As the IB exams approach, the stress and pressure to revise and study all the material for all subjects increases greatly. Many students struggle with the same challenge, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of content to be covered and figuring out where to start, or how to stay organized.
Rather than studying random topics a week before the exam, this timeline-style article will help you effectively study for all your courses while actually retaining the information that you learn.
3-4 Months Remaining
Ideally, you should start revising for exams about 4 months in advance. This allows for sufficient time to plan out a study schedule which is equally important as studying itself, as well as having time to study for all your subjects. A few months before the exam, try to create a study plan that includes the following: the time that you plan to spend on each subject every day, topics that you want to cover each day, as well as daily or weekly goals that you hope to meet. To create this plan, work backwards, by writing down the date of your exams. From there, think about which topics you would like to get out of the day first, and which you are able to review closer to the exam days. As well, think about which subjects you want to spend more time on, or start studying for first, depending on your schedule. Be careful not to leave too much to do on the last few days before exams, and allow yourself some leeway in case you miss a few sessions.
Having said that, it is still extremely important to stick to your study plan, and consider what might happen if you don’t follow through. If you do miss one day, don’t beat yourself up over it and simply spend a little more time the next day, but don’t just skip the topic.
Make a note of any topics you particularly struggled with and plan to spend a little more time on them. Make sure you’re aiming to study regularly and not cramming every few days or weeks. It’ll be more difficult to retain information and stay motivated if you skip all week, but then spend the next 2 days studying for 15 hours. As well, you should gather some practice papers or prompts for your subject and start working on them.
1-2 Months Remaining
At this point, you should have a thorough understanding of the content of the courses you have been studying. Now, try to narrow your focus on topics that you are unconfident in, and keep reviewing them. Complete practice papers and really aim to gain an understanding of the markscheme and the way your answers should be structured. For essay based exams, read past students examples to gain an understanding of what the examiners look for. Don’t just complete the practice exams, but make the most of them by placing yourself in an exam situation; time yourself and work in a silent space. Make use of all the resources you have access to, and ask your teachers for their advice on your strengths, weaknesses, and strategies you can use.
