As a student who's spent time studying in an attempt to pass his final University Examination, I can tell you that all those hours of preparation can be seen as nothing more than mental shortcuts. Unless you know exactly how you're going to answer every question, whether in person or on paper, you're going to get yourself into trouble.
Unfortunately, all too often, students simply follow the advice given by other students who have shown themselves to be untrustworthy and unreliable. Without this essential step in analyzing your own abilities, you can fall victim to the most common reasons people give up on their exams, and that is - they will do anything not to fail their exams.
You see, there are many resources available to help you if you think you will fail your exam tomorrow, but it's the exact opposite of true, when you've fallen prey to the very common and utterly stupid belief that there is "exactly" what you need, and nothing else. That is the number one reason you should never take advice from anybody, let alone a random web page.
The only thing that will make your course or exam easier is the removal of the failure anxiety. If you do everything perfectly and perfect your performances at each exam, then you will be able to relax and not focus on the outcome.
While I believe that studying is vitally important, especially for an exam, in a world where we're bombarded with so much information at all times, the anxiety of being tested by the subject, and needing to work harder to succeed, are becoming more pervasive. This makes study much more difficult, and the same applies to exams.
However, the major danger to an exam is the possibility of a false negative. In reality, even though you might not prepare at all, you are exposed to a variety of different problems that can take your concentration away.
Most students will find that their daily test time will be reduced, as their attention has been consumed by homework, social networking, work, family and friends. For this reason, it's really not enough to "prepare", but to spend the time in learning more about your subject and yourself, before you start looking for test tips.
In contrast, online exams and guides are designed to allow you to practice without getting too far behind, so you can actually take them. A few pointers will be included, and you'll learn what to look out for, and what not to, but this is a lot less stressful than sitting for hours at a time, or experiencing the pressure of having a deadline on your head.
In fact, if you know exactly what to expect from your exams, you will be in a far better position to prepare yourself properly and will therefore save yourself a lot of anxiety. This is why online tutorial systems are so ideal.
Most online tests offer tips and advice online and in audio, so you can listen to them before the exam and carry the results with you. By the time you get into your exam room, you'll have practiced enough to know exactly what to expect and what to look out for, and knowing this allows you to focus on the key things and not the easy ones.
In conclusion, if you have failed a University Exam, it's definitely worth speaking to a tutor to find out how you can prepare yourself. Otherwise, I strongly suggest you read this article and download this free tool to help you analyse your own strengths and weaknesses, and work through how to better your own knowledge, so you can successfully navigate towards your exam success.