Exam and Assignment season is officially in full force, and I don’t know about you but I am – STRESSED. Let’s be honest, studying can feel like the biggest chore, especially when it’s 22 degrees and the sun’s out… Revising and writing assignments isn’t just about the hours you put in but also about how you use those hours. We’ve all been there, 100 words done and suddenly 3 hours have gone by. It’s time it work smarter and not harder – here are some super effective, low-stress study techniques that actually work. 

The Blurting Method (a.k.a brain dump) 

This one is a good technique if you are currently studying for an exam. After you’ve read or watched something, simply close your laptop or textbook and write everything you remember. Then go back and fill in the gaps in your notes, repeat this process until you remember everything you need to. It’s like giving yourself a mini-exam – but it’s open book so no pressure at all! 

Pomodoro Technique  

The Pomodoro technique is perfect for those who get easily distracted and with TikTok around that basically all of us. Set yourself a 25-minute timer to only focus on the task in hand – get my introduction written – once the timer has finished give yourself a 5-minute break. Repeat this 4 times before giving yourself a longer break. You’ll be surprised how much you get done in this time when you know rest from work is only right around the corner, in no time you’ll have a good 2000 words written.  

Spaced Repetition 

Here’s another revision tip for you – don’t cram! Review your notes over time at increasing intervals. Start close together such as every day then increase the gap between revisiting it to every four days or even a week. This will ensure it’s in your long-term memory, helping you to remember a lot more knowledge too! Apps such as Quizlet make this super easy.  

Don’t just read – do  

Let’s be real: is your current revision technique simply re-reading your notes? This isn’t the most effective! To actually learn, you need to do something with the information you have in front of you. Use the blurting method, draw diagrams, explain it to a friend or even get yourself down to the library to write it out on the big whiteboards. The more active your recall of information is, the better it’ll stick, we promise. 

Take a break! 

Although it may seem impossible right now, you need to take time for yourself. And yes, I know we all feel guilty if we aren’t constantly working towards getting our assignments finished. The reality is without breaks you will eventually burn out, which means you won’t effectively be doing the best you can! 

When times get rough, I like to remind myself of the 7-8-9 rules. 7 hours of sleep, 8 hours of study and 9 hours of everything else (eating, relaxing etc). Be kind to yourself, life is busy just remember in no time you’ll either be on holiday or preparing for the big graduation day where all the hard work will have paid off. We believe in you! 

We also have plenty of support for students should they need it to support welllbeing, from Additional Learning Support and the University Retreat to academic support.

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