Study Kit – Improving Exam Results

How can I improve my exam results?

Whether you’ve failed your exams this time, whether you just know you can do better next time, or whether you're planning to make sure you pass, there are a number of strategies that have been shown to be very effective. All of them involve some extra work, so this is why we have also included sections on managing your time more effectively (see sections on Planning and Diaries).

The five following points will help you to maximize the benefit you get from each course. If you’re running short of time, or feel overwhelmed by all of this – just try one of the following for now, and see how you get on. The important thing is to try something different/new.

Make full use of lectures

Engage with the on-line material for each course

Read the recommended texts

Do the tutorial examples

Read & do Past Papers

Make full use of lectures

Make sure you attend all lectures, labs and workshops. It might seem obvious but there is a strong correlation between attendance and exam performance.

Put the details from current timetable (All timetables) in your diary or planner (Why should I use a diary / planner?)

Make time to look through your lecture notes after the lecture.

Fill in any gaps by referring to the recommended books or by working with someone else

Many people recommend writing them out again in an improved and more succinct form.

If you’re not happy with your own notes, try these ideas to improve your note-taking skills or explore the use of mind-maps to take notes.

Think of the lectures as signposts – showing you what needs to be learned, and introducing the material.  But like signposts in real life, just looking at them does not get you where you want to go – you need to take action to get there.

Engage with the on-line material for each course

 Most of your courses have some material on-line to help you study.

Take a look now at the List of Courses with on-line material (BSc Year 1, BEng/MEng Year 1).

As an example, let’s look in more detail at the material available from two lecturers: Tony Tew’s first year digital material, and John Dawson’s Circuits material within the module Introduction to Electronic Hardware.

            The Digital material is held on the Electronics computer server, and contains:

·        Handouts and Lecture Schedule

·        Questions sheets and Past Papers (worked solutions are added as the course progresses)

·        Digital Jokes and Cartoons!

            For the Circuits material, please visit the main Circuits page on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to get an idea on what is available to you.

Log into the vle,

Under Modules and the list of Courses in which you are enrolled click on Introduction to Electronic Hardware

In the left-hand Menu, click on Circuits

This includes:

·        A full set of very detailed Course Notes – make sure you read these and use them to supplement your own notes.

·        A list of Recommended Books for this course. Includes an on-line version of “Introductory Circuit Theory” by Kel Fidler.

·        A set of Interactive Tutorials where you can get instant feedback, and then see the answers

·        Further Problem Sheets and worked examples

·        Past exam papers and some worked solutions for Circuits questions

·        Recommended links to helpful on-line material

So, there is a wealth of material here, but you will need to organise yourself and your time to work through it.

Read the recommended texts

 It always helps to read another author’s perspective on the topics you are learning. In this way you can cover material that may not be clear to you in the lectures. One of the most important things you can do is to read around the subject.  On University Challenge you may notice that people say that they are “reading electronics” – not “just sitting in electronics lectures” or worse still “sleeping in late”, which may of course be more honest.

What books should I read?

            Your lecturer may have already recommended some reading material, or it might be listed on the internal course-pages (see above).

            You will always find them in the Syllabus (Click on the Syllabus links on the pages for Year 1 BSc and here for Year 1 B/MEng), at the end of the entry for each lecture course. We talk more about the Syllabus in the section called Exactly what am I meant to be studying?, but for now – scroll through the document and note that the courses are arranged alphabetically.

Again, with the pressures of study you’ll need to organise your time, so that you make the most of the course books.

Do the tutorial examples

Lecturers provide tutorial examples because you need to practice working out the material for yourself – otherwise it will be a severe shock when you reach exam time. Think of tutorials as mini mock exams that also help you learn how to manipulate the stuff you are learning in the lectures.

You can find tutorial examples in the On-line material for each module.

But you may also be sent sheets by email, or have them handed out in lectures.

Read & do Past Papers

Previous exam papers are made available for you to practice your exam technique ahead of time. For BEng/MEng students the First Year Assessment pages hold lots of information about assessment.
Towards the end of these pages you will find Past Papers  e.g. Last year’s exam papers.
(For BSc students there are fewer exams in the first year, but more as you go through the course. BSc assessment pages are here).

You should work through these, and note the places where you get stuck. Many people get stuck, then immediately get dispirited and give up. Instead, treat getting stuck as your own personal ‘signpost’ to what you need to study more.

Re-read your lecture notes on this section

See what the recommended books have to say

Revisit your tutorial examples

Talk to fellow students about the exam questions and the topics

In other words – practice the hard bits!

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