Student Team Tips: Post exam reflection, finding time to relax and enjoying summer
Hello! It’s your weekly tips again from your beloved Student Team from the University of Manchester library. Examinations and assessments are finally over and we couldn't wait to celebrate your hard work with you! Before that, we know that some reflection is necessary, and we are ready to help. Here are some compiled tips from us on post exam reflection as well as finding time to relax and enjoy the summer ahead :)
Some of the best way to reflect on an exam
“Immediately after my exams, I write down brief notes on how I feel they went, from whether I got to the venue in time and with everything I needed for the exam, whether I picked the questions I could most confidently answer, and whether I managed my time effectively.
Other than this, I try not to think so much about my exams once I have completed them. I used to, in my earlier university days, discuss my answers with my study buddies, but this would result in avoidable anxiety and arguments. It’s different once results are out. At that point, I look at marking guides and the specific feedback my examiners have provided. I also discuss with colleagues who have performed well on how they approached their questions. I normally schedule meetings with my lecturers and academic advisor for more insights into how I can improve my performance in future exams.” Fiona, Law
“Once the feedback is out, before starting to reflect it is always best to learn about critical thinking and reading the resource about feedback so you could utilise them. I usually request to view exam papers, where you get to know which is the part where you lost most of your mark and vice versa. If you are submitting the exam paper remotely/via turnitin, you would get specific marks and feedback too. Feel free to drop your lecturer a message to ask for clarification about some of the feedback that you don’t understand.” Jia Xuen, Accounting
“It is not always about the marks but it is also about finding the best way to prepare for them. Did the current method of preparation work for you well? Did you feel that you had sufficient time to prepare? Should you start the next exams relatively earlier? Asking these questions to yourself is important as it will help you find a revision strategy that suits you best. Remember that throughout university, you will sit multiple exams so it is always better to find a learning style that suits you best.” Naman, Mechatronic engineering
“Whilst you wait for feedback on your exams, it is important to do self reflection on what you would do differently in the future. This should be distinguished from anxiety on what the outcome of the exams would be. Rather, it is more about learning from your experience and mapping future directions. I have reflected on my exams by comparing my experiences on different approaches to preparation for different exams. I compared how comfortable I felt with my state of knowledge in exams. I use visual aids like mind maps and diagrams to prepare for and those that I used abbreviations and other memorisation techniques for. I also do a comparison based on my retention level and my level of understanding of the subject matter. I felt more relaxed in exams I used visualisation techniques than I did in the exams I memorised for.” Fatimah, Law
Things to do when you’ve done poorly in your exams — dealing with mitigating circumstance decisions, re-sits and how they work.
“Academic advisors are usually very helpful when it comes to mitigating circumstances. They can advise on specific steps to follow — which you can normally find in the policy documents provided by your school. Depending on their approach, they could also review your application for mitigating circumstances and provide some documentation to back it. You need to ensure that you have all the supporting documents for your application, in the specified format, before you apply. Many of these may be freely available, but obtaining some of them may come at a cost, for example, a letter from your GP certifying your medical circumstances. It is always best to check with whoever you need a document from for what they require before they can issue it.”- Fiona, Law
“Due to the extra challenges being brought up by the pandemic I applied for mitigating circumstances which I have never done before (even though I maybe should have). I am fortunate to be DASS registered so if my mitigating circumstances application is regarding what I am registered for I do not have to provide evidence. I appreciate it can be difficult for some people who maybe don’t want to have to put into words what they might be experiencing, or trying to obtain evidence that is quite sensitive and could be upsetting, but it is absolutely worth getting in touch with someone. I think that every department should have a staff member who is in charge of student support/DASS.
In Chemistry your mitigating circumstances are only applied if there is an issue with your overall or final year grade. For instance, if you are about to graduate and just miss out on a first, mitigating circumstances will be used to see if those particular assessments/exams had an impact on your grade, and if they do those results might be omitted to bring you up to the next grade boundary. In other cases, you might be offered a re-sit as a first attempt, or that exam might be removed completely from your average. It is quite subjective and the decision lies with the exam board at the end of the day, but you should be able to talk to your personal tutor for more advice, for instance mine is very knowledgeable on how grading etc. works.” Paige, Chemistry
“Every school / department should have its own handbook with re-sit and mitigating circumstance policies, which tells you how to apply for them and if you need to provide any supporting evidence. It’s probably best to consult this and / or speak to your academic advisor. There might also be a course administrator who you can talk to about this sort of thing. They’ll probably be a bit more lenient this year because of the pandemic and all the extra pressure it’s created.
Also, I didn’t realise when I was doing my Master’s but you can register for DASS if you have a mental health condition. You’ll get extra support — in my case, I was assigned a mentor who I met with every week and who helped me to navigate challenges towards the latter end of the first year of my PhD. I imagine they’ll have some sort of help for exams too.” Olivia, Psychology
What is there to do in Manchester over the summer?
“Junkyard Golf — a good place to try crazy golf if you’ve never played it before. A bit pricier these days but if you book an off-peak ticket (basically go between Sunday and Thursday), you’ll get a 50% student discount (remember to bring your student ID!), so it’ll be just over £4 per person. Escape rooms — a way to spend a fun hour if you want to challenge your intellect in a different way! Gather a friend or group of friends and work together to find hints and solve clues to escape from the room. Breakout is the one I’m familiar with but there are others. Manchester Art Gallery — there’s a popular ‘Grayson’s Art Club’ exhibition on until the end of October (you may have seen the TV series), but you have to book a few weeks in advance. HOME cinema has some great independent films if you’re more of a movie buff. With the good weather we’ve been having in Manchester, one of the simple joys of summer is sitting under a tree with a cup of tea (or beverage of choice) and reading a book / drawing / people-watching.” Olivia, Psychology
“Well, fortunately, we can all now enjoy a few unlocked freedoms from restrictions. Shopping in real life and actually being able to see the clothes and try them out is a lot more fun and keeps you healthy and fit. I’d recommend paying a visit to the Trafford Centre, there’s not a shopping centre quite like it (yet) and there’s plenty of other activities to do there such as laser quest, SeaLife centre, bowling, pool, cinema and it also has great food outlets there. Aside from that, there are loads of things to do in Manchester such as visiting parks, having picnics, visiting art galleries, and taking train journeys to the Peak District or Lake District. You could also visit Media City, just a short tram journey away from the city centre and explore.” Nahima, Politics
“I STRONGLY recommend going to the International Society. They had really fun trips around the UK + events in place that aims to help everyone get new friends! Besides, they do have fun barbecues and cultural events, so if you just want to chill out and enjoy the sun its a great place!” Jia Xuen, Accounting
“There are loads of cafes, bars and restaurants that you can now sit inside, and there are multiple cinemas now showing films. And Manchester has lots of niche hobby destinations. Some of my favourites include Dino Falls Adventure Golf (minigolf next to the Trafford Centre), Flight Club (a bar with digital dart boards), KICKair (indoor trampoline and Ninja Warrior park) and Longford Park Disc Golf (golf but with frisbees).” George, Urban Design & Planning
“As an avid theatre goer and soon to be reopening you have the Royal Exchange Theatre, HOME, Hope Mill, Palace Theatre, Opera House and the Lowry. Royal Exchange offer student tickets for £7! Some of my favourite spots for food and drink and for atmosphere would be Mackie Mayor, GRUB and Altrincham Market. And cool jazz bars such as Matt and Phreds and Blues Kitchen.” Jas Nisic, Maths
Thank you for reading the tips that we have, and we wish you had gained some inspiration from them! Have a great summer ahead :D
