Exam Runway
Lesson Three
The lead up to exam week can be compared to an airport runway. Students, like airplanes, must prepare by gathering study materials and planning their schedule. They create a checklist of essential knowledge and skills, ensuring they are mentally ready. On exam day, they enter the "flight mode" and navigate through the challenges. After the exam, they land safely, and their performance is assessed. Students reflect on their results and prepare for the next phase of their academic journey, just as planes taxi to the gate. Exams take careful preparation, planning, and execution and the reward is confidence and great results
Exam Runway
In Lesson three we dive into the Exam Runway - how do we prepare for that final week before exams to make sure we have the preparation to “set flight”
This module focuses on using planning to put the study methods and actions into place for the runway leading up to exams
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The Runway Checklist
Preparation: Just as pilots and ground crews prepare the plane, students must prepare their minds and materials. They gather their notes, textbooks, and study guides, making sure everything they need is on board for the journey ahead.
Planning: Like air traffic controllers coordinating takeoffs and landings, students must plan their study schedule. They decide when and how to study each subject, ensuring that their study "flights" don't clash or overload their mental runways.
Checklist: Pilots and crew go through a meticulous pre-flight checklist, and students must do the same. They review their notes, refresh their understanding of key concepts, and ensure they are mentally prepared for the upcoming exams.
Clearance for Takeoff: When the big day arrives, students are like airplanes taxiing on the runway, waiting for clearance from the control tower. They enter the exam room with their knowledge and skills ready to take off into the challenges ahead.
Flight: During the exam, students are in flight mode. They use the knowledge and skills they've gathered to navigate through the questions, just as airplanes navigate through the sky.
Landing: After the exam is complete, students land safely on the educational runway. They complete that fight and get ready for their next one
Taxiing to the Gate: Finally, just as planes taxi to the gate after landing, students reflect on their performance and take learnings into their next exam
Reminder of Memory Techniques
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Mnemonic Devices: Mnemonics are like the measuring tape of memory tools, helping you mark important points and measurements in your mind.
To remember the order of the planets in our solar system from the sun outward, you can use the following mnemonic:
"My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles."
"My" stands for Mercury.
"Very" stands for Venus.
"Educated" stands for Earth.
"Mother" stands for Mars.
"Just" stands for Jupiter.
"Served" stands for Saturn.
"Us" stands for Uranus.
"Noodles" stands for Neptune
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Mind Maps: Think of mind maps as the blueprint for your knowledge, helping you create a clear and organised structure for your thoughts.
Imagine you're studying a topic like "Environmental Pollution." You can create a mind map with the main topic in the center and branches for different types of pollution, their causes, effects, and solutions.
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Flashcards: These are like the nails that hold everything together, reinforcing your memory with repeated exposure.
For example, on one side, write "What is the capital of France?" and on the other side, write "Paris."
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Chunking: Chunking information is the same as sorting and categorising items in your toolbox, making it easier to find what you need when you need it.
This can help you remember these events more effectively. For instance, when learning about Australian history, you can chunk important events by focusing on different time periods and themes:
1915: Gallipoli Campaign in World War I
1942: Bombing of Darwin during World War II
1965: Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War
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Visualisation: Visualisation is the paint that adds color and vividness to your memories, making them more memorable and engaging.
If you're learning about historical events, visualise the scenes or imagine yourself in that historical context to make it more memorable. For example, picture yourself at the ANZAC memorial
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Association: Like connecting pieces of a puzzle, associations link different concepts together, creating a more complete picture.
Connect new information to something you already know. If you're learning about chemistry, associate the periodic table elements with familiar objects or words. For example, think of "Na" (Sodium) as "Salty" since sodium is in salt.
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Spaced Repetition: This is like periodically oiling your tools to keep them in good working condition, ensuring that your memory remains sharp and efficient.
Instead of cramming for a test, review your study material regularly. For example, if you're studying vocabulary words, revisit them at increasing intervals - first after a day, then after a week, and so on.
