Tips and techniques for surviving RVC Counselling Service.
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Transcript of Tips and techniques for surviving RVC Counselling Service.
Tips and techniques for survivingTips and techniques for surviving
RVC Counselling ServiceRVC Counselling Service
Why Do I need a Timetable and Why Do they Never Work?
Be Realistic! Work with how you are, not how you’d like to be!Are You a Lark or an Owl? Do you work best early or late in
the day?How Good is Your Concentration? Do you work best in 30
minute stints (for eg) or 3-4 hr blocks?Be Realistic! Work with your strengths and weaknessesTake Breaks! Otherwise your brain will take one for you and
just ‘switch off’!Reward Yourself! Revising is often boring, tedious and a bit
of a slog. Keep yourself motivated by ‘mini’ treats eg cups of tea, snacks, 30 mins of TV/gaming
Have a Life! Keeping some work-life balance in mind will mean you return to your studies refreshed and less resentful. A night out /day off during revision time can work wonders.
Making a Revision Timetable: Part I
Print out the Revision Plan from slide 5 of this presentation. Ideally, fill out one for each week for 3-4 weeks before exams.
Write in ……………..Dates from now until your last exam
Exam dates /times/lengthAny time allocated to lectures, seminars, tutorials,
placementsOther standing commitments e.g. employment, chores
(shopping/cooking)Relaxation time – as a guide, a 2-3 hr block each day plus one
whole evening/afternoon midweek and at weekend
Making a Revision Timetable: Part IIFor each module you need to revise, divide up into sub-
topics.Allocate time needed to revise depending on whether topic
is easy/hard, big/smallWork out total number of study blocks availableAllocate revision topics into study blocksTry to allow a ‘free time block’ for catching up/unforeseen
problemsA common mistake is overfilling your timetable , and
getting disheartened – Be Realistic!!!
Monday (e.g.)
Morning(subject 1) Break
Afternoon(subject 1) Break
Evening(subject 2)
Treat(see film)
Tuesday Break Break
Wednesday Break Break
Thursday Break Break
Friday Break Break
Saturday Break Break
Sunday Break Break
GOAL
REWARD
Revision Timetable
Where Do I Begin???
You cannot learn everythingBe SelectiveMake Educated GuessesLook at Course Outline Look at Past ExamsAsk Lecturers Study and Summarize Lecture NotesUse Note CardsDo Practice Exams
How Do I Learn?Active Study: Look, Listen, Write. Break your notes up
using underlining, highlighters, boxes around etcConcise Notes - reduce your lecture notes to memorisable
key words and phrasesUse Your Own Words to describe concepts/theories etcTest Yourself – write your own ‘mini’ questionsMake Prompts – use spider diagrams, mnemonics, rhymes
Do you work best alone or with others?
When trying to decide, think through…..
What helps you concentrate the best?
When do you feel more or less anxious (alone or with friends?)
If you want to work with friend(s) be clear together aims of each session
Be clear about what is right for you
How to use past exam papers
Find out if there are any available. If not, ask your tutor for advice.
Make a note of commonly occurring questions/topics from the last 3 years (and revise well!)
Use for ‘mock’ exams, and timing/testing yourselfBecoming already familiar with the ‘look’ and ‘style’ of the
exam you will be taking will help reduce your anxiety on the exam day
Reassure YourselfCheck and Double Check your TimetableCheck the Length of the ExamCheck the Pattern of the Exam – multiple choice/
essay/short answer/mixedFind the Room – be aware that this can change, so keep
checking and be prepared for this possibility
Visualize yourself in the Room
The Night Before…Part 1Prepare your Materials: You don’t want a last minute panic in
the morning! Double-check requirements: do you need a calculator?
Student ID? What else? Pack everything you will need: extra pens, pencils,
highlighter, approved calculator
Review: Review notes on basic concepts, formulae, basic principles Review revision notes
Don’t Study Anything New Looking at new things makes you worry abut what you don’t
know instead of building up your confidence about what you do know!
Studying new things the night before leads to panic!
The Night Before…Part IIDon’t discuss the exam with friends! They are bound to
have revised something you haven’t, or set off your anxiety with their own!
Treat Yourself and Look After Yourself! Avoid stressful situations, people or conversations. Do something that makes you feel good
Try to get a good nights sleep! A warm bath, relaxing music, reading through notes one last time can all help. Do not worry if you can’t sleep – allow yourself some ‘snooze time’ post exam to catch up.
The Big DayArrive On Time
Give yourself plenty of time to get there: you don’t want to arrive in a panic.
Don’t arrive too early: Exam panic is contagious! Listen to the Invigilator’s InstructionsRead the Whole Paper Carefully: Be aware...
How many questions do you have to answer, and in what sections? How many credits each question is worth If there is a choice, decide which questions you are going to answer,
and in what orderMake an Action Plan and allocate start and end time for each question
Take A Deep Breath and Begin Make A Plan for Each Question. Allow your mind to freely associate
around the question. Jot down hard-to remember key ideas, concepts, theories, formulae etc.
Keep Checking Back to See Whether You are Answering the Question Be simple, direct and to the point: you only get points for
answering the question, no matter how much else you know Watch your time: DO NOT GO OVER allotted time for each question Leave a Space Between Questions …You can always go back and
add things MAKE SURE THAT YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION! What is it
actually asking you to do…..? Make it Readable: Skip lines if your handwriting is hard to read Stop writing as soon as you are told, otherwise the invigilator will log
this
What If I Go Blank????Brainstorm Jot down any ideas that come to you or move onto
another question if you are stuck
Think yourself into a Calm Place Take Deep BreathsAvoid Negative ThoughtsDon’t Look Around! You will be sitting next to someone who is
writing furiously!!!Remind yourself that you do have the information there, it just
needs to be found
After The ExamDon’t Discuss the paper
You can never be sure of the right answers Its too late to do anything about it You need to keep yourself thinking positive Panic is as infectious after the exam as before and is as bad for
you!
Reward yourself! You deserve it! Exams are difficult and stressful
Have a Break You need a short break even if you have an exam the next day
(or even the same day ) just to clear your mind for the next thing
Hooray – you did it!!!!!
Vicki Dale, Learning Support [email protected]
Mosby review booksIn Practice quizzesRevise notes from DLsWrite your own EMQsComputer-aided learning
e-casesQM perception quizzesVet learning resourcesWikiVet
Veterinary clinical resources
Place post-it notes around the house with a single concept/disease/treatment on each one ... Each time you walk past, ask yourself:
What do you know? What do you need to clarify?
Change the post-its on a weekly basis
Ask your friends/family to test youAsk yourself, making use of dictaphone
Test yourself
EMS will allow you to put theory into practice
Identify misunderstandings or gaps in your knowledge in advance of EMS
Offer to do as much as you can
Ask lots of questions
Make the most of EMS
Make use of BlackBoard: www.ble.ac.uk/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2fblackboard%2fexecute%2flauncher%3ftype%3dCourse%26id%3d_58877_1%26url%3d
Inspiration mind-mapping software
Make connections
e.g. suture materials Affix samples to your notesCreate flashcards with diagrams and photo on one
side and information on the otherUse the clinical skills centre
e.g. drugsMake flashcards with (photos of) drug boxesMake up virtual cases
e.g. jurisprudenceScan/copy articles from the Vet Record or keep a
copy of RCVS emails on vets being struck off
Be creative
Your tutorsRVC student support and counselling servicesVetLife (www.vetlife.org.uk) NightLine (www.nightline.ac.uk)
and each other!
Other sources of help