·
Go to the class… this may seem silly, but the number #1
reason why students fail in-class assessments is that they have missed classes and
have failed to catch up on the work. Everyone is ill/at the dentist/sleeps in
at some point in the year, but if you miss a class, it is your responsibility
to find out what you missed and get the notes.
·
Make sure you understand what is being assessed – you should
have a copy of the unit descriptor, which gives you the ‘evidence requirements’
for each Outcome. Are all the Outcomes being assessed at the same time, or does
the assessment only cover one Outcome? If you are unsure, check with your tutor
before the assessment. Your tutor may also be able to give you an idea of how
much they expect you to write and how much detail they would like you to go
into.
·
Check the assessment conditions before the day of the
assessment. Are you allowed one A4 sheet of notes, no notes at all, or is it
completely open book? Different units have different rules, so make sure you
check with your tutor.
·
Start your revision in plenty of time, and try to space it
out in bite-size chunks rather than doing it all in one go. Even just reading
over your notes on the bus for 10 minutes will help! Make a revision plan, decide
what you need to know and what is realistic in the time that you have
available.
·
Make sure you take regular breaks when you are revising –
take a walk, or make a cup of tea. Your brain needs time to reflect on what
you’ve just done, and you can only concentrate for so long.
·
Consider forming a small study group and meeting in the Flex
or outside college (remember that you can use Glasgow Caledonian’s library,
which has a café and dedicated space for study groups, at weekends and after
5pm). Sometimes having other people around helps you to keep going, and you may
find that explaining things to others helps your own understanding as well.
·
On the day of the assessment, try to keep calm. Make sure
you eat something before you do the assessment – it’s a good idea to bring
water and a snack with you, so that you aren’t distracted by thirst or a
rumbling stomach!
·
Make sure you know how much time you have in the assessment,
and plan your time so that you can attempt all of the questions.
·
Remember that your tutor is not expecting essay-standard
work. We’ve all sat exams, so we know what it’s like, and we will make
allowances for spelling etc. Try to keep to some sort of structure – take the
time to plan your work – but don’t worry if it’s not ‘perfect’.
·
Switch your phone OFF!
·
Remember to listen to your tutor… they have to mark the
assessment, so the advice they give should be good
·
Remember that if all else fails, you will get a resit
attempt…
AND GOOD LUCK!