Surviving exam season as a Chemical Engineering student

If you’re reading this, it means I survived exam season…but only just. You’ve got equations flying around, diagrams haunting your dreams and the phrase “steady-state assumptions” becomes your internal monologue. I draw block diagrams and unit operations in my sleep at this point. Exam season still finds a way to surprise me every time, so I wanted to give a light-hearted reflection on what surviving it actually looked like and my top tips on doing so.

Switch Up Your Study Spots & Keep Snacks Close

Studying in one place for too long makes everything feel repetitive, so I like to rotate between my house (where I get unlimited snacks), the library and local cafes. A change of scenery keeps my brain alert and adds a little excitement to revision. Honestly though, revision is half actually doing your work and half skilful procrastination and snacking. Having a stash of snacks nearby saves time and keeps me fuelled, plus it’s a good excuse to take a well-earned break.

Study With Friends

Studying with course mates makes revision feel less like a chore. Sometimes just knowing you’re all in it together makes a big difference. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses so it’s good to bounce ideas off each other, quiz one another and help explain confusing concepts.

Tutorials First, Then Past Papers

Here’s a practical tip: start with tutorials. Finish them or start the ones you skipped (let’s be real, usually most of them) and make sure you understand the solutions. They’re designed to prepare you for exam questions and a lot of the time are similar layouts. After this, move onto past papers. Since worked solutions aren't usually provided for official past papers, comparing answers with friends is a great way to check your understanding.

Top Tip: Ask lecturers your questions during timetabled sessions – they’re more likely to help then vs to random emails during exam season.

Make Content Work For You

Theoretical content can be dry and very long, so make it stick in ways that work for you. I use a whiteboard to blurt (writing out everything I remember) and then fill in what I missed in a different colour; combine this with spaced repetition (not cramming and spreading it out) and I’m good to go. I personally like a mnemonics to help memorise things – "suvat spaghetti" is how I remember thermo equations. Everyone learns differently, so find your groove.

Before exams, I make a one-page summary sheet for each module with all the key formulas and knowledge. It lets me condense the content and gives me a quick reference guide I can glance at before going into the exam because when I’m waiting to go into an exam the last thing I want to do is read illegible past papers that will just stress me out way more.

Treat Yourself

My last and best piece of advice is to have something to look forward to after exams. Exams and revision can seem like a tunnel with no light at the end sometimes, but you will make it out and when you do, it’s nice to have something fun to do. I went to Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park, which was only £6.75 as a student, and so much fun. It’s right next to Cannon Hill Park and such beautiful greenery you can walk along. I’ve also booked a little holiday to Spain for July to soak up some sun and have definitely done my fair share of retail therapy.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to revision, but staying consistent and tailoring your methods to how you learn best goes a long way. Don’t be afraid to switch things up, ask for help or take breaks. Exam season is intense, but with the right tools (and snacks), it’s definitely survivable.

Best of luck to anyone still revising – you’ve got this!