Choose from evidence, not panic
Review the syllabus and recent mistakes. Select a small number of assessed ideas you partly understand but cannot yet retrieve reliably. Separate these from entirely unfamiliar topics that would require several prerequisite lessons. Do not assume a topic will appear simply because it appeared last year.
Use short, closed-book attempts
Write an explanation, reconstruct a formula with its conditions or solve one representative problem before checking the source. If you make an error, record the specific correction and try again later. Reading the correct answer immediately can create familiarity without showing that you can produce it.
Set a clear finish
Prepare permitted materials, location, timing and required equipment. Decide when to stop studying and avoid filling the evening with an unreviewed full mock. If a gap remains, write one useful reminder about how to recognize it instead of generating many more notes.
Worked example
With three available hours, spend 20 minutes selecting priorities, three 35-minute blocks on retrieval and error repair, 20 minutes on essential definitions, and 15 on logistics. Take breaks between blocks; the numbers describe study time, not a demand to work continuously. If the first block fails badly, narrow it to one core problem rather than consuming the whole afternoon.
Before you finish
- The priority list comes from the syllabus and your mistakes.
- You have attempted something without notes.
- The final schedule includes a stopping time and exam logistics.