REVISION: Tricks of the trade :D

[hannah.mb]

Hey!

This topic is for everyone since we're all going to be writing IB exams, or in some cases, you have already written them.

Basically you can share any tips and advice on anything to do with revision/studying for exams.

If you want to, you can reply in the following format (this is optional though):

1) When did you/are you planning to start revising for exams?

2) What study methods did you use (e.g. making charts, diagrams, forming study groups, writing summaries, flashcards)

3) Which of these study methods worked/works best for you, and why?

4) What was/is the most challenging IB subject to study for and why?

5) Any other advice....

I'll post my reply to the questions in the next post (don't want to be making hugely long posts here hehe

[Charizard]

1) When did you/are you planning to start revising for exams?

I study a bit everyday but I keep planning to but never actually revise the old stuff and I have a little voice in the back of my head that constantly nags at me.

2) What study methods did you use (e.g. making charts, diagrams, forming study groups, writing summaries, flashcards)

My god. I just read the book and do some worksheets and look over my old work and if there's anything I don't know I freak out about it for a bit and go and read about it. Also when people in other classes of the same course do the topics in different orders I listen to them revise or answer their questions about topics I should supposedly have covered and it helps me to think it through again and lets me know what I have forgotten/am unclear about.

3) Which of these study methods worked/works best for you, and why?

Definitely helping other people. I learned more about long run/short run cost curves in the fifteen minutes that a friend and I rushed through another friend's last minute Economics essay than I could ever learn sitting through hours of class and reading the book over and over again.

4) What was/is the most challenging IB subject to study for and why?

Music. So many musical styles and characteristics to remember! My class has started musical history over again from the medieval period and so far we've covered middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, west african, indian, and rock, not to mention the various themes of the two studied works. We need to be able to listen to some random piece of music and be able to outline the musical characteristics, what time the appear in the track, and what musical context it denotes. But I still love Music

5) Any other advice...

I'm not really one to give advice seeing as I haven't taken an exam in a very long time - I took MYP and we only really had big exams for Maths.

[hannah.mb]

@Charizard: wow, I didn't know IB had Music as a subject! Cool... good luck with that.

I said I would answer my own questions so here goes:

1) When did you/are you planning to start revising for exams?

I have IB finals this May, in like, 2 months, and I started studying after my trials, which were a month ago. So basically 3 months in advance.

2) What study methods did you use (e.g. making charts, diagrams, forming study groups, writing summaries, flashcards)

I first read through a chapter/topic, underline concepts in pencil in my textbook. Then generally I write a summary for this topic, using the stuff I underlined (it goes quicker that way since you've already underlined everything that's important to remember). I try and make a chart or diagram in this summary if it's helpful. I also made flashcards a while ago but they get lost and I never really use them except like the week before a test/exam. I'm planning to resurrect them sometime soon, though.

I have also tried forming study groups for both Bio and Chem but only the one for Bio works right now...

I am also trying with some subjects to record myself reading my notes, then playing this recording at random times when you have nothing else to do. It's supposed to work well for people with an aural (hearing) memory, which I have found I do not have

3) Which of these study methods worked/works best for you, and why?

I find making summaries helps me the most. But a combination of methods is always better than just one.

Oh, yes, I almost forgot: getting quizzed on a topic you are revising helps me SO much. i.e. I ask a friend or someone in my family to quiz me on a topic, using the summary I made. It forces you to remember stuff on the spot, and really helps me since I suck at studying out loud on my own.

4) What was/is the most challenging IB subject to study for and why?

I think there are several. Obviously, a subject you are not good at/not enthousiastic about will be one of the most challenging to study. In my case this is Maths SL and Chemistry HL.

I also think that Biology (esp. HL) is challenging to study because it's so much fact memorisation. All the names and complicated processes....hmm... Fellow biology (HL) students, does "Photosynthesis" and "Respiration" ring a bell?

5) Any other advice....

For a second language: sorry, but I think you just have to study a second language right through the year, doing stuff like trying to read books in that language, trying to improve speaking skills... THere's no way I could study for a second language even 2 months before an exam.

