Emergency study tactics

WHEN you have a lousy teacher or you have been skipping classes, here are three emergency study tactics to help get you through examinations.

Find past exam papers

Past papers will help you see what topics come up on a regular basis.

Analyse questions, make a list of things you need to learn to score good marks and draw up a study guide for yourself.

If the course, book or teacher has changed, this method may not be accurate. Ask your teacher if you are uncertain whether there has been a change in course focus.

Read the study guide

The study guide lays out the course for you, analysing what you need to take away from every topic.

Good study guides take the main textbook apart and set questions so that you can track your understanding.

Excellent ones also point out alternative and extra resources. If you have this, make the most of it.

Master the main text

If you have a main text written specially for teaching courses, pay attention to the learning objectives in each chapter. If you master these, you will have the book down pat.

If your book is not laid out in this way, you need to read each chapter and highlight the important points.