By Katherine
McCormack and Sarah Delaney
Hello guys,
Here are
some tips about how to do exams when you, like us, have a learning difficulty.
Students
with dyslexia often read quite slowly, so when they sit down and see the piles
upon piles of " required readings" can see extremely daunting a week
before the exam. The best way to tackle this is to create a schedule by
assigning a manageable amount of reading to do each day. This ensures you can
cover as much reading as needed without feeling like it is a never ending
task.
While
reading through books or lecture notes a helpful tip is to write notes on the
readings as you go along. As you read through a chapter try to write down the
key points, this will ensure you will not have to re-read the whole chapter an
hour before your exam but simply look at the concise notes you have created.
Some students find that when they read they do not retain the information,
within a few minuets they cannot remember what they have just read. Students
often find that this can be extremely frustrating and demoralising. However by
actively writing notes as you go along it will help you to focus on what you
are reading and increase your chances of retaining that information.
Many
students with dyslexia are very visual. They can recall images better than
lengthy lines of text. A tip that I have found very helpful is to write notes
on coloured sheets of paper or coloured flash cards. The colours make the text
more memorable and can help me remember facts in exams. For example it is much
easier to remember “what was on the green flash card?” than “what was on page
245 of Landscapes of Neolithic Ireland?!”
Some people
remember better through the use of sound. If you find you remember what people
say better than what you read, a tip is to record yourself reading some
information. Often people find it awkward to hear our voices on tape. But if
you record yourself saying facts like " the battle of Hastings was fought
in the year 1066" you can listen to this on the way to the exam hall and
increase the chances of you remembering
facts.
Students
with dyspraxia, similar with dyslexia, can find it hard to get ideas from brain
to paper. What can help is sticking down the random words that are in your head
to do with what you are trying to explain.
People with
dyspraxia often learn differently and need to study differently too. I have to
listen to music or have movie playing in the background while I study, I find
that I focus better. I also find I remember more if I watch or listen to a
documentary podcast or a piece of visual or audio media on the subject.
Some people
with dyspraxia have terrible short term memory, so for final exam preparation
the last minute short term memory game doesn’t always work. However maybe an
hour or more for the, I have the topics I studied broken down into sections (or
sub topics) of 5 and then I will have at 3 or 5 sets of 3 initials or figures
within those sections (the brain is more likely to remember in set of threes
and fives). For example say the topic is Minoan peak sanctuaries a section
within that could be the characteristics of Neopalatial peak sanctuaries and
the initial or figures could be PRC, SST, MSL. These would mean Palaces and
palatial Regional Centres, Shrine buildings, Stone offering Tables, Metal
figurines and blades, Seals and Linear A. The initials would also help jog my
memory of information associated with these topics. I normally write each
section in different colours because the different colours can help re-enforce
the information.
While
sitting the exam, you might come up with point that are relevant to the another
question. Write it down on the rough work sheet because you might forget it,
again the short term memory. But do not stop the question you are on if you
have a nice flow and aren’t stuck. If you are stuck go back to the question or
go on to the next one and put in that information and that might help you with
the one you are stuck on.
Processing skills
and speeds are different too, so if you don not understand the phrasing of the
question being asked ask your reader. The reader should actually contact the
invigilator and who will contact the module co-ordinator but they cannot help
you with the answer.
Once you
have prepared for the exam the next step is getting their. If you are
registered with the DSS you will probably be sitting your exams in UCD. When
you arrive to UCD go to room D106 there you will find your name on one of the
boards and will see what room you will be taking your exam in. You should try
to arrive at UCD thirty minutes before your exam is due to start. Here is a
list of things you must bring to each of your exams:
- Your student number
- A copy of your exam supports from SIS web
- Your blue stickers that are to be placed on the inside cover of your exam
booklet.
- Pens, pencils and a highlighter.
While
sitting the exam the best tip is to try to relax. When answering an exam
question it is very important to understand what the question is asking you. To
ensure you do not misread the key words in the question use a highlighter to
mark those words. This will allow you to look back at the question as you write
to make sure you answering without misunderstanding the question. Many students
with dyslexia find structuring their work very difficult. In the pressure of
exams it becomes very common for students to just reproduce everything they
have learned, sometimes without even adding paragraphs or punctuation. To help,
use the rough work page provided to quickly write down the key points you want
to talk about giving each point a paragraph. Another tip is to try to write legibly
this can be hard when you’re frantically writing against the clock but if the lecturer
can’t read it they can’t give you marks. Overall just try to do your best;
exams are difficult for everyone regardless if you have or do not have dyslexia.
However by understand how best to study and how to answer an exam question
there is nothing stopping us from getting just as good grades as everyone else.
We hope helps!
Best of luck with your revision and don't hesitate to send us an email if you have any questions,
All the best,
Katherine & Sarah
