Examination skills- preparation and technique - Assignment Example

There are a number of techniques that can be employed as a means of maximizing my potential when it is time for revising for exams. The focus of this brief essay will be to underline and describe four techniques that have proven to be very effective for me. This will be done in the hopes that such a clear discussion will not only help the reader to engage in an understanding of what methodology works best for me, it will also be useful in stipulating the exact process that I should engage as a means of ensuring that I have the very best results from the little remaining study time that is available.

Firstly, it cannot be under-emphasized the one of the most effective techniques is to prioritize the study material. For instance, far too many people engage in the process of revising and devote equal amounts of time to each facet of the information that they might be tested upon. This is a flawed strategy due to the fact that certain parts of the information will come cleary and as second nature to the student; by means of comparison, other aspects of the information may be much harder to understand and require a more thorough approach.

Similarly, the setting of revision is oftentimes overlooked. For instance, studies have proven that 1 hour of quality and uninterrupted study time is more effective than many hours of continual interrupted study time and/or distractions (Hing Sun, 2005). As such, a particularly useful technique that I have employed in the past is to set aside a give portion of time as a means of studying. In much the same way that other aspects of the day are planned out, revising can be accomplished within a similar technique.

A further technique that should be employed is to resist the pitfall of seeking to memorize everything. Even if one has an exceptionally good memory, this particular approach is pointless as it creates little understanding and does not further the educational achievement of the student beyond merely regurgitating information back onto the page. Finally, and perhaps most obviously, the temptation of cramming for exams must be resisted at all costs. Although many students swear by their ability to procrastinate until the very last minute and then stay up for days at a time as a means of rapidly understanding and memorizing key information, studies and research into these techniques have definitively proven that this approach is fundamentally flawed and ultimately leads to a lower overall score as compared to those students that were able to set aside a given amount of time, in a reasonable fashion, to revise for exams (Dvorak, 2003).

Although none of these approaches are sufficient in and of themselves to achieve a satisfactory result, when employed together and with adequate time, study space, and forethought, they can have a drastic overall impact with regards to the performance that a student is able to exhibit on their exam revisions. As such, these four techniques will be employed by this particular student in the hopes that they will contribute to an overall higher score and result.ReferencesDvorak, BD 2003, Cramming Not Advised, Consumers Research Magazine, 86, 9, p.

2, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 January 2014.Hing Sun, L 2005, The gap between secondary school and university techniques in studying, International Journal Of Education In Science & Technology, 36, 2/3, pp. 161-174, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 29 January 2014.