. Learn to use mind maps to help you remember complex subjects.

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Alistair on time management

Got a busy life? Then aim to get your assessment in early. That way, no last minute emergency will cause you to miss your hand-in date.

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Sarah on keeping on track

The going can get tough and it can get hard but when you get your assignments back and you see the results, the feeling you get is so uplifting it makes the effort all the more worthwhile.

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Sarah on revising for exams

The first thing is to plan quite far in advance and not to leave all your work to the last minute! Set up a study timetable with when your exams are. Also be aware of some difficult areas you are going to have, the different areas of study where you might need extra time. I start to think about revision six to eight weeks in advance, but everyone's different.

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Ewan on getting to exams

Travelling into and around Edinburgh can be quite time consuming, as Edinburgh is a busy and thriving city. When it comes time to arrange your exams, be sure to leave time to get where you need to be.

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Sarah on using past papers for revision

When you are revising, try and be selective about what you revise. So look at past papers, which will give you some ideas of the topics that are likely to come up. You can prepare a number of answers. The past papers will also help you practise structuring your answers for the exam.

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Emily on revision notes

Revising for exams can be a stressful process because a lot of the time, you don't know what the exam consists of. When I finish studying, I put my notes away and spend five minutes brainstorming and writing mindmaps. I stick the mindmaps all over my flat - mirrors, backs of doors, kitchen cupboards - anywhere I can see them. I usually spend five minutes in the exam writing mindmaps. It's amazing what you recall!

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Claire on using self-tests for revision

When you start revising for exams, it could be a good idea to go through your notes and write kind of questions for yourself on separate paper, so you are giving yourself like a mini test. So the next time you come back to your work, you can find out, when you try and answer the questions, which areas you need to do more work on, or like you maybe need to revise in more detail.

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Romana on preparing for exams

You have to make sure you're prepared in advance. Even generate an exam timetable, to ensure you revise for each subject, and spend enough time on each subject.

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Elaine on revision planning

End of semester exams can be a stressful time, but I learnt that if you plan enough time to revise, they won't be as stressful. For many of my exams I found past papers a great revision source. Meeting up with others on my course to revise as a group was also very helpful, as we could share our knowledge and discuss any problems we had.

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John on trigger words in revision

To help me revise I try to imagine the questions that will be asked in the exams and write answers for them. I rewrite the answers over and over and then condense them down into trigger words. When I write these trigger words in the exam I am able to recall the sentences - hopefully!

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Alistair on understanding the question

In assessments and exams, read the question and understand what it is asking. It's too easy to think you know what is being asked.

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