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

Learn more about Outsmart Your Exams, the first book from Exam Study Expert, at https://geni.us/examsIn this episode, discover the three golden principles for great exam technique, and along the way, pick up a host of "trade secret" test-taking strategies which you can use right away for higher marks in your exams.Principle 1, The Principle of the Aggregation of Marginal Gains: learn how doing the little things unusually well can add up to a big advantage on test day.Principle 2, The Elimination of Surprise: because forewarned is forearmed. Principle 3, Going The Extra Mile: discover the areas you can go further and faster than most of your classmates.This episode draws on nearly a decade of research into the art and science of getting the best possible mark on exam day, which underpins our new book, Outsmart Your Exams, which is available here: https://geni.us/examsABOUT 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/*As an Amazon affiliate, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases of books and other products we link to. This may generate a small amount of income for us, but has no impact on what products we and our guests choose to recommend to you.Questions? Comments? Requests? Or just want to say "thanks" - send me a text message (I read them all!).

Rachael Williams joins us to talk about dealing with emotion and anxiety in our studies, how to combat procrastination, and get through exam season. A fascinating interview packed with very practical tips: from developing your own personal mission statement, to how to optimise your daily routine, to how to discuss exams and stress with your family, to how standing like a superhero can make you feel like one!Links and resources mentioned in this article:- Three-minute breathing space video (or search YouTube for more) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iebciuBXCh4- The Calm or Headspace apps if you want to give mindfulness practice a go: https://www.calm.com/ / https://www.headspace.com/- Rachael Williams is happy for you to get in touch directly at info@thelivingroom.uk.com*If you'd like to know more about truly effective study and revision techniques, start here: https://examstudyexpert.com/memorisation-techniques-for-exams/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!).

In this episode, we’re delighted to welcome Dr Adam Putnam, who is an assistant professor at Furman University, to share his fascinating insights about:- Mnemonic techniques: widely misunderstood but can be powerful tools- Retrieval practice, and how to implement it effectively- A psychologist’s perspective on the art of focus and productivity.*Links and resources mentioned in this episode include:(These show notes also available at: https://examstudyexpert.com/adam)Adam recommended a couple of great books in this episode if you're interested in the art of working more productively, or learning more about mnemonic techniques:·        “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen (available from Amazon https://geni.us/davidallen)·        “Your Memory: How it Works and How To Improve It” by Kenneth Higbee (available from Amazon https://geni.us/yourmemory) You can find Adam online at www.adamlputnam.comFor more information about first-letter mnemonics (acronyms): https://examstudyexpert.com/chunking-and-memory/#acronymsFor a quick guide to the pegword method: https://examstudyexpert.com/pegword-method/For the committed mnemonicist (yes, I'm pretty sure I made that word up) wanting to learn the major system, Wikipedia has a pretty decent overview to get you started. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic_major_system 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!).

10 "study hacks" to get you better exam results, faster, including:- Engineering your environment for success- How re-planning your schedule to REDUCE your work hours can help you achieve MORE each day- How to do high-intensity "memory workouts" to make exam day feel easy- How to manage your diary and why it pays to help your friendsLinks and resources mentioned in this episode:- The Exam Study Expert blog, www.examstudyexpert.com- Episode 7 of the Exam Study Expert podcast, with Yana Weinstein-Jones- Episode 4 of the Exam Study Expert podcast, with Joachim Cassel- The D'Nealian pen gripDownload 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!).

Today we’re talking languages: tricks for memorising your vocab lists more easily, how to get your head round the grammar, and some handy exam technique tips to make sure you get the highest possible grade in your exams.I’m joined by my friend Joe Hytner, an extremely experienced Classics teacher and private tutor. Joe is a Latin and Greek specialist, but many of his expert tips would apply equally to French, Spanish, German or any other modern language.Links and resources mentioned in the episode:- For high-quality tuition in any subject, check out Joe and his team at www.titaniumtutors.co.uk (in-person in the UK, or online worldwide)- For John Taylor books, try his Latin to GCSE Part 1 (https://geni.us/latin1) and Part 2 (https://geni.us/latin2).- For free Eton Greek grammar exercises: www.etoncollege.com/GreekProjectDownload 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!).

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!).