# Exams :eek:



## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

Who else has exams?  Are you well prepared?  Confident?  Have you been working to your full potential? 

My first (of three) is in 10 days and I haven't started revising yet.  Revising will be a full time job for the next week or two (starting tomorrow ) and I am not looking forward to it.


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## DotCommunist (Nov 27, 2011)

I'm a redbull and panic cram the night before sort of man


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## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

I have crammed in the past but I'm too scared of failing this course, and there is so much to cover.

Three subjects, three specialist areas to focus on per subject = one day on each revision topic for 9 days.  Then the final day just cramming and going over everything.


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## smmudge (Nov 27, 2011)

I specifically chose the modules I did this year because none of them required me to do exams 
How close together are they?
I found that there was no point me trying to remember anything more 24 hours before the exam. If I didn't know it by then I wouldn't get it. Then my mind would get progressively blanker leading up to the exam, slowly forgetting everything. But luckily in the exam the questions would bring it all back. In fact I found it surprisingly calming being in the exam room. Just not in the days before


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## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 27, 2011)

my daughter has her next accountancy exam on thursday.

revise, revise and revise again. then get down the pub and forget about it.

g'luck one and all


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## toggle (Nov 27, 2011)

Me. i've got 2 hours on ww2 in 2 weeks. i hate exams, although i've got good recall, so i tend to do well


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## weepiper (Nov 27, 2011)

I am weird. I quite like exams. In fact I chose to take an extra exam in my finals instead of a dissertation.


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## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

smmudge said:


> How close together are they?



They're on the 8th, 10th and 14th.  Actually that is not bad because it gives a few days to focus on the final exam.


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## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

toggle said:


> Me. i've got 2 hours on ww2 in 2 weeks. i hate exams, although i've got good recall, so i tend to do well



Same here (good recall) for my highers I just memorised the fuck out of everything.

I've never done exams at uni before which is why I'm quite so nervous.  It feels like a big step up from college.


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## DotCommunist (Nov 27, 2011)

They just want you to use bigger words


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## jesuscrept (Nov 27, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> cram



This word really makes me cringe. We're not in a corny coming of age American romcom ffs!!!!


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## smmudge (Nov 27, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> They're on the 8th, 10th and 14th. Actually that is not bad because it gives a few days to focus on the final exam.



of december? You have an exam on a saturday? 
fwiw I find they are a lot more lenient when marking exams than essays, in terms of the flow of narrative, small details etc. The times I've got highest marks are when I've remembered specific authors or someone to attribute a certain argument to.


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## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> They just want you to use bigger words



Nah at college we got pretty much spoonfed the material and the type of answers they are looking for. Exams were just a test of memory. Uni is more about working autonomously ime so when I'm doing an assignment (or revising) I always have the fear 'am I going about this the total wrong way?' because nobody has said how to approach it.

The fear has gone from essays because I have been graded on a couple and done fine, but I have yet to test the fear with exams.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 27, 2011)

DotCommunist said:


> They just want you to use bigger words


it's antidisestablishmentarianism i tell you!!!!


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## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

smmudge said:


> of december? You have an exam on a saturday?
> fwiw I find they are a lot more lenient when marking exams than essays, in terms of the flow of narrative, small details etc. The times I've got highest marks are when I've remembered specific authors or someone to attribute a certain argument to.



Yeah I thought that was weird too, Saturday exams ffs 

I shall pray for leniency in mines then


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## Greebo (Nov 27, 2011)

Remain calm and read the questions.

Decide how to divide up your time, and stick to this, no matter what.

Make sure you answer the questions on the paper, not the ones you wish you'd been asked.

State the obvious, and make yourself clear.  The examiner doesn't know that you know it.

Do the best you can on the day and then let it go until you get the results.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Nov 27, 2011)

Greebo said:


> Remain calm and read the questions.


very sensible and sober advice. srs


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## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

Thanks for the advice.

Once I get in the exam hall I'll be fine, as long as I have prepared fully.


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## smmudge (Nov 27, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Yeah I thought that was weird too, Saturday exams ffs
> 
> I shall pray for leniency in mines then



harsh!

if it's essay questions a rough plan of how you'll structure your answer before you begin is always a good idea. Apart from that uni exams get a lot less scary the more you do. If you've been doing well in essays you'll be fine with exams!


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## Greebo (Nov 27, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Thanks for the advice.
> 
> Once I get in the exam hall I'll be fine, as long as I have prepared fully.


