Having to repeat exams can be a tough setback, but it’s not the end of the road. Edel Walsh shares insights to help you learn how to reflect on your past attempts, reignite your motivation, plan your study effectively, and prioritise your well-being as you embark on your journey to exam success
Failing an exam is challenging. If you didn’t succeed in your last exam round, give yourself time to process it and recover before thinking about the repeat exam.
When you feel ready to tackle your studies again, know you are brave. It is hard to tackle an exam for the second or third time around.
However, there is some good news. You are not starting from the beginning. Much of the subject matter will be fresh in your memory. You may need to change your study approach.
Reflection
Before you get stuck into studying for the repeat exam, take time to pause and reflect. While it might be difficult, there will be some valuable lessons and insights you can gather from the previous time you sat this exam.
In the words of John Maxwell, author of The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, evaluated experience is the teacher of all things.
As you reflect on your previous exams, ask yourself some questions that will help you gain insight into the experience.
Reflections on your study
- What went well for you as you studied for your last exam?
- What could have gone better while studying for your exam?
- What study strategies might you use this time to get better results?
Reflections on the exam
- Did you have enough time to answer all the questions in the exam?
- Which topics or subjects were you least/most confident answering?
- How did you feel during the exam?
- What did you learn from this exam experience?
Motivation
For some, motivation and enthusiasm for studying might be low after not passing an exam.
Motivation is not an organic process. Students often wait to become motivated, but you will not wake up some morning and be suddenly motivated.
If you can urge yourself to take the smallest of actions to restart a study schedule again, even though you don’t feel like it, motivation will follow.
I often compare motivation to going for a run. I am never truly motivated to go for a run, but the most challenging part can often be putting on my running gear. Once that is done, motivation tends to follow.
Planning
It is important to plan your study in line with your available time.
First, factor in your syllabus or competency statement for the subject by using a simple traffic light system:
- Green represents the topics where you are confident;
- Orange represents areas that need some work; and
- Red represents areas that need to be prioritised.
Marking these areas by the traffic light system gives you an idea of the road ahead.
Next, consider your weekly plans. This plan should be fluid and flexible. Consider which days you have available for study.
Finally, when it comes to daily planning, always start by setting a learning goal for your study session to keep you on track.
Be sure you are consistently testing yourself on the materials under exam conditions. This is the key to success. Many students avoid testing themselves.
Testing yourself and making mistakes is the key to succeeding in the exams. You might feel uncomfortable seeing the mistakes you have made, but it is better to see them as you study rather than make them in the exam itself.
Lean on your support system
If there is support available to you, take advantage of it.
Speak to your lecturers. They may be able to provide invaluable information about what went wrong for most people in the exams.
Speak to your colleagues and classmates. They have been there and will be able to offer you a helping hand.
Your well-being and exams
Looking after your well-being in the lead-up to the exams is of utmost importance. You can manage your wellbeing by:
- planning – we have looked at how to create a simple plan. Planning can help reduce stress levels.
- scheduling productive deep breaks – This does not mean turning your attention to a phone or social media. A productive deep break is taking ten minutes or so between study sessions to go for a walk around the block, listen to music, do a meditation available on YouTube or listen to a relaxing podcast.
- breaking it down – If you are overwhelmed by what you need to cover, break everything down into small, manageable chunks. When we look at the end goal (also known as the performance goal), passing the exams, it can feel overwhelming. If we break this goal down into small learning goals, it feels a little more manageable.
Finally, remind yourself of the bigger picture. Failing an exam is part of your journey. It won’t feel pleasant, but you will learn so much from this experience that you can bring to future exams.
Edel Walsh is a student and exam coach. She supports her clients with their studies and exams by focusing on academic success, personal development and looking after their well-being. For more information, check out www.edelwalsh.ie
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