The Walton Library for the Faculty of Medical Sciences is situated on the 5th floor of the Medical School covering the subjects of Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedical Sciences, Nutrition, Pharmacy, Sport & Exercise Science. Psychology is also part of the Medical Sciences Faculty but their book stock is housed in the Philip Robinson Library.
Check your timetable for a scheduled induction session or come up and have a look around, chat to the friendly staff on the service desk or watch our Intro Video.
Explore our range of study spaces, learn about key Library services, and discover ways in which the Library can help you during your time at University by using our self-guided tour.
Exam season is almost upon us and one challenge you may find yourself facing is revising for essay-based exams. These can cause a lot of anxiety, not least because essay-based assessments are often something we are used to doing over the course of several weeks. How do you plan, structure and write an essay in the space of a couple of hours? And how on earth do you revise when you don’t know what you’ll be asked?
Read on for our guide to effective revision and exam technique for essay-based exam questions:
What are essay exams testing?
Before you jump into your revision, it can be helpful to remember that essay exams are not just testing your memory. Instead, your lecturers are looking for evidence of how well you can apply the knowledge you have gained throughout the course to solve a problem or answer a question under timed conditions. Therefore, whilst memory is still important – you’ll need to be able to recall that knowledge in the exam – it’s only part of the story. You’ll also need to make sure you have an in-depth understanding of that knowledge and have practiced applying it to different questions, problems, and contexts.
How do I revise for essay exams?
You may be tempted to write a ‘generic’ essay on each of the topics you’re revising and memorise them so you can repeat them in the exam room. However, keep in mind that your lecturers are asking you to solve the specific problem they’ve set for you and simply ‘dumping’ everything that’s relevant won’t address the question and is unlikely to earn you good marks.
A more effective approach to revising for essay exams is incorporating strategies that develop your understanding of the topic so you can apply your knowledge to different problems effectively. Some revision strategies you might want to try for this are:
Questioning and interrogating the knowledge: why does this happen? How does it happen? Does it always happen this way? Is this always true? What about if we apply it to a different context? What are the implications of this?
Try applying the knowledge to case studies or different scenarios to get a better understanding of how theory works in practice.
Look at past papers or devise your own questions and either answer them in full or sketch out an essay plan under timed conditions. This will help you to test your recall and practice skills you’ll be using in the exam.
Compare and weigh up different approaches to the topic. Does everyone agree on this? Why? Why not? Which perspective is stronger?
Identify gaps in your knowledge and do some additional reading to fill them.
What about strategies for the exam itself?
You might be used to spending hours or even days planning, writing, and editing a coursework essay and be wondering how on earth you do all of this under timed conditions. Keep in mind that your lecturers know that this is a big ask and they are not expecting the same level of sophistication in the way you construct your arguments that they would be looking for in a coursework essay. However, it’s still necessary that your lecturers can follow your answer and see clearly how it addresses the question so:
Spend some time at the beginning paying attention to what the question is asking you. Our video on question analysis offers some strategies for understanding essay questions:
Sketch out a basic structure to follow. This needn’t be more than the main points you want to argue and the order you want to argue them in.
Clearly state your point or communicate your main focus at the beginning of each paragraph to help your reader get their bearings and follow your argument.
If you find yourself running out of time, write down a few bullet points around your remaining points – you may still pick up a few extra marks for this!
Do I need to reference sources in an essay exam?
While you won’t be expected to reference others to the extent you do in a coursework essay, it’s worth incorporating a few references to back up your points and show how you worked out your answer.
Try to memorise a couple of key arguments and/or debates made by others for each topic as well as the authors’ surname(s) and the year of the article so that you can cite it in the exam. Don’t worry about the details – just one or two lines summarising their main argument is enough.
What about other types of exams?
Exams exist in various formats in addition to the traditional essay-based exam type. For example, your course may also have multiple choice papers, vivas/oral presentations or exams relating to specific processes, techniques and interactions. All types of exams test your ability to recall and apply your subject knowledge, so most advice on revision and exam technique is applicable to different exam types. Effective revision trains your brain both to retain and to retrieve information; a process that’s equally useful for all exam formats. However, different types of exams can also present different challenges, and transitioning from online to in-person exams is a key change for this year. For more details on this and other exam-related issues, see our ASK Exams Collection and our calendar for upcoming workshops on revision and exam preparation.
We are here to support you!
Don’t forget that the Academic Skills Team will be in the Walton Library to answer questions about exams, revision, and any other questions you may have about academic skills on the following days and times:
Elsevier’s Clinicalkey Student gives you electronic access to some of the most popular recommended clinical textbooks plus lots of other really useful resources including images and video. Subjects covered include medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. It allows you to add a book to your own Bookshelf, highlight text, add notes, create flashcard, make presentations and more. All of which is described below with videos to watch.
All of the eBooks available from Elsevier’s Clinicalkey can be found individually by searching for them on Library Search. To search or browse the collection go to Library Search and search for Clinicalkey.
To Login
To find out how to login and search for a book follow the instruction below or watch this video to get started.
Click on Log in via your institution on the right hand side
In the Institution search box type Newcastle University
Login using your University Username and Password
You are now ready to search for content either:
a book by title, author or keyword
a subject keyword for any content e.g. book, chapter, video available
Using the Bookshelf
To find out how to use the Bookshelf follow the instruction below or watch this video to get started.
To add a book to the Bookshelf you need to be within the content of a chapter. Search for the book by title, author or keyword
Click View book TOC
Click on the chapter you want
Click Add to Bookshelf on right hand side
If you want to see the book on your bookshelf, click Launch Bookshelf
If you click on the Home option this will show you all the books you have added to your Bookshelf
Once you have added to your Bookshelf you can go straight to it from the homepage by clicking on Bookshelf
For more details on using the Bookshelf watch this video.
Highlighting and Saving Text
When you are within the text of a chapter you can highlight any part to save it as a note for later. See instructions below and for more detail watch this video on Highlighting and Saving text.
Highlight the text you want to save
Select either green or yellow to highlight the colour
Give the note a name to show what it is
To look at all your notes click on the Notepad option on the left of the screen.
Creating Flashcards
When you are within the text of a book you can highlight any part to create a Flashcard. See instructions below and for more detail watch this videoon Creating Flashcards.
Highlight the text you want for the front of the flashcard
Choose an existing Deck or a New Deck and Create it
Highlight and select Copy to get the text for the back of the card – Paste this text into the card
Save the card
You can create as many decks as you want and as many cards you want in each deck
By clicking on the Play button in the top right hand corner of the deck you can run through the cards to test your knowledge
Creating Presentations
You can share the latest evidence-based information with colleagues by exporting images with their citation and copyright information into a PowerPoint presentation.
See instructions below and for more detail watch this video on Creating Presentations
Search or Browse for an image
Click the Add to Presentation link at the bottom of the image
Select an Existing Presentation from the drop down menu
Click Add
OR
Click Create a New Presentation
Give it a name in the Presentation Name box
Click Add
Download the presentation and save as a .ppt file. You can then add your own slides and text to complete your presentation.
Using the Clinicalkey APPs
There are two types of Bookshelf apps:
Mobile App (iOS or Android): You can download the mobile app directly in the iOS or Android app store. To find the app, search for the name of the app (Bookshelf ClinicalKey Student).
Desktop App (Windows 10+): The app name appears as ClinicalKey Student Bookshelf. During the download process, you will be prompted to install the app and agree to the terms and conditions. This will create a menu icon and add a shortcut on your Windows 10 desktop.
Desktop Apps (Mac OS): Download the Mac version and follow the steps on the screen to complete the download and install the app.
Authentication requirements depend on the app you are using: mobile or desktop.
Mobile App (iOS or Android): The first time you use the Bookshelf mobile app, you must be in your authenticated medical school’s network when you sign up or sign in. For only this first-time usage, you have to be authenticated by your medical school’s network. After this unique confirmation that your account belongs to a medical school that provides ClinicalKey Student, the app will remember this authentication, and you can use the app online (in any network) or offline.
Desktop App (Windows 10+): You do not need to be on an IP-authenticated network to access the desktop app. Use your ClinicalKey Student username and password to log in to the desktop app.
Academic work builds upon the shared ideas, words and findings of other people. However, whenever you use other people’s work you must acknowledge it. This includes sources from books, journal articles, newspapers, video or other sources. You need to make it clear to the readers of your work where you got the information from and who produced it.
Remember if you are directly quoting an author you need to put the text in quotation marks and give the page number, e.g. “Referencing is the best” (1 p. 3)
Referencing Styles
There are a number of different referencing styles which enable you to present your references in a particular format. Harvard at Newcastle is a modified author/date style and the most commonly used. However some people prefer a numbered style e.g. Vancouver or Vancouver superscript
Using EndNote to display the style
The Harvard at Newcastle style has been added to EndNote X9. For more information on using EndNote to manage your references see our EndNote Guide.
Remember when you cite you must be consistent and cite each type of references correctly for your chosen style. For more help with citing references use the online resource Cite them right.
The Library subscribes to a huge number of journals to assist you with your research. The majority of these are available electronically although we still have some print titles. There are some journals that are only published online with no print and may not have volumes and parts but are identified by DOIs or references numbers.
You can find journal titles by using Library Search. However if you are searching a database, you can use the Find@Newcastle University option, to link straight to Library Search to see if the journal is in stock. In Library Search records for electronic journals say Online access and when you click on them give you options to View Online.
Records for print journal give you a location and shelfmark indicating where the journal can be found.
If you read an article online then you need to reference the article as a Electronic Journal Article not a webpage.
Using the Harvard at Newcastle style a reference from an Online only Journal would look similar to this:
Chan, J.-Y. L., Wang, K.-H., Fang, C.-L. and Chen, W.-Y. (2014) ‘Fibrous papule of the face, similar to tuberous sclerosis complex-associated angiofibroma, shows activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway: evidence for a novel therapeutic strategy?’, PloS one, 9(2), p. e89467.
A reference for a Print Journal would look like this:
Paton, N. (2015) ‘Night work triggers health risks’, Occupational Health, 67(9), pp. 6-6.
We also have a tool called Browzine which can help you identify journals in your subject area.
Do you need help to understand your mental health and wellbeing?
Are looking to understand your subject from a different point of view?
Then take a look at the collections below. These will get you reading around and outside of your subject and could benefit your health and wellbeing. Both collections can be found in the Quiet Study area of the Walton Library.
Be well@NCL is a collection of books designed to help manage and understand common mental health conditions and wellbeing. Reading a book by someone who understands what you are facing can help you start to feel better. The books within the collection are recommended by professionals and are available to borrow. The Philip Robinson and Walton libraries have the same collection of books.
Content
of the collection
The collection offers books that can help with
a wide range of issues and concerns. The collection includes titles that offer
more healthy ways of thinking, such as practicing mindfulness and challenging
unhelpful thought patterns. There are also books about common feelings,
experiences, and issues, such as:
Anger
Anxiety – including health anxiety and social anxiety
Bereavement, loss and grief
Body image issues and Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Caring for someone with a mental health issue
Depression – including postnatal depression
Eating disorders and eating distress
Low self-esteem
Mood swings
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Phobias and panic
Sleep problems
Stress
If you find the book you are reading is not helping, please contact your GP or health professional. If you are a student you can also contact the University’s counselling team.
If the book you want is out on loan then please make a Reservation. If there is high demand for a book this alerts library staff to potentially order more.
Pick up a Be well@NCL postcard from the Walton Library desk or find out more here.
The Medicine in Literature collection captures the complexities of what it means to be human through a wide range of literary genres. Representations of illness, dis-ease, healing and health are interwoven themes that give voice to a diversity of perspectives and experiences. If you are interested in exploring your subject from a different viewpoint or simply want to broaden your reading, dive right in! The collection includes books and DVDs.
Topics covered include:
Alzheimer’s
Anxiety
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Brain Disorders
Cancer
Coma
Cystic Fibrosis
Dementia
Depression
Eating Disorders
Epilepsy
HIV/AIDS
Leukaemia
Locked-In Syndrome
Mental Illness
Motor Neurone Disease
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Parkinson’s
Polio
Schizophrenia
Stroke
Go and have a look at both of these collections in the Quiet Study area of the Walton Library.
Hoping to get some revision done during the Easter Vacation?
Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Have a look at our MCQ collection in the Quiet study area of the Walton Library. This collection has books with MCQs, EMQs, SBAs, OSCEs and other self assessment and answer questions on many different subjects including; anatomy, medicine, physiology, surgery and more. Look out for the green stickers on the spines of the books.
2. Check out the the Exams and Revision Section on the ASK (Academic Skills Kit) webpages for more help.
3. Remember to take regular breaks.
4. Stay well hydrated, eat properly and get some exercise.
5. Remember to check the date, time and place of your exam well in advance of the day, make sure you know where you are going.
Have a good Easter Vacation. Happy revising and Good Luck in the exams when you get back.
Medical Humanities or Narrative Medicine is a popular academic discipline that explores the crossroads between medicine and the arts.
Our Medicine in Literature collection captures the complexities of what it means to be human through a wide range of literary genres.
These resources range from fiction, non-fiction including medical history, ethics and memoir, graphic novels, poetry and prose or medicine as metaphor, to films. Representations of illness, dis-ease, healing and health are interwoven themes that give voice to a diversity of perspectives and personal experiences of the human condition.
If you’re interested in exploring your subject field from a different viewpoint or simply want a break from revision this Easter, dive right in! The physical stock is located in the Quiet Study area of the Walton Library or you can browse the collection from our Library Guide.
As you may have already seen Study Well@NCL advocates a responsible approach to studying and encourages positive behaviours in study spaces because we know it can be stressful especially at certain times of the year.
Extended Opening Hours
Here in the Walton Library from 7th-25th January 2019 we’ll be extending our opening hours opening from 8:30 until midnight, seven days a week. You can check our extended opening times on the library website.
Noise Alert Service
We’ll also be monitoring our Noise Alert phone very closely during this time. Wherever you are in the Walton, you can text us at 07891 484764 and we’ll investigate the source of the noise issue as soon as possible.
Housekeeping
During busy periods staff will be checking to see:
where seats are available.
that bins are emptied.
that bathrooms are clean.
that walkways are kept clear.
How you can help
Choose a study space suited to your preferred choice of study, we have silent, quiet and collaborative spaces to chose from.
Do be mindful of the food and drink policy within your chosen study area.
We might not always know straightaway if there’s a shortage of towels in the bathroom or if a bin in a group study room needs emptying. Just give us a quick heads up if you notice something that needs our attention and we’ll be right on it.
Looking after yourself
We encourage all Library users to take regular study breaks. Taking the time to get a drink of water or some fresh air can make all the difference to your study session.[1] However, to be fair to all Library users, we’re asking that breaks away from your study space are no more than 30 minutes.
Colour your Campus
On a much lighter note, we’ll be providing pens, pencils and special medical-themed colouring sheets for you to relax and unwind with. Studies have shown that colouring can reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms in adults.[2] So while you’re taking a study break, why not pause and Colour Your Campus? Even better, hand your completed sheet in to a member of Library staff with your name or Twitter handle on the back and we’ll enter it into a draw to win some fabulous Library prizes.
We hope that Study Well@NCL provides you with a peaceful and productive study environment and allows you to achieve maximum studying satisfaction. We welcome feedback on how we can change or improve Study Well@NCL. You can Tell Us What You Think’ online or get a form in the Walton Library.
We wish you every success with your exams – Study well.
References
[1] Flett, J., Lie, C., Riordan, B., Thompson, L., Conner, T. and Hayne, H. (2017). Sharpen Your Pencils: Preliminary Evidence that Adult Coloring Reduces Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety. Creativity Research Journal, 29(4), pp.409-416.
[2] Selig, M. (2019). How Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain? 5 Surprising Answers. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/changepower/201704/how-do-work-breaks-help-your-brain-5-surprising-answers [Accessed 2 Jan. 2019].
Medical Humanities or Narrative Medicine is a popular academic discipline that explores the crossroads between medicine and the arts.
Our Medicine in Literature collection captures the complexities of what it means to be human through a wide range of literary genres.
These resources range from fiction, non-fiction including medical history, ethics and memoir, graphic novels, poetry and prose or medicine as metaphor, to films. Representations of illness, dis-ease, healing and health are interwoven themes that give voice to a diversity of perspectives and personal experiences of the human condition.
If you’re interested in exploring your subject field from a different viewpoint or simply want to broaden your reading this Christmas, dive right in! The physical stock is located in the Quiet Study area of the Walton Library or you can browse the collection from our Library Guide.