You say that now, but you'd be surprised how many people go to pieces, even when they know their stuff outside of the exam room. As long as you can more or less keep it together you'll be more or less okay though. 



smmudge said:


> <snip>if it's essay questions a rough plan of how you'll structure your answer before you begin is always a good idea<snip>


Good idea.  It helps you keep on track, and it'll give the examiner some idea of what you meant to say if you run out of time.


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## tar1984 (Nov 27, 2011)

Yes I will definitely do a rough essay plan structure thingy.  My revision will likely consist of mainly making these and memorising them.


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## grit (Nov 28, 2011)

My 5 exams are not until january, so still safely in the denial period at the moment


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## tar1984 (Nov 28, 2011)

grit said:


> My 5 exams are not until january, so still safely in the denial period at the moment



You have a whole five though


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## tar1984 (Nov 28, 2011)

I am off to the library to make a start, even if that start only involves doing a revision timetable


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## toggle (Nov 28, 2011)

i got 10 books out of the library today, might have time to skim most of them. at least know a bit about everything


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## toggle (Nov 28, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d74_5af_Dzs


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## Shippou-Sensei (Nov 29, 2011)

i'm having  marking.


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## twentythreedom (Nov 29, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I am off to the library to make a start, even if that start only involves doing a revision timetable



You need to make a "when to make timetables" timetable first, just to be absolutely sure that you don't end up lunching stuff out and wasting valuable study time.


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## heinous seamus (Nov 29, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Who else has exams? Are you well prepared? Confident? Have you been working to your full potential?
> 
> My first (of three) is in 10 days and I haven't started revising yet. Revising will be a full time job for the next week or two (starting tomorrow ) and I am not looking forward to it.



Sometimes I wonder if we're at the same uni. You seem to be doing so much more work than me


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## tar1984 (Nov 29, 2011)

toggle said:


> i got 10 books out of the library today, might have time to skim most of them. at least know a bit about everything



I have a big pile of books now too  ahh, medieval history how i have grown to despise you 



Shippou-Sensei said:


> i'm having marking.



Make sure to mark generously.



twentythreedom said:


> You need to make a "when to make timetables" timetable first, just to be absolutely sure that you don't end up lunching stuff out and wasting valuable study time.



I managed to spend a full four hours earlier doing pretty much fuck all, not even a timetable.  I'm still not sure how I managed to do quite so little in so much time.



heinous seamus said:


> Sometimes I wonder if we're at the same uni. You seem to be doing so much more work than me



I think I just freak out more than you. Why aren't you freaking out?


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## twentythreedom (Nov 29, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I managed to spend a full four hours earlier doing pretty much fuck all, not even a timetable. I'm still not sure how I managed to do quite so little in so much time.



You need a "when to do fuck all" timetable. With "when to make a timetable about making timetables" in it somewhere.


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## DotCommunist (Nov 29, 2011)

He needs to craft an intricate timetable with each study period having a colour pertaining to the sphere of knowledge, and shades starting from the palest pastels then increasing in vibrancy as the periods coloured in come closer to the day. An illuminated manuscript of a timetable that you can look at as a work of art as you realise you've not actually read fuck all.


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## dessiato (Nov 29, 2011)

You lot are only sitting them! I have to write them, get them approved, then mark the rubbish students churn out!


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## toggle (Nov 29, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I have a big pile of books now too  ahh, medieval history how i have grown to despise you



just remember to skip to the good bits.

and i'm not a huge fan of medieval history either, nothing earlier than the late 18th century if i can help it


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## toggle (Nov 29, 2011)

dessiato said:


> You lot are only sitting them! I have to write them, get them approved, then mark the rubbish students churn out!


diddums..................


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## tar1984 (Nov 29, 2011)

toggle said:


> just remember to skip to the good bits.
> 
> and i'm not a huge fan of medieval history either, nothing earlier than the late 18th century if i can help it



Yup skim read until the important bits.

I don't mind medieval history really.  I have to pick two topics to learn inside out and I've picked this one (the formation of scotland as a nation 9c-13c) because we did it right at the start of the course, so I have the keenest, most detailed notes for this topic before I became jaded later in the term


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## tar1984 (Dec 2, 2011)

30 pages to get through tonight then I'm done with history revision.  That leaves 5 days to cram the hell out of economics to avoid an epic fail.  How is everyone else doing?


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## toggle (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm not, i'm writing my dissertation proposal tonight.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Dec 2, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Make sure to mark generously.



it's not  given rating  just pass or fail

some good stuff but  some of the work is leaving me sarky and annoyed.

and it's always the same students.


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## equationgirl (Dec 3, 2011)

Best of luck to everyone with exams !!!

