Revision strategy, again.

I do remember, I did promise one more, on the ever more pressing theme of revision.  I hope it will be a completely unnecessary post, because I hope someone has told you about revision tactics (and convinced you of the sense thereof).  Some points I feel I need to make, just in case nobody else did.

• Study past papers.
• Believe in bookwork.
• Study a lecturer's form.
• Take careful note of what the lecturer might have said about the exam.
• Do not allow an essay to monopolise more than its fair share of time.
• Pace yourself - write relaxation into the schedule.

This is mostly stuff most MMath students know, or they would not have survived through Part II with sufficient distinction to enter Part III. Nonetheless, at the risk of repetition, herewith my thoughts.

The study of past papers. 

MMath students are brought up on past papers.  One famous Director of Studies assigned past tripos questions from the first week of IA. He would give a short lecture on the material needed for the question, and then leave the students to puzzle out the tripos question. The lectures might have covered the material with different notation in a different order at a later date, no matter. In the Easter term, indeed over the Easter hols, undergraduates take tripos questions alongside their cornflakes. Those who adapt to the diet thrive and often go on to Part III.

There is a very significant difference between Part III and Parts IA, IB, and II. In Parts IA, IB, II, the exams are written by a committee which spends long hours fighting over the exact wording, the choice of material, the allocation of credit in a mark scheme. The consequence of this is that exams are not subject to the whims of any given individual lecturer. Exams from previous years are a good indicator, in a general sort of way, for what the coming exam might be like.  If a student does five years worth of tripos exams, and can handle most questions, success is likely.

In Part III, by contrast, the exams are written by the lecturer, with minimal interference from a colleague who reads through, and rubber stamps it as "checked" for typos and the more strident errors. This year's exam may bear no relation whatsoever to the exam on the "same" course last year. Nonetheless, there is still much useful information to be gleaned from studying past exams, over and above the obvious one of practice at the sort of questions which might be asked.

Believe in bookwork.

Particularly for those coming from US undergraduate studies, the concept of bookwork, wherein the student is expected to reproduce under exam conditions an hour and a half's worth of lecture notes in 45 minutes, can be hard to believe.  One advantage of studying past papers, is that sometimes seeing will induce belief that such questions really really might occur on an exam.

What have you been told about the exam?

The lecturer may or may not have given you subtle hints about the exam.  For example, one year a lecturer announced "all questions have already appeared as questions on examples sheets". (No, not all students scored alphas.)  It is surprising how often subtle hints are missed. When I lectured Lie algebras I told students what the first question was going to be, I gave an examples class on that material in an effort to ensure that all students would be able to do at least one question, and still students did not all manage to complete that question successfully.  If a lecturer goes to the trouble of saying what will be on the exam, believe it.

Your lecturer's exam form.

Particularly if your lecturer lectured the course last year as well, study of that exam can be very revealing.  A lecturer will vary the questions, but is probably incapable of varying the style of an exam she or he sets.

• How many questions were in fact mostly bookwork?
• If only mostly bookwork, what form did the non-bookwork aspect take? Calculations? Specific examples? 
• How many of the questions actually appeared on examples sheets?
• How well distributed were the questions throughout the course?  Did they all come from the last chapter?  Many lecturers do try and spread the questions broadly through the material.
• A lecturer probably is not going to ask exactly the same question two years running, so those exact questions are very unlikely to appear.  Even a new lecturer for the course will probably not ask exactly the same questions as were asked in the past year.  Good questions from exams two, three, or four years ago however may well reappear, suitably disguised. Particularly useful for figuring out what bookwork might appear.

If your lecturer is new to the course but not to lecturing Part III, it may be worth a quick glance at Part III exams she/he may have set in previous years.  It may give you an idea of the lecturer's attitude towards bookwork questions.

Essay distraction syndrome.

I have wittered on about this in the past, but it will not hurt to say it twice. Particularly for those who are really into their essays, playing with an essay is vastly more fun than revising courses.  Maybe not the writing part, but certainly the playing with ideas part. It is very easy to persuade yourself that pushing your understanding a notch or two further is a wise investment of time.  Up to a point, perhaps, but beyond that it can cost you dear, very dear. Deciding when to stop searching for new understanding and write up what you've got will be a lifelong challenge for those who do go on in research. Practice now.

Pacing.

Two months, no lectures, no stress, bliss.  Right? I doubt it. Somehow life is simpler when the taskmaster is someone other than yourself.   Runners, carers, and Part III students all have to get the concept of respite, the idea that to perform well in a demanding task requires that one's mind and body are both up to the job, and that rest, relief and recreation are not luxuries but mission critical elements of the job.

It doesn't matter what your recreation is, but do it.  Put it in the diary.  Having it in the diary will help keep your head focussed on the books for the rest of the time.

I'll finish with some suggestions, if you don't have any ideas yourselves. These are things I find enjoyable, largely fun with a bike, though there is no reason why my tastes should coincide with yours.

Short breaks:

• Walk out along the footpath to Coton.  There is a picnic area and a pub with a pleasant garden. The view looking over Cambridgeshire from the hill behind the primary school, opposite the church, is one of the finest, particularly at sunset. Fits in well with a visit to the pub. 
• Walk along the backs, keep going in that direction up the river to Grantchester. The Orchard is a classic place for tea, sitting in deck chairs in the orchard (surprise).  There are also pubs. Can be extended to a loop through Trumpington, with an option on buses back to Cambridge.

Both of these would work as long lunch breaks on a bike.

Longer excursions around Cambridge (half day or day trip)

• Anglesey Abbey. There is a shiny new cycleway from Quy through to Anglesey Abbey which means you need no longer risk your life on the B1102. There is a coffee shop, but check opening hours.
• Walk/cycle along the towpath to Waterbeach. There is a pub and a train station there, and you will be able to put your bike on the train if cycling back doesn't appeal.
• Wicken Fen. You can get there by train/bus and a bit of walking, but the cycle route gives a good impression of fen. You can continue on to Ely and put the bike on the train for coming home.
• Ely has a good train service, plenty to see and do, places to eat.
• National Cycle Network route 11 south of Cambridge is also worth an explore, with train stations at Whittlesford, Great Chesterford and Audley End providing options for one way explorations. I favour the variant which takes you through the ford between Hinxton and Whittlesford, although how you get through the ford I leave to your discretion. (There is a pedestrian bridge). Audley End House and Saffron Walden are both interesting.
• You can get to the seaside (Cromer) and back in a day by train if you get up early.

Even longer excursions.  I have fond memories of three of us students travelling around Cornwall during the Easter break at Warwick. The Peak district and the Lake district are also excellent escapes. Youth hostels still provide predictable if not very private accommodation. If you're not going home for some part of the "hols" get together with some of the others and go somewhere for three or four days minimum.  

You get the idea. If you do go exploring East Anglia (or anywhere else) by bike or on foot, beware that phone reception is not always great, Google maps may not load. Google maps cycle routes are usually ok, although traffic conditions may not be great. The National Cycle Network routes are usually good. Best to have a real map too. Don't forget the cycle repair kit. Get out. Have fun.