Key ideas

Strategies

Looking at common challenges to sitting exams

5 Step approach

1. 
   Releasing your potential - performance psychology

How we receive information - our neurons fire as info comes through our senses and messages pass on between brain cells, new connections are made.

Astrocytes - cells which recognise chemicals in your brain released as you practice and eventually automate the concepts the more you practice.

Five keys to rapid learning

ASSET

Attention - pay attention!

Sensory input - get more senses involved - walk and talk

Solid effort - reflect, question, practice, reiterate

Emotion -brain releases memory-enhancing chemistry by making studying fun

Time sequence - revisit regularly - info retention drops significantly within the first 24hrs unless revisited - 30% of memory drops off after one day of learning

Taking regular breaks during studying to

Avoid Brain fatigue

NSF Neural System fatigue (brain tiredness)

Build a juggling break into your lessons!

(Discounted juggling ball sets)

Regular exercise and food - snacks eg nuts

Oats great low GI foods

Water to rehydrate each morning to switch on the brain

Concentrated activity - relax - repeat

Exercise to switch on the brain -

Breathing - 30 secs in/out the nose then hold breath

Brain gym: stretch/eyes/juggle

E.g. Circles with one hand squares with the other

Moving eyes side to side before exams - switches brain on

Juggling e.g. of breaking down something tricky into steps - as each step becomes automated you can learn the skill.

Importance of sleep

Effects of technology on release of melatonin - released only when dark so screens provide light and stop this release

Studies looking at whether strong wifi is perceived by the brain as light?

Especially if you sleep with your phone by your head/besides your bed

Reduce screen time/ wifi off Stop looking at your phone an hour before sleep

Studies looking at the effect of wifi on the brain - might be perceived as ‘light’ so wifi on all night could be interfering with the sleep patterns - no hormone release. Maybe turn the wifi router off at night?

2. 
   Relaxing comes first

Relaxing first helps retention, helps focus

Close your eyes, deep breathing.

Listen to music but make it relaxing, music that creates Alpha state

(Alpha music for study)

Relaxation breathing - ratio 1 - 4 -2 : useful if anxious during an exam

Stuck on a question - move on, start with something easy

3. 
   Reviewing and rewriting your notes

Extracting keywords to study from

Set an intention

Avoid just rereading/rewriting notes

Highlight key phrases in your notes, choose one word from each phrase, use these to write your own notes, mindmaps - colours

Record on an audio device - you can listen to these while exercising etc

Test by speaking the ideas out loud with friends

4. 
   Remembering with pictures and patterns

Memory through visual association

Principles of memory

Concept maps

Essay route map - keywords into sequences

Repetition of the key words

Bright vivid pictures are remembered! crazy unusual silly pictures are remembered best by the brain

Moving pictures - glue to the brain

Find a place to store the ‘picture’ in the brain

‘Location method’ for memory

Set up locations in the brain

Using key words for concepts you need to remember - can then connect these as you remember them

Can be any location you can to think of

E.g. think of the kitchen at home (picture peg)

Then 4 other rooms

Given 4 words for each ‘room’ (peg)

Turn them into bright funny pictures

Repetition to remember each location

The story method helpful - put pictures in sequence - Put the first picture on the peg

Good for essay content

Good for science principles too

5. 
   Rehearsing for recall and performance

Exam performance mindset - try to do better than you’ve done before

Memorising using patterns

spreadsheets/flow charts

Apps: evernote, Simple Mind

Acronyms (First letters to make a word)

Acrostics - use rhymes/songs/musics

Create a study timetable 2 weeks out

Rehearse content 2x within 24 hrs and a 3rd time within a week

Use NET time (No Extra Time) using your audio notes on the go

Apps - quizlet

Phone pictures of mindmaps

Short bursts - concentrated effort - break

Brain breaks

Performance rehearsal

Rehearse ‘mental movies’ of ideal exam situation

Affirmations - I am calm etc

Visualisation techniques

Focused attention - learning and exam prep needs attention

Reduce distractions

Create more interest value fun in your topic Mix it up Change your attitude

Set a short term goal,an intention for each segment of time; I will revise my...for twenty minutes, that will determine your focus, help you focus on what is important, and will hold your attention.

Relaxation activity will also help focus your attention.

Apps – eg - Self-control – will shut you out for a nominated time from the sites that distract you.

Exam performance mindset

An exam is like a performance - create the mindset that you are wanting a personal best. It takes effort to change how we do things and what we think about, we can change our perception.

Use affirmations and visualisation to imprint your memory to believe you are a little bit better – self talk can be used deliberately.

If you make a mistake, get a poor result – think: that’s not like me. The next time I will…I can’t yet but...

Celebrate success – I’m good at this! (Doesn’t need to be out loud…)

Exam anxiety - if you find yourself anxious in the exam try a breathing technique to relax - 1-4-2 ratio Breathe in: hold: breath out

If you’re really stuck move on come back

Motivation to study

5 minute trick - I’ll do five minutes and get going

Use self talk to help keep focused reward yourself for effort