G M I T S U

EXAM GUIDE2 0 1 2

GMITSUEXAM GUIDE

2012

Hi guys, Exam time around the college is never an easy time, we all know first hand! This booklet is designed to act as a guide for you during this stressful time. There are simple steps inside which vary from how best to study to eating the right foods before an exam. All of these steps put into practice together will make the exam time that bit easier. By using this guide to make yourself more focused you will only give yourself a better chance of achieving that grade your after. I really do hope they go well for you and you get what you are after. If the stress ever gets too much, don’t be afraid to pop down to the office for a chat, I’ve been through it all before!

All the best

SamVice President & Welfare Officer 12/13

With thanks to Kate Acheson Deputy President, USI

STUDYING FROM EXAM PAPERSThe best way to prepare for an exam is to go through the past papers for that module. Answer as many as you can, filing the answers with your questions neatly, so you can look over these before an exam. This is a much better way to go through a subject you dislike than reading through hundreds of pages of mate-rial. It’s a method of active learning because you can’t start day dreaming unlike when you’re just reading a book.

If you can’t answer some exam questions ask your lecturer to go through them during tutorials. Another great way to find the answer to a question is to get into a group study session with your class. If a group of you brainstorm, you are far more likely to find the answer.

Note: All exam papers are available of the library website to view and print off.

USING FLASH CARDSSummarising neatly important definitions, equations, etc on colourful flash cards will help memorising parts of your course you find difficult much easier.

You can reuse these cards over and over again and they will be useful on the day to look at. People often freak out in the day of the exam when they are looking over their hundreds of pages of notes they have collected throughout the year.

A few small colourful flash cards are much nicer and less daunting to study from. You can get these flash cards from the student union shop a reasonable price which always helps!!

SCANNING AND SKIMMINGScanning: This method of reading is when you need to quickly locate a specific piece of information within reading material. You can also use this method for the first time you are looking at a large body of text in a chap-ter or notes. You are not taking in the information you are looking at important headings and words. You will be familiarised with the text before you skim through the material or you can find a word in a large body of text.

Skimming:This is useful when you have to read lots of material quickly. Identify the main ideas in each paragraph and ignore the details in supportive sentences. You can use this method for revising over notes from a class you had that day. You are not taking in large amounts of information so this is helpful for material you find difficult or boring. You should use this method of reading before you start study reading.

NIGHT BEFORE AN EXAM1. Check exam timetable, date, time and room.

2. Also find out what can be taken into the exam e.g. calculators, dictionaries, log tables etc.

3. Set priorities what are the most important topics

4. Concentrate on a few topics and know them well

5. Don’t spend the night before exams trying to cram in revision.

6. Work, rest and review your progress.

7. Prepare your exam kit and what you will need to take in with

you for the next day.

8. Get a good night’s sleep.

HOW TO STUDY READThis method of reading is when the purpose is to read difficult material at a high level comprehension. When using the study reading style, you should read at a rate that is slower than your normal reading rate. Further, as you read you must challenge yourself to understand the material.

Study reading will often require you to read material more than once to achieve a high level of compre-hension. Sometimes, reading the material aloud will also help you improve your comprehension. Never use this method however for the first time you are looking at new material because you will start day dreaming and your brain won’t be able to take all the information in one go. Remember to familiarise yourself with the material first and the layout of the text. This will calm you down and you will be able to retain more information.

THE ‘FIVE MORE’ RULEThere are two types of people when it comes to study; those who have learned how to work through frustra-tion, and those who wish they had. From now on, if you’re in the middle of a task and tempted to give up- just do FIVE MORE. Read FIVE MORE pages. Finish FIVE MORE math problems. Work FIVE MORE minutes.

Just as runners get their second wind by not giving up when their body initially protests, you can get your ‘second mind’ by not giving up when your willpower initially protests. Continuing to concentrate when your brain is tired is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your attention span and building mental endurance.

(not necessarily the hardest)

DAY OF THE EXAMHave a healthy meal, preferably one containing protein rather than carbohydrates so you don’t get sluggish during the exam.

