I have two more exams to the end of my Undergraduate Degree, which is a strange thing to get my mind around. Rather than getting extremely reflective about the end of my degree, I think I’ll focus on giving some exam advice I’ve accumulated over the years.
I think I mentioned in a previous blog that I prefer exams to essays, because exams force you to do your best in a limited time period, and then walk away from it. I’m prone to overthinking, so it’s great to be forced to walk away from something. I’d say I enjoy the preparation process too. Preparation begins very early on. I know this is something people say all the time, but keeping on top of your readings and constantly reflecting on what you’re learning is so important. However, if you fall behind, you’re given plenty of time to study and you need to make use of this time. In three years, I’ve developed a general approach to exam preparation that works perfectly for me.
This is my general exam preparation process:
- Choose how many topics you need to study for the exam. For each exam, there are usually eight questions, relating to eight out of ten topics you have studied. That means there are two topics that might not show up. In the exam, you have to answer two questions (in first year, it might be three questions), so it is a good idea to study four topics (or five if you want to be super prepared, and three or two if you’re more of a gambler).
- List all the topics. List all possible questions. List all key ideas or key terminology. List, list, list!!!! Writing things down (digitally or on paper) really helps to focus your revision. I find that if I think of what I need to do without writing it down, I either over-estimate or underestimate everything. However, if you have superhuman thinking abilities, then ignore this advice.
- Once you’ve identified what you need to do, do it in whatever way you think is best. There are so many different study methods, and you should have found one that works for you by now. Google different methods and try them out if you don’t already know how you study best. Also, read!!! Reading is so important for Philosophy, and your essays/exams usually reveal how much you’ve read. How are you going to get a well-informed essay without reading anything?
- Sit the exams, do your best, and don’t think about the exams until you get your results. When I leave an exam room, I make it a point to avoid thinking of all the things I might have answered better. Instead, I think about the next exam, or how I’m going to celebrate the end of exams, or anything else. There’s no point in getting stressed about an exam you’ve already finished. It’s important to know how to walk away from it because otherwise you’ll cause yourself unnecessary pain.
I hope this helps you when you’re sitting your exams. I know you have some coming up soon too. Good luck! Let’s work hard and finish well together.
Vanessa 
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