Uhm, not trying to sound like a teacher here or anything, but a revision schedule is really, really helpful and I would personally advise people to do this... it helps to know how little time there really is.

And lastly, a very painful word of advice even in my own ears: studying + facebook or studying+ youtube = hours and hours of time wasted....for me it really doesn't work. I have to either study or go on facebook. I can't do both. I know some people can, but I can't. (now I have to follow my own advice...

[sweetnsimple786]

1) When did you/are you planning to start revising for exams?

Umm I've been sort of revising for bio constantly. For English, History, and Math, maybe in April?

2) What study methods did you use (e.g. making charts, diagrams, forming study groups, writing summaries, flashcards)

I took Spanish B SL last year. Doing past papers helped tremendously. For math, I don't really study. For bio, it's like we're using information we've used constantly, so we're recalling it all the time. & I entered a few competitions, which forced me to review. One on cell bio was especially useful. For history, I'll be looking over notes. My teacher makes skeleton powerpoints & if you can fill in the details to the few words he has on the powerpoint, then you know you're doing well. For English, we have yet to read 2 of the books for Paper 2. I'll probably review the books after that.

3) Which of these study methods worked/works best for you, and why?

Past papers for the win.

Flashcards are nice, but I never make them. For biology, memorizing the syllabus is great. Animations are very helpful for some units like muscles and nerves.

For history, being able to explain an event and its significance means that you've mastered it. Same for bio, actually. For English, build up a working vocab for literary devices and try to make connections among what you've read. It really helps if you're able to recognize the labels you mentally put on things and look past these labels. It allows you to discuss of a deeper level.

For math.. I don't know.. I've heard doing past papers is very helpful. It's nice to get used to the terminology the writers use. Just working problems helps, and even if you don't have an idea, just put something down. Like for physics last year, I would put the formula for the mass defect when I didn't know what to do. For IB, we get formula books, which is really nice. Just pick a few formulas and show some [bS?] work.

[Catnip]

My exams are in May and I only started seriously reviewing a week ago and it's really scary! I got through almost half of year 1 math, re-reading my notes and doing the textbook questions. For chem I was really lost as to how to start, and decided to do pretty much the same thing, read through each chapter and do the questions that are in the textbook. It's spring break and I'm able to study for 4-5 hours a day, I figure I'll be about halfway through math and chem. Then a quarter of my weeks will be used up and because of homework I'll have less time in a week! I really don't know how to fit it all in...any suggestions? We don't have much time to study in class, especially for math - four days of in-class review if we're lucky. Also I'm not very sure on what I should be studying for English as I don't know what the paper is going to be like. I wish past papers were available online for free because I haven't got many from my teachers. I definately suggest studying throughout the year instead of waiting for the last months!

Any suggestions on how I could use my study time more effectively, use better techniques or make more time for studying would be appreciated =)

[bLub]

1) When did you/are you planning to start revising for exams?

Now =P well basically I started before our mocks, which were about 3 weeks ago, and now I'm trying to get going... but it's hard coz we still have quite a lot to do for college

2) What study methods did you use (e.g. making charts, diagrams, forming study groups, writing summaries, flashcards)

writing/copying my notes and reading through them

4) What was/is the most challenging IB subject to study for and why?

maths. coz i don't like it and it's so hard to get started. and there's no such boring thing as revising maths.

[masochist]

1) When did you/are you planning to start revising for exams?

I start a little while in advance. For IB exams, they will be in may and there is a 1 week break in 2 weeks - I'm planning to start studying then.

2) What study methods did you use (e.g. making charts, diagrams, forming study groups, writing summaries, flashcards)

I read the objectives and textbooks and make flash cards from those, from there I make sure I understand everything. Then I go through the flash cards several times and finally, I'll do past papers.

3) Which of these study methods worked/works best for you, and why?

Past papers for sure. Even if I know everything in terms of content, I don't know the weird ways they'll ask me things and I don't know the ways examiners prefer questions to be answered etc. Knowing these kinds of things definitely helps a lot.

4) What was/is the most challenging IB subject to study for and why?

