About

Preparing for the Exam

Studying psychology is both enjoyable and useful. Students of psychology not only gain knowledge that helps them understand themselves and others, they can also apply this knowledge to everyday life. So psychology can enable you to improve your memory, give you strategies for effective studying, and help you manage your stress and do well in your exams.

The study skills you need to be successful in exams are based on psychological principles involving learning and memory. So you should already be well placed to gain maximum advantage in the exam room! This chapter is divided into two sections that address your own study skills and the ways in which the exam will be assessed and marked.

This chapter is designed to take some of the stress out of the exam by giving you hints on how to study, and letting you know what the exam involves and what the examiners look for. You will probably return to this chapter as you work through the rest of the book.

• How can I study effectively? (see page 1 of the textbook)

Students of psychology should find it easy to develop good study skills because they are based on psychological principles. For example, study skills are designed to promote effective learn­ing and remembering, and learning and memory are key areas within psychology. Study skills are also concerned with motivation and developing good work habits, and these also fall very much within psychology, although they are not part of your course. Most of what is involved in study skills is fairly obvious, so we will focus on detailed pieces of advice rather than on vague generalities (e.g. “work hard”, “get focused”).

• How can I do well in the exam? (see page 5 of the textbook)

Very few students like exams, but there are a lot of strategies that you can use to make them less stressful, so that on the day of the exams you will be very keen to let the examiner know what you have learned about psychology.