A Reflective Account of Exam Preparation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A Reflective Account of Exam Preparation - Essay Example The first step in Gibbs Reflective Cycle is the evaluation of what happened in a situation. Due to a variety of reasons, I usually find that I am doing most of my reading at the time of exam preparation- that is the latter stages of the semester. Compared to the amount of course work, the amount of time I dedicate to the studies is to a large extent not enough. This results in a situation in which I am forced to cram in the last minute rush to cover the entire scope of the course work. Consequently, my exam preparation is riddled with pressure and anxiety and thus reduction in the effectiveness of studying. To remember what one reads, they should go through a process of association, visualization and concentration, which have to be repeated severally in order to get a perfect understanding and recall capacity. Association generally involves linking the items that need to be remembered together in particular fashions or relating them to some of the things you are comfortable with in terms of memory. Visualization complements association through creating images of the items you need to remember basing on things that are familiar to you. Optimal levels of concentration are required for effectiveness to be achieved in terms of recall capacity after studying. Finally, one is required to perform repetition of the association and visualization during study in order to internalize the concepts and ensure they will be able to remember them. Dedicating the least time for my reading is clearly not enough to allow myself to undertake all these steps in their entirety and as a result I am forced to adopt cramming as a last resort method of studying. This has the effect of lowering confidence and causing anxiety, which as shall be seen later does not augur well with the exam preparation. The environment in which I study also forms the context of the event. There is usually music in the background since I prefer studying in my room, besides a host of interferences that make it difficult to concentrate. Montrose (2009) reckons that one’s study space is critical to their ability to study effectively. It should first fit your preference, be without interruptions and be comfortable enough for study. I realize that my best study mode is in a quiet place and without interruptions, two things that my room does not offer. I usually have friends coming over and causing