Exam Study Expert: ace your exams with the science of learning

Today's episode features Professor David Rowland, Professor of Music at the Open University and Director of Music at Christ's College, Cambridge University.If you're not a musician, you might like to skip straight to 13.27 for an interesting 10-minute chat about performance anxiety and strategies for shining under pressure in exams, interviews and high-pressure situations of all kinds, drawing on best practice from the worlds of sport and music.If you are a musician or have music exams of any kind, listen from the beginning for a fascinating conversation covering:- The art of practice, and why people sometimes mistook Rachmaninov for a beginner- The value of going for a walk, and a trick for high performance borrowed from the world of sport- Minimising surprises on the day, and adding up the marginal gains- Getting comfortable in the exam / audition / recital, and staying focused- Tips for academic music exams and dissertations: answering the question, reading more widely, and good exam technique for written papersLinks and resources mentioned in this episode:For more information on the choir at Christ's College, Cambridge: https://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/join-christs-choirFor more information about studying music at the Open University: http://www.open.ac.uk/courses/find/musicFor more on exam stress and anxiety generally, check out our recent blog article on the subject at https://examstudyexpert.com/student-exam-stress/Download Exam Study Expert’s guide to using learning science to learn faster and remember more than ever before, at  https://examstudyexpert.com/freetips*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Yana is a respected researcher in the field of how to learn effectively, and brilliant teacher on how to apply the science to the question of how to study.In this stand-out episode, we cover the science of how to study with six learning strategies you should have in your toolkit, including practice testing, spaced repetition and distributed practice, explaining how to apply each technique in practice.We also discuss self-care: looking after yourself to maintain your physical and emotional health, to make sure you’re keeping life and studies in balance.*Links and resources mentioned in this episode:If you’d like to read more about the strategies discussed in today’s episode, her book “Understanding How We Learn: A Visual Guide” comes with our highest recommendation: For listeners in America: https://www.yanaweinsteinjones.com/yanaboutique/understanding-how-we-learnFor listeners in the UK and elsewhere: https://amzn.to/2ZjpGvd*You can find Yana:On her website at www.yanaweinsteinjones.comOn Twitter @doctorwhy for academic work and learning science researchOn Facebook at YWJ: Self-care for self-care tips and in The Yana Boutique for everything self-care related, from books to scarves to bath bombs to mental health magnets.Download Exam Study Expert’s guide to using learning science to learn faster and remember more than ever before, at  https://examstudyexpert.com/books-and-guides/free-study-guides/*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

We welcome college professor Jessica Shields, who also runs collegestudysmarts.com, to share her considerable wisdom on how to be productive and stay motivated with your studies. We’ll be covering:·        Study motivation: finding your get up and go·        How to overcome procrastination·        How to stay off Netflix and YouTube when you’re trying to study·        Planning your time through the term·        Time management for students·        Good study habits·        The boost you need to NOT leave everything to the last minute!·        Effective note taking methods (including an ingenious trick that I only learned in this conversation!)Links and resources mentioned in this episode:You can find Jessica at www.collegestudysmarts.com The “quizlet” flashcards tool is available at www.quizlet.com Download Exam Study Expert’s guide to using learning science to learn faster and remember more than ever before, at  https://examstudyexpert.com/books-and-guides/free-study-guides/*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Our guest this week is Mr Salles, the “slightly awesome” English teacher, from the YouTube channel “Mr Salles Teaches English” (www.youtube.com/user/dominicsalles/).“Slightly” awesome is underselling it: Mr Salles is an expert English teacher, who has spent years figuring out the secrets to success in English exams, and developing a set of seriously impressive formulas and strategies to help students dramatically exceed their expectations in the exam.If you’re studying for high school English exams, you’re in the right place – this episode is packed with tips and strategies for:-        How to write well, and train yourself to be an accurate writer-        How to approach creative writing questions-        Strategies to revise for English language-        Putting yourself in the top few percent of students in 19th century literature questions by understanding the “five big ideas” that defined the age-        Exam technique secrets for English exams-        Inside the mind of the examiner, and how to turn it to your advantage-        Learning English quotes for the exam (useful memory tips)-        Special advice for GCSE English language and GCSE English literature exams*Links and resources mentioned in this episode:You can find more of Mr Salles at his website: https://theslightlyawesometeacher.com/, and be sure to check out and subscribe to his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dominicsalles/.If you’re taking the AQA GCSE English Language exam, you might like to get yourself a copy of “The Mr Salles Guide to 100% in AQA English Language Exam”, available on Amazon: https://geni.us/awesometeacherIf you’re a teacher, Mr Salles has written about using education research and psychology in his book “The Slightly Awesome Teacher: Using Edu-Research to Get Brilliant Results”, available at https://geni.us/edu-researchYou can get the Bristol University grammar exercises (all for free) at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/index.htm.To read out-of-print books for free, go to http://www.gutenberg.org/.Download Exam Study Expert’s guide to using learning science to learn faster and remember more than ever before, at  https://examstudyexpert.com/books-and-guides/free-study-guides/*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

