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What's your biggest exam mistake uni version

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I know someone who did LSD before his maths exam (and thus was sent abroad to South Africa by his parents for a few months to sort himself out). I guess you could kind of say that was a big mistake for him (he didn't do well).
When you come out of your exam and you find your calculator is in radians mode! :frown: It happened twice!
That I only just looked at the solutions and memorised them. Big no no and that only got me a 2.2.

What I do now:

-I use the textbook method to really understand the hidden depths of every concept, and also so I have a written reference to look back into later. I've even swapped a copy of my textbook for a copy of other people's notes which gave a new outlook on a certain concept.
-I use the teach out loud method for every chapter that I write.
-I use quiz and recall if the concepts just need to be known, without any deeper meaning to it.
Original post by Bude8
Thinking GCSEs were important


Worst possible advice ever. GCSE's are definitely important if you want a competitive job by getting into a good university...
I lost 25marks in my religious studies exam ( IGCSEs ) only because I couldnt think straight. I was very sleepy that day.
I still got an A.:biggrin:
Original post by Arieisit
Mine is not studying :colondollar: :angelblush::banghead:



This is not university related, however, during my Mathematics Level 8-9 SATS inYear 9, I did paper 2 without having a realization that this was a calculator paper,until I looked up from finishing my last question and I saw the calculator.This.
(edited 9 years ago)
Sitting the BMAT...
Original post by paradoxicalme
this is at uni. at gcse you need to learn everything you've been taught. :smile:


sorry if i was confusing earlier but i know you guys were going on about uni. imagine if i only learnt 40% for my gcses. id be screwed and i was just asking why you thought you shouldn't learn everything in uni?
Original post by thecoolestkid
sorry if i was confusing earlier but i know you guys were going on about uni. imagine if i only learnt 40% for my gcses. id be screwed and i was just asking why you thought you shouldn't learn everything in uni?


Speaking in terms of my course, there's far too much to learn, and there's guaranteed to be things you don't know on the exam anyways.
Original post by llamaspoon
Speaking in terms of my course, there's far too much to learn, and there's guaranteed to be things you don't know on the exam anyways.


wait but what if what you've revised doesn't come up. the thought is frightening
Original post by thecoolestkid
wait but what if what you've revised doesn't come up. the thought is frightening


Some of what you've revised will come up. Don't worry, you're still doing GCSEs. No need to panic yet.
Your all making me nervous and i don't even start my 1st year exams till may !
biggest mistake was after the jump from gcse's to a levels.

Did really well at my gcse with the most minimal effort possible. I spent a few hours the night before revising and that was it. Then when a level came round i thought to myself that yes there harder but not vastly more, put a couple hours a day 2 weeks before exams starts. That was one big **** up.
Original post by Arieisit
Mine is not studying :colondollar: :angelblush::banghead:


this reply is stoopid.
Why would u not study 4 an exam, yu silly billy.
I hope you get visited by el spooko 'ebola chan' skeletron
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Reply 74
Original post by thecoolestkid
wait but what if what you've revised doesn't come up. the thought is frightening


Yeah, I used to think like you. And it's profitable to think like that at GCSE.

At uni, there is condensed notes and uncondensed notes. If you try to study the uncondensed notes for each course, you'll never see the light of day or the black of night...only the walls of your room. By studying the condensed notes would be studying smart but not hard. You'll likely cover everything you need toknow to get an A or a 1st.

Original post by KarmaronLC
this reply is stoopid.
Why would u not study 4 an exam, yu silly billy.
I hope you get visited by el spooko 'ebola chan' skeletron
▒▒▒░░░░░░░░░░▄▐░░░░ ▒░░░░░░▄▄▄░░▄██▄░░░ ░░░░░░▐▀█▀▌░░░░▀█▄░ ░░░░░░▐█▄█▌░░░░░░▀█▄ ░░░░░░░▀▄▀░░░▄▄▄▄▄▀▀ ░░░░░▄▄▄██▀▀▀▀░░░░░ ░░░░█▀▄▄▄█░▀▀░░░░░░ ░░░░▌░▄▄▄▐▌▀▀▀░░░░░ ░▄░▐░░░▄▄░█░▀▀░░░░░ ░▀█▌░░░▄░▀█▀░▀░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░▄▄▐▌▄▄░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░▀███▀█░▄░░░ ░░░░░░░▐▌▀▄▀▄▀▐▄░░░ ░░░░░░░▐▀░░░░░░▐▌░░ ░░░░░░░█░░░░░░░░█░░ ░░░░░░▐▌░░░░░░░░░█░



I don't think you're in any position to call me "stoopid".
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Reply 75
Original post by goobypls
Your all making me nervous and i don't even start my 1st year exams till may !


At least you can retake the courses. At least you don't have exams every 3 weeks. Consider yourself lucky. Now resume studying :biggrin:

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Arieisit
At least you can retake the courses. At least you don't have exams every 3 weeks. Consider yourself lucky. Now resume studying :biggrin:

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Well i have a phase test every 3 weeks which is like 35% of my final mark just alone for analytical Chemistry.

I would probably die if i had a full chemistry exam every 3 weeks.

P.S I wasn't studying i was procrastinating !
Reply 77
Bump
Can't remember if I've already posted one, but here's another one from my January exams:

I was using Gauss' divergence theorem, and I got two different answers for the volume integral and the surface integral, but I couldn't see where I went wrong and I didn't have enough time to fix it. :frown:

Everyone else thought it was a really hard exam as well though, so I got a good grade in the end. :smile:
Reply 79
Worst thing that other people on my course did:

1) Regurgitate 'facts' imparted in lectures and during field trips, without checking them. One of our lecturers used to season his info with the occasional howler, to see who was paying attention and doing the background reading. If they were repeated back as fact in an exam, he'd deduct marks.

2) Relying on revision sessions to tell them exactly what to revise. One lecturer held a two hour session on topics which weren't covered in any detail in the subsequent exam paper. It was useful background and filler, but anyone who only revised topics from the revision session and hadn't done decent independent reading during the year, barely scraped a pass at best.

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