Study and exam tips

• Keep your notes organised - you may have to try a few methods with folders or separate notebooks. This will make it easier when it comes to exam preparation.
• Don't rely on lecture notes being available on the web or in the library. If you can, attend all lectures to give yourself the best chance of getting good marks.
• Practice forms of shorthand or abbreviations for note-taking during lectures because many lecturers don't slow down if you cannot keep up. Alternatively, you may want to invest in a dictaphone if you prefer to listen to the lecture and take down the notes later.
• Make sure you work hard to pass in each of your subjects. Apart from the hassle of having to repeat them later on, failing a subject means that you have acquired a debt for that subject - even though you didn't pass it! Don't send YOUR money down the drain!
• Know your uni, especially Fisher Library, where you'll more likely than not have to spend a lot of time throughout the course of your degree. Fisher runs orientation tours at the beginning of each year, so you'll know where everything is. Check it out....
• Get the books for you assignments early. There is nothing quite like that sinking feeling of turning up at the library only to find that every book you need has already been borrowed.
• If you have laboratories, make sure you do your prework before you arrive; it makes everything much easier.
• Time honoured advice - start your assignments as soon as you get them.
• Invest in a wall calendar (or pick up a free one from the Co-op) and write in all your assessments, tests and other due dates at the start of semester.
• Buy a lab coat if your course requires one – it's the best investment you'll ever make.
• When the draft exam timetable comes out, check that your exams don't clash.
• A really great way to help prepare for exams is to do some past papers. These can be accessed through the library web page.
• Appreciate the stimulant qualities of caffeine.