Study Skills Schedule

Study skills classes for students for Summer exams/State exams as follows:

Make a study timetable

Structure your study and give equal time to each subject. Even the ones you don’t like. Allow for breaks for exercise and healthy eating in your study plan.

Have a clutter free study environmentTry to study at a desk and keep it free from clutter. Avoid studying on your bed as you'll just be tempted to get under the covers!

2. Easily distracted?Try downloading an app like com on your internet browser that can block websites like Facebook or twitter for a certain length of time.
3. Mix it up.Use different study techniques and don't be afraid to try new things.
4. For Exam students: Use past exam papers.Going over past exam papers will help you prepare for the exam and get a feel for what the paper will be like.
5. Don't leave it all till the last minute.Studying is like a marathon, you have to be in it for the long haul. Leaving everything to the last minute will leave you feeling overwhelmed and unable to focus. Plus you won't have enough time to revise everything!
6. Reward yourself.Study can be soul destroying. Treat yourself after a productive study session.
7. Get enough sleep.Avoid staying up all night cramming before an exam as you'll need all your energy the next day and a lack of sleep will affect your concentration.
8. Talk to someone.If you feel that your exam stress is getting out of hand and becoming unmanageable. Speak to a friend, teacher or lecturer- don't keep things bottled up.
9. Remember that it will all be worth it. When your motivation has hit an all-time low, visualise yourself picking up your exam results and doing well.

When exams are looming, everyone needs good study habits. Try to develop the habit of studying over a period of time and it will become as natural as breathing!

• Again use the study timetablefrom the school and follow it. Aim to have a clear target of what you want to achieve.
• Try to develop coping skillsto manage shortcomings such as lapses in concentration, a tendency to ‘learn off’ material that you don’t fully understand, the urge to learn too many things at once, etc.
• Spread out tasksover short periods of time and take brief breaks every 20 minutes or so. It’s a good idea to include a reward to enjoy at the end of a long study session.
• Follow daily routinessuch as studying at the same time each day and in the same place, with distractions switched off or removed. Some say it's best to try to simulate exam conditions as much as possible in your study area and that we remember best under conditions that resemble those in which the original learning took place. However, others find they study better when they have music (or even the TV!) on in the background. Figure out which way works best for you.
• Begin with something fairly difficult,even a topic you don’t like. Achievement boosts confidence and energy for the rest of the session.
• Pose questions about the subject matter before, during, and at the end of a session. Self-test as you go along. Revision is an on-going process, not just a priority in the days before exams.
• Know that question-answering techniques are a huge part of exam preparation. Ask for help from your teachers on how best to answer exam questions in each subject.
• Study the work given you to do by your teachers and sample questionsset by teachers (as well as previous exam questions) to ensure that the material you are learning can be applied to the types of questions that come up in exams.
• Take part in occasional study groups with other studentsto discuss difficult aspects of a subject, to share knowledge and techniques, to teach one another and to inject extra motivation into your study. And remember it can be good fun!
• Seek advice from a teacher or parents if stress sets inor problems arise. Parents have been there, done that, and know a lot more that you think!
• Above all: don’t spend days drawing up elaborate plans. Find out what you have to do, how to do it, and then do it!

Hopefully you will find this helpful.

Exam study tips

In just two months time, the Leaving Cert exams begin. This is a stressful time for students; many will feel overwhelmed. Here are some top tips for you.

PLAN

Planning is essential. If you have an idea of where you are and what you have left to cover, everything becomes more manageable.

Don’t cram. Spread your revision over a long period instead of a single intense burst. Studying over a long time allows the information to properly sink in and improves understanding.

ENGAGE

Effective revision should be about relearning, not remembering. By trying to memorise facts off by heart in intensive cramming sessions, students fail to gain a true understanding of the subject.

In practicing past papers, pick one question at a time. Look at the mark scheme and then do the question. Don’t use a highlighter to mark the things you don’t know; use a pencil to cross out the things you do know. This builds positive feedback and a sense of achievement as you cross things off, rather than highlighting your gaps.

Don’t just sit looking at your textbook. Read it aloud to yourself, or your cat, or your parents. Read it or sing it or perform it: make it memorable. The more processes – movement, hearing, speaking – you use when learning, the better.

VARY YOUR ROUTINE

You could revise a poet and then do a business question, followed by a French comprehension.

This way you are never stuck in a particular subject. Once you got through a particularly difficult chapter, you could change to something easier.

USE FLASH CARDS

Long, detailed notes taken from a textbook are a waste of time. You may find flash cards useful, especially for subjects where there are a lot of definitions, such as biology and business. You could write the word on one side and the definition on the back. While making them, it helps you to learn. They are ideal the night before the exam to quickly test yourself.

Just remember - it’s important to stay healthy, drink a good bit of water, take a walk or some exercise after studying, and to take regular breaks.