The Saturday exam thing, I'm led to believe, is commonest in the old universities (as opposed to the redbricks or 1960s ones) left over from when many if not all pupils came from public or grammar schools, which taught on Saturday mornings. The half-day was to  make up for the half-day on Wednesday afternoons given over to sporting fixtures.


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## tar1984 (Dec 3, 2011)

I didn't know that, that's interesting.  *shakes fist at public schoolboys of yore*

I'm pleased with myself today, up early enough for a full shift in the library, and I cracked a difficult economics concept last night (while stoned ).


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## weepiper (Dec 3, 2011)

equationgirl said:


> Best of luck to everyone with exams !!!
> 
> The Saturday exam thing, I'm led to believe, is commonest in the old universities (as opposed to the redbricks or 1960s ones) left over from when many if not all pupils came from public or grammar schools, which taught on Saturday mornings. The half-day was to make up for the half-day on Wednesday afternoons given over to sporting fixtures.



I went to Edinburgh and never had a Saturday exam. Bloody silly idea.


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## equationgirl (Dec 3, 2011)

weepiper said:


> I went to Edinburgh and never had a Saturday exam. Bloody silly idea.


They probably realised the stupidity of the idea a while ago


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## tar1984 (Dec 3, 2011)

It doesn't bother me but I could see it inconveniencing people who have weekend jobs and stuff.


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## tar1984 (Dec 3, 2011)

I don't want to do any more today but my schedule demands it booo


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## toggle (Dec 3, 2011)

i've done squat all revision, because i've had too much else to do


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## tar1984 (Dec 3, 2011)

What level of study are you at toggle?  You seem to be snowed under.


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## Miss Caphat (Dec 3, 2011)

weepiper said:


> I am weird. I quite like exams. In fact I chose to take an extra exam in my finals instead of a dissertation.



I do too. They tend to be easier to plan for. You set aside a certain amount of time to study (revise) and then after the exam it's all over. I have a really hard time estimating how much time a paper is going to take, especially if it involves research.


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## heinous seamus (Dec 3, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I don't want to do any more today but my schedule demands it booo


can the schedule, lets get down the union


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## tar1984 (Dec 3, 2011)

I'd love to but srs I have four days till my economics exam and I have about 10 chapters to get through.  Hold on I'm going to PM you though.


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## toggle (Dec 3, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> What level of study are you at toggle? You seem to be snowed under.



third year. it really is a LOT more work


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## tar1984 (Dec 3, 2011)

toggle said:


> third year. it really is a LOT more work



Fab I can't wait


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## tar1984 (Dec 7, 2011)

Is an all-nighter a good idea before a 9am exam?  I have lots to do and so little time.


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## Greebo (Dec 7, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Is an all-nighter a good idea before a 9am exam?  I have lots to do and so little time.


IMHO and IME not really.  Your brain needs some deep sleep to sort out the information you've stuffed into it while revising.

Get up a little earlier in the morning if you must, read your notes outside the exam room before going in if you must, but don't pull an overnighter.


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## tar1984 (Dec 7, 2011)

Thing is I only got up at 5pm so I'll struggle to sleep anyway.

I simply can't get through the amount of revision I have, I totally misjudged the time I'd need.  I wish I'd started a fortnight earlier.

I'm going to do past papers tonight and make sure I know how to do all the questions on them, then just hope similar questions come up tomorrow.  Maybe I can get 2-3 hours sleep later.


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## tar1984 (Dec 7, 2011)

I need to get out of this library before I end up stabbing one of these whisper giggling fools with my pen.  It's a _library_, be quiet


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## Greebo (Dec 7, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I need to get out of this library before I end up stabbing one of these whisper giggling fools with my pen. It's a _library_, be quiet


You'll be fine, as long as you answer the questions in front of you and don't go to pieces.  Do that and you're halfway there.


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## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 7, 2011)

what about if you're _half way not there?!_


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## heinous seamus (Dec 7, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I need to get out of this library before I end up stabbing one of these whisper giggling fools with my pen. It's a _library_, be quiet



Head to floor 11. Level red quiet  No giggling allowed!


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## toggle (Dec 8, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I need to get out of this library before I end up stabbing one of these whisper giggling fools with my pen. It's a _library_, be quiet


that feeling happens to all of us.

quiet areas are good. my librarty they huck people out of them for typing too loudly


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## tar1984 (Dec 8, 2011)

I went home instead but next time I'll go to floor 11. Floor six is full of noisy social science wasters 

I haven't slept at all (mainly due to sleeping most of yesterday, not nerves) but I lay in bed for a few hours in the dark for brain recharging. I am so unprepared for this exam. I think I'll get most of the multiple choices which count for 30% of the exam, then I have to do two main questions at the end - which I'll do well on if it's supply & demand or indifference theory, but fail epically if it's anything else.