Take water supplies and chewing gum with you. The water will sustain and hydrate you while the chewing gum can help relieve stress and nerves. Be sure to dispose of the chewing gum properly!

Arrive in good time. Read through your summaries briefly before entering the exam but don’t engage in discussion about topics with others. This can confuse you and increase your anxiety. You are as prepared as you can be.

DURING THE EXAMMake sure to keep an eye on your watch or the clock in the exam hall.

Give the entire exam paper a proper read through to get a good overview of the exam in front of you. Make sure to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!!

Calculate how much time you should spend on each question in relation to how many marks are going for it.

Decide what questions are the right ones for you to answer. Make sure to stick to these during the exam, it is NEVER a good idea half way through answering a question to change your mind and attempt a different one. This will waste too much time and may mean you have to rush the newly attempted question.

YOU’RE PHONE, FACEBOOK & TWITTER: TAKE A BREAK!Two study problems can occur if your friends call you during your study times. Firstly, your work in interrupted. It is not that easy to get back to what you were doing.

Second, your friends may talk about things that will distract you from what you need to do. Turn off your mobile phone during your study times. Turn it off when you’re in the library anyway so you don’t distract other students studying. If you are working at a computer, stay off Facebook.

SET SPECIFICGOALS FOR STUDY TIMEGoals will help you stay focused and monitor your progress. Simply sitting down to study has little value.

You must be very clear about what you want to accomplish during your study times.

Remember to have realistic goals for yourself in the time you have set aside.

STUDY AT THE SAME TIME EACH DAYStudying at the same times each day establishes a routine that be-comes a regular part of your life, just like sleeping and eating.

When a scheduled study time comes up during the day, you will be mentally prepared to begin studying.

TAKE SHORT BREAKS EVERY HOURSpace your work over shorter periods of time. There is no point staring at a book for two hours, you’re better off having a half hour of productive study.

If you try to do too much at once, you will tire and your studying will not be very effective.

Go for a walk outside to get some fresh air or you could run to the shop for a snack.

Limit your breaks to 10 minutes.

ASK FOR HELP IF YOU NEED ITThis is a case where ‘two heads may be better than one’. If you can’t figure out a question in an assignment or a past exam paper then ask one of your class mates.

It’s more than likely someone will understand what the question is asking for or where in the book or notes you can find the section.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL STUDENTS – PLEASE READ TIMETABLES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGETherefore, it is the responsibility of students to check their timetables 24 hours in advance of the commencement of exams to ensure they have the correct information regarding exams. YOU MUST BRING YOUR STUDENT ID WITH YOU TO EACH EXAMINATION.If you do not have official identification, you WILL NOT, get into the examination hall. Forms of ID you can use are GMIT Student ID, Passport, Driving Licence, Garda ID.

DO NOT BRING YOUR MOBILE PHONE INTO THE EXAM HALL — IT WILL BE CONFISCATED.

RELEASE FEE IS €50.

NEW DICTIONARY POLICY1) Students are not permitted to bring dictionaries into examination centres for use during examinations. Students are equally not permitted to bring electronic dictionaries/translation devices into GMIT examination centres.2) English dictionaries will be provided within GMIT examination centres for students whose first language is neither English nor Irish, unless otherwise specified on the cover sheet of the examination paper. (Read the full Dictionary policy) TRANSPORTATIONBus transport to and from Galway Racecourse will be provided from 14th December until 21st December. Places will be limited and will be on a first come first served basis. The bus times are listed below:

MorningDepart GMIT for Galway Racecourse at 8.30 amDepart Galway Racecourse for GMIT at 12.30 pm (approx)

AfternoonDepart GMIT for Galway Racecourse at 1.30 pmDepart Galway Racecourse for GMIT at 4.45pm (approx)

Please ensure that you note the correct time, date and location for your particular examination(s) and that you sit within the seating range relevant to your examination and programme code (listed on posters at Examination centres) on the day(s) of your examination(s).

GOOD LUCK!!