"GIN IS HOW I GET THROUGH MY EXAMS"

It’s that time of year again for nearly every university student where they can sit back and relax.

Right, I lied, it’s exam season. The library computers are all booked up and if you haven’t booked a computer, it will just throw you off without any warning so my tip, book in advance or save every five minutes.

So how do you get the most out of your revision time and still end up with the grades you want to achieve?

I produced a poll onto Facebook asking fellow students to tell me how they prepare for exams and its true everyone does have their own special way of preparing for these exams.

These are a few of the following comments I received:

“Crawling into a ball and cry"

“Choose a degree with no exams”

“Lots of past papers and colour coded notes”

“Make a spider diagram for each subject and rewrite notes, I hate exams”

“Hide under my duvet until my responsibilities go away”

“Writing my seminar notes out again and past papers”

“I don’t prepare, I never have in my life.”

“Make condensed colour coded notes of lectures and seminars, oh and flash cards."

To be completely honest, I have never been an expert at exam revision or doing exams in the first place, I look at my notes over and over again but sadly this is usually the night before as I convince myself I know a lot and when in fact, I know nothing.

To help those that are revising and stressing over their exams, I have come up with five top tips that are useful to follow to help you on your way, I am no expert but I believe they have helped me revise in my final year of studies and going off what my subjects have said.

• Don’t revise everything at once

You don’t want to get yourself all worked up by looking at everything you need to revise. Look through your seminar notes and put all the topics into a list and then number them 1-10. Number one being the one you are least confident with, looking at it first and number ten being the one you are most confident with.

• Take regular five minute intervals

By taking five minute intervals every hour or so will help your brain rest after all the information you have just crammed into it. Go for a brisk walk or go do something that isn’t very challenging to let your brain stretch back to normal size.

• Colours everywhere

Colours will help with the coordination of your notes. Use a colour for titles, another colour for important and possibly another for extra points. But one thing, don’t use to many colours as you don’t want to spending all your time choosing which colours you’re going to use next and how you can make it look pretty.

• Put sticky notes all around your house

These will work as gentle reminders of what you need to know for your exam. Place them anywhere and everywhere you can, for example, mirrors, opposite the toilet, fridge, and cupboard and possibly on the dog.

• Surround yourself by snacks and drinks

By doing this you will be less inclined when you have reached a rough spot to make excuses to yourself about being thirsty or that if you go and get a chocolate bar when you come back you’ll be on the ball. Don’t listen to the temptation and have some drinks available in arm distance and some snacks that you can pick at.

Good luck to all sitting exams, whether it's your first or final, remember: you've got this.