That said this isn't my main subject so it's ok if I don't do great.


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## Pickman's model (Dec 8, 2011)

Sounds like a piece of piss tbh

You'll do fine


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## tar1984 (Dec 8, 2011)

My exam has been cancelled because of the weather conditions (high winds)

Pahahahah

I have never seen so many students look so happy.  Hopefully they give us a few days till rescheduling and I'll get enough study in to ace this thing.


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## wayward bob (Dec 8, 2011)

woohoo


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## smmudge (Dec 8, 2011)

Haha, you're a lucky man tar! But don't forget revision for your other exams now..



tar1984 said:


> I need to get out of this library before I end up stabbing one of these whisper giggling fools with my pen. It's a _library_, be quiet



omg I was sitting in the library the other day and some guy on another desk near me decided he would have some wheat crunchies...like the crunchiest snack known to mankind! In a fucking library FFS! What's wrong with a fucking banana, stupid cunt.


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## tar1984 (Dec 8, 2011)

Wheat crunchies  

A girl opposite me was kind of singing to herself the other day, kind of _'la-la-la da-da-la'_ not quite under her breath. She may, on reflection, have been going insane.


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## tar1984 (Dec 8, 2011)

Exam is being rescheduled for the second week in January LOL


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## equationgirl (Dec 8, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Wheat crunchies
> 
> A girl opposite me was kind of singing to herself the other day, kind of _'la-la-la da-da-la'_ not quite under her breath. She may, on reflection, have been going insane.


Two of my work colleagues sing to themselves, I feel your pain.


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## heinous seamus (Dec 8, 2011)

My exam has survived the weather  Well I suppose I can get this shit out of the way at least.


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## toggle (Dec 8, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Exam is being rescheduled for the second week in January LOL


bastard


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## tar1984 (Dec 8, 2011)

heinous seamus said:


> My exam has survived the weather  Well I suppose I can get this shit out of the way at least.



Good luck, which exam is it?


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## equationgirl (Dec 8, 2011)

Good luck to everybody!


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## toggle (Dec 8, 2011)

tomorrow, 3pm.

first half of ww2


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## tar1984 (Dec 9, 2011)

Try not to break godwins law 

Good luck for today


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## heinous seamus (Dec 10, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Good luck, which exam is it?


It was english language. I somehow managed to stretch to 2 pages about the influence of old norse on the English Language. Although I pulled a lot of it out my arse tbf.


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## Miss Caphat (Dec 10, 2011)

I had my linguistics final exam today. went well, and that means all I have left to do is an essay (maybe 4-5 pages) due on the 21st.  sad part is, while I've been busy studying everyone else has been living their lives and I find myself all alone celebrating with frozen ravioli, cheap wine, and a couple of lame rom-com dvd's


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## toggle (Dec 10, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Try not to break godwins law
> 
> Good luck for today



i'm not calling the examiner a nazi, i'm calling him a fucking letch. i was a little dressed up for a date that evening, nothing major, long skity, nice top and the bastard was bloody dribbling. ever so glad i'm not in his lectures next term.

creepy bastard. he is probably 25 years older than me and I know i look a fair bit younger than i am.


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

I have an exam in 45 minutes I haven't slept and it's NOT GOING IN i'm reading the notes and it my mind goes blank when I look y from the page arrrghhhh


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## toggle (Dec 10, 2011)

coffee.

cold water on your face

get enough sugar so you can keep your levels up and not crash during the exam

and put the fucking book away, you're doing squat trying to revise now


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

The coffee machine is fucking broken FML (not even kidding)


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## toggle (Dec 10, 2011)

and thank the gods you don't have a lecturer leering at you during the exam


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## toggle (Dec 10, 2011)

then go get some fucking red bull


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

i;m on it


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## toggle (Dec 10, 2011)

i could say something rude now.


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

oh? 

The machine stole my money


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## toggle (Dec 10, 2011)

snorts.

you're having the sort of day i had earlier in the week.


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## fakeplasticgirl (Dec 10, 2011)

I have exams  Should be studying right now. Bring on Monday (evening)!

Good luck everyone!


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

Phew am I glad that's over. My wrist is killing me, 6 sides of A4 bitches 

Fakeplasticgirl you must tell us which subject you do and what exams you have (well you don't have to tell but I like to ask everyone)


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## fakeplasticgirl (Dec 10, 2011)

it's work-related exams. i'm on a grad scheme where the first 9 months they just force-feed us exams at the end of every month. Urgh! It's really boring stuff I'm too embarrassed to say!

