Emergency study tips
IF you have been skipping classes, below are some emergency study tactics that can help you get through your exam.
Find old exam papers
Past year 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 work up a study guide for yourself.
Note: if the course, book or teacher has changed, this may not be accurate. Ask your teacher if you’re uncertain whether there has been a change in the 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, and it’s been written specially for teaching courses, pay attention to the learning objectives in each chapter. If you master these, you’ve got the book down pat.
If your books isn’t laid out in this way, you need to read each chapter and highlight the important points.
Develop study notes as you read, then condense these and you have a very good chance of knowing what you need to know.
Tuition
If you have the resources (time, money and access to course graduates) you can also arrange for some extra one-on-one tutoring.
However, if you’re not dealing with a professional teacher, you need to outline exactly what you need to get up to speed with, and then look for someone who aced that part of the course.
It’s not easy and it may not work, but if you have plenty of time, it’s an option to consider.