Hm. I think Math just because the vast quantity of things I need to know just kills my brain. Plus, they always try to ask things that we haven't learned and attempting to anticipate that is very difficult.

5) Any other advice...

Flashcards = win. Seriously, they're amazing. Once you know something you take it out of the pile and then you continue heavily revising ones you do not know.

[pomoni]

@Hannah.mb wow you make me feel guilty

I also think that Biology (esp. HL) is challenging to study because it's so much fact memorisation. All the names and complicated processes....hmm... Fellow biology (HL) students, does "Photosynthesis" and "Respiration" ring a bell?

hahaha OH YES it does!

Now, to the questions:

1) When did you/are you planning to start revising for exams?

I finished all my IAs on Wednesday, and I have my mocks tomorrow, so the only chance I could start studying for exams was starting from last Saturday! But the serious studying is going to start after my mocks, which means april 4th. I hope it's going to be enough time. But the good thing is I've been studying stuff over and over during the 2 years, so most of the stuff is in my head already.

2) What study methods did you use (e.g. making charts, diagrams, forming study groups, writing summaries, flashcards)

I read the books and take notes while doing so. (But after some time I get tired of it and only read on). And sometimes I get people to quiz me on some stuff, but that's rarely the case.

4) What was/is the most challenging IB subject to study for and why?

Honestly it's maths. I just never get it. The reason is I just find it hard and I probably don't study for it the way I should. I'll try changing my studying strategies for maths in April. If anyone has some advice as to how I could grasp the concepts I'd be happy to hear it.

[hannah.mb]

@Hannah.mb wow you make me feel guilty

@pomoni: sorry.... i guess I take exams quite seriously...

Also about your maths, I had the same problem. I just didn't get maths. But then in February when our teacher finished the syllabus (*gasp*- we never thought he'd do it on time), we focused on actually working problems (i.e. past papers), and that sort of opened my eyes to the fact that all there is to maths is really practicing problem-solving skills. I'm not revising any other way for maths. So, check out those past papers, definitely.

A more practical question to whoever wants to answer: about flashcards. I want to make myself some for a few subjects. But I am kind of using any sort of scrap paper I have, and I make them all sorts of different sizes, and the end result is always that they look extremely messy, unusable or unfindable (i.e. I lost them ) So if you are a fan of flashcards, do you have any sort of system to making/storing them, that really works for you? I'd be interested to know.

[pomoni]

@Hannah.mb:

Thanks a lot for the advice! Do you think solving past papers is enough though? My friend told me he did so and he got a 6 "only" when he wanted a 7... and said that if he had studied the actual concepts from the books etc he would've done better. What do you think?

And yeah...about taking exams seriously, I'm with you on this Do you think a month of studying will be enough to do well on the exams? (When one already knows most concepts, of course)

Edited March 21, 2010 by pomoni

[Caustica]

@Hannah.mb:

Thanks a lot for the advice! Do you think solving past papers is enough though? My friend told me he did so and he got a 6 "only" when he wanted a 7... and said that if he had studied the actual concepts from the books etc he would've done better. What do you think?

And yeah...about taking exams seriously, I'm with you on this Do you think a month of studying will be enough to do well on the exams? (When one already knows most concepts, of course)

I'm not in the IB years yet, but from what I know about Maths, the key item in the revision should be doing exercises; it doesn't matter if they're past papers or from the exercise book (although past papers would be preferred; but they do run out!). Of course, the actual concepts in the books are important as well, but that should already be covered during lessons; and anyway, Maths is a very logical subject, so there's not much need for memorisation. And Maths geniuses pretty much never need to revise, which isn't something you can say for geniuses of other subjects.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Caustica

[Charizard]

@Charizard: wow, I didn't know IB had Music as a subject! Cool... good luck with that.

Oh gosh, Music. It's quite difficult for me since I don't have a huge background in music analysis/musicology/composition/performance/any of it really, and even though I'm only taking it at SL I need to learn all the hard stuff for the exams and I just don't send in a performance recording or compose. But again, even though it's so hard I love it a lot!

[pomoni]

Do you guys feel ready for the exams? Where do you still have gaps?