If you want to be good at math(s), or if you're already feeling in control and want to take your math(s) to the next level, you're in the right place! Join Joachim Cassel, one of the UK's most experienced math(s) tutors, as we talk about preparing for high school math(s) exams:The right mindset to have for learning mathsWhat to do if you don't understand mathsThe art of slowing down, and how to trust the process (like you're an NBA superstar!)How to remember what you've learned, and how to practice truly effectivelyHow to revise maths / how to review mathExam technique for mathematics exams and testsTips for recalling tricky equations / formulas in the examGetting on the examiner's good sideMaking sure you get every mark you deserveADVANCED STUDY: for anyone interested in taking their mathematics further, beyond school, how to apply for courses at University / College, and what it's like*Links and resources mentioned in this episode:"Mathematics: a very short introduction" book is available on Amazon https://geni.us/mathsJoachim said mathematicians "don't like reading!!" so you may like to know that you can get "Mathematics: a very short introduction" for free with a trial Audible membership (for US: amzn.to/2XUpySm / for UK: amzn.to/2CkHeNE)Khan Academy: www.khanacademy.org/Joachim's website, if you're looking for world-class math(s) tuition: www.oxbridgeglobaltutors.com*Download Exam Study Expert’s guide to using learning science to learn faster and remember more than ever before, at  https://examstudyexpert.com/freetips*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

How to study effectively for exams and get brilliant grades: learn better and faster than ever before through the two most powerful principles of learning and memory known to science.In this solo episode, I will break down the two most important principles of learning science that every student needs to know, but very few are actually using. When you DO start to apply these techniques, hundreds of scientific studies have shown improvements by a whole grade or more. All just by studying smarter, not harder.Links and resources mentioned in this episode:And if you're feeling REALLY keen and would like to find out more about the science behind this episode, this is a good place to start: http://www.indiana.edu/~pcl/rgoldsto/courses/dunloskyimprovinglearning.pdfDownload the full-colour guide we've made to accompany this episode, absolutely free, at https://examstudyexpert.com/freetips*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

"It's not about studying more, it's about studying smart". The common theme this week is how to be a good student - maybe even a truly outstanding student - through creativity, critical thinking, how to study smart, and how to improve memory. Join me and my guest Dr Marie Buda, who shares her considerable expertise on:- CREATIVITY: as an innovation consultant by day, Marie has some fascinating thoughts on how to be more creative as a student, in drawing together ideas and making new ones.- CRITICAL THINKING: in her spare time, Marie coaches students on critical thinking: the art of thinking deeply, logically and critically about information we're presented with, and how and when to impress your teacher, examiner or admissions tutor by challenging accepted wisdom with critical thinking.- GOOD STUDY HABITS: keeping on top of your life and your studies, time management for students, and staying in control- WAYS TO IMPROVE MEMORY: Marie's PhD was on memory, and we geek out on some fascinating memory science, including why she turned up to her exams in her pyjamas!Links mentioned in this episode:Marie's personal website: www.mariebuda.comMarie's site for students interested in studying psychology at college / university, especially in the UK: www.psychologyadmissions.co.uk*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

We're delighted to welcome Lucy Ratcliffe, mindset and performance coach to elite performers, to share her incredible wisdom with us, and show how students at school, college and university how to stay positive, believe in yourself, and conquer exam nerves and anxiety. In this episode:Finding your way in life: the confidence to just go and ask for what you wantHow to find the motivation to succeed at school and in your studiesFiguring out what drives youOvercoming self-doubt and exam anxietyDialling up positivity, and growth mindsetPerforming under pressure, dealing with exam-day nervesGoing outside your comfort zone and building competenceHead to www.idology.eu to find out more about Lucy's work.*ABOUT YOUR HOST: William Wadsworth, Founder & Learning Scientist at Exam Study Expert“Memory psychologist, independent researcher and study skills coach. I help ambitious students to study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress.”BOOK 1:1 COACHING to supercharge your exam success: https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/Or read my exam technique book today at https://geni.us/exams *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases on suggested books. You pay nothing extra. I make these recommendations based on extensive personal experience and because I think they are genuinely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I receive.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).