All entries for Saturday 29 April 2006

The best there was, the best there is ….

Ok, so I'm sorry about the lack of recent updates. I know – I am not really sorry at all, but please carry on reading – there will be a lower lies/sentences ratio from now on, maybe.

So, I was thinking about this revision malarky – what makes good preparation? I mean I am pretty much at the end of the sitting exams phase of my life, so I should have figured it out by now – surely? As far as I can tell there's 5 ways in which people's revision can be classified:

1. Representation – notes are needed, knowledge is needed – but how is this information represented? Some people seem to love massive list orientated revision notes, others are more visual and diagramatic (mind map?) Somewhat orthogonally to this there's the issue of how contingent you make your notes – are notes for formal methods modules the same as project management?

2. Focus – here there's the issue of whether you are the heads down for three days straight working until you realise you've nearly died of starvation type, or the "well I've worked for 23 minutes and 42 seconds I might as well have a break and go write on my blog now" type.

3. Organisation – Do you know when your exams and where you notes are?

4. Fear – I love exams, well not really but I find them a fairly stress free exercise compared to many.

5. Music – this is the really important one. Anyone else blast some Fear Factory through their speakers in order to speed up the note taking, or is the preference for the first movement from Beethoven's 6th (you know – the music in soylent green)? Frankly I'm pretty agnostic I can even revise with the simpsons on in the background, though I am pretty convinced its impossible to revise to Jazz.

What are you habits?

: 29 Apr 2006 23:15 |  Tags: Reflections Review Revision Work |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem