Two weeks until the exam. That's the moment the calendar suddenly looks very small and the pile of notes looks very big. Koa has been there (koalas take exams too, mostly in eucalyptus studies), and her advice is always the same: don't panic, make a plan you can actually follow.
Here's the 14-day countdown she uses. It's built on two of the best-tested ideas in learning research, and it leaves room for the thing students cut first: sleep.
The two ideas behind the plan
1. Test yourself instead of rereading. In a well-known 2006 study, psychologists Henry Roediger and Jeffrey Karpicke had students either reread a text or practise recalling it. Rereading felt better in the moment, but a week later the students who had practised recalling remembered clearly more. That's the "testing effect", and it's why flashcards, past papers and "close the book and write what you remember" beat highlighting.
2. Space it out. Reviewing a topic several times with gaps in between works better than one long cram session. A large 2008 study by Cepeda and colleagues, with more than a thousand participants, found that the best gap between reviews depends on how far away the test is: the further the exam, the longer the gaps can be. With 14 days to go, that means seeing each topic about three times, a few days apart.
Days 14–12: map everything
- Write every topic on one page. Mark each one green (I get it), yellow (wobbly) or pink (help).
- Collect past papers and practice questions now, not on day 2.
- Split the topics across days 11 to 5 so every pink topic gets its own slot.
Days 11–5: learn and test in blocks
- Work in focused blocks of about 25 minutes with a 5-minute break. The free Koa study timer on pinkoa.com does the counting for you.
- End each block by closing your notes and writing down what you remember. The gaps you find are tomorrow's to-do list.
- Every third day, revisit topics from three days ago before starting new ones. That's your spacing.
Days 4–2: full practice runs
- Do at least one past paper under exam conditions: timer on, phone in another room.
- Mark it honestly and spend the next session only on the questions you dropped.
- Your yellow and pink topics should now be shrinking. If one still isn't, ask a teacher or a friend to explain it once more.
Day 1: light review and early night
No new material today. Skim your one-page topic map, do a few quick recall questions, pack your bag, and go to bed on time. Sleep helps your brain hold on to what you learned, and an all-nighter usually costs more than it gives.
If you like having all of this on paper, Koa turned the plan into a printable 14-day exam countdown planner with a daily page for each step. A blank sheet and a pen work too, though. The plan is what matters.
Shade of the day: Cherry Blossom Pink
Cherry Blossom Pink, #FFB7C5. A soft, slightly cool pink named after the sakura blossoms that open in Japan each spring, when people gather under the trees for hanami, the custom of blossom viewing. Because the blossoms only last a short time, the colour is often linked with new beginnings and enjoying the moment.
How to use it: as a highlighter colour for your "pink = help" topics, on sticky notes for the day-1 review list, or as a calm accent next to white and soft grey on your desk. It also pairs beautifully with mint green and with a deep berry like Koa's #C92A62.
Good luck, you've got this. Koa believes in you. 🌸 (And until 25 October, the launch-month code KOA20 still takes 20% off in the shop.)
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