How did your exam go?


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## smmudge (Dec 10, 2011)

Well done tar! was that your first one then? was it as scary as you thought it would be?


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

Thank you  it was scary at first (just the whole 'serious exam conditions' atmosphere) but once I got writing it was fine, I _think_ I've done ok.


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

Yeah that was the first.


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## Mapped (Dec 10, 2011)

Well done tar! Hope it went well  have you many more coming up?

I always surprise myself in exams. My memory is normally rubbish, but put me in that pressure situation and things I don't even remember revising spill out of my brain and onto the page.


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

fakeplasticgirl said:


> Urgh! It's really boring stuff I'm too embarrassed to say!



It can'e be _that_ boring  *wonders just how boring an exam could be*

Bear in mind I just spent a lot of time writing about the system of political management in 18th Century Scotland. I know boring


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

N1 Buoy said:


> Well done tar! Hope it went well  have you many more coming up?
> 
> I always surprise myself in exams. My memory is normally rubbish, but put me in that pressure situation and things I don't even remember revising spill out of my brain and onto the page.



Yes that is exactly what happened!  I started writing and the info started flowing.  I was surprised.

Apparently we remember things better under stress, something to do with survival instinct; stress is evolutionarily caused by danger situations so memory is heightened to cope well in similar situations next time.  It was tested on rats.  I saw a documentary I think.  Stress and fear.  So if your stressed while revising the memory sticks I reckon.

Just one more on weds, then I have the cancelled one in January now so loads of time to prepare for that.


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## Mapped (Dec 10, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> Yes that is exactly what happened! I started writing and the info started flowing. I was surprised.
> 
> Apparently we remember things better under stress, something to do with survival instinct; stress is evolutionarily caused by danger situations so memory is heightened to cope well in similar situations next time. It was tested on rats. I saw a documentary I think. Stress and fear. So if your stressed while revising the memory sticks I reckon.
> 
> Just one more on weds, then I have the cancelled one in January now so loads of time to prepare for that.



That explains it. I'm a crammer, I always revise under stress and do fairly well. No exams for me until May though 

That sounds like a very manageable schedule. Is your uni like my old one in that you can actually predict the questions that are going to come up by an analysis of the past papers?


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

N1 Buoy said:


> That explains it. I'm a crammer, I always revise under stress and do fairly well. No exams for me until May though
> 
> That sounds like a very manageable schedule. Is your uni like my old one in that you can actually predict the questions that are going to come up by an analysis of the past papers?



I know you work in academia, what exams do you have to do?  You study as well?

There are annoyingly no past papers for two of my three subject because they are 'new' courses, well new syllabus/content anyway.

They gave us a 'mock' paper for history (todays exam) and neither of the two subjects I revised on came up today, despite being on the mock paper  luckily they have a question at the end which is sort of 'compare and contrast two periods of your choice..' but it meant I had to write twice as much as I would have.


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## Mapped (Dec 10, 2011)

tar1984 said:


> I know you work in academia, what exams do you have to do? You study as well?
> 
> There are annoyingly no past papers for two of my three subject because they are 'new' courses, well new syllabus/content anyway.
> 
> They gave us a 'mock' paper for history (todays exam) and neither of the two subjects I revised on came up today, despite being on the mock paper  luckily they have a question at the end which is sort of 'compare and contrast two periods of your choice..' but it meant I had to write twice as much as I would have.



I think we've had this conversation before  I'm doing a part time MSc in Geographic Information Systems a 'real' subject . Had some exams last may which I aced  at the moment it's all coursework and preparing for the dissertation, due next September.

Shame about the lack of past papers, they are very useful if you have them. I had years of them to analyse for all my courses for my undergrad degree and there were very obvious patterns to when the questions come up.


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## tar1984 (Dec 10, 2011)

Ah yes we did have this conversation  I was listening honest, I am just very forgetful (except in exam conditions)


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## tar1984 (Dec 12, 2011)

Arghh exam crew I am struggling.  I've been in the library since 7am and I'm not leaving any time soon.


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## tar1984 (Dec 12, 2011)

Plus I have been awake since 11pm last night (because I slept all day) so I am quite tired but giving up is not an option. *grumbles*


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## tar1984 (Feb 9, 2012)

Well I got my final result back today.  Overall I got

History - A
Sociology - B
Economics - C

I only need a D to pass so woohoo I have passed the first term with a B average.


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## Greebo (Feb 9, 2012)

Well done you!


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## tar1984 (Feb 9, 2012)

Thanks.  I was sure I'd flunked out on a couple of those exams (exam stress got to me in the end) but I did better than expected.  They must have marked leniently


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