Revision Tips
Revision can be difficult if you don’t know the best way to approach or manage it. Below are some tips that may help you do this.
Revision Timetable
If you know that you struggle to stay focused or to remember information, it’s a good idea to start revising as early as possible. If you have the dates for your exams, it is easy to plan a revision timetable. Allocating yourself deadlines to have learned each topic can be a helpful revision aid.
Understand your Topic
Ask yourself this, what is the point of revising something you do not understand? If you are struggling with this, confirm your understanding with your lecturers. You don’t want to learn something that isn’t actually accurate.
Work to your Advantage
We all have a preferred way of learning and a way that we learn best. You may find copying notes over and over again is the best way to retain information, or you may find that having a conversation with someone about the topic is the best way to learn. Find your strength and then use it.
Exercise
It is a well-known fact that exercise is great for the functioning of the brain. It helps increase productivity whilst reducing tiredness and stress. Exercise can be a great way to break up some of your revision sessions. Make sure you stay hydrated at the same time.
Location, Location, Location
The value of a house is often determined by the location. This is the same with the quality of revision. If you are easily distracted or find it difficult to concentrate in noisy environments find a place that will minimise both of these issues. A quiet place is not always easy to find, but there are places in libraries and the Students’ Union building that you can utilise.
Time of Day
The earlier you start a task the earlier you will have it finished. It can be beneficial to start revision first thing in the morning and research does show the earlier you start you more likely you are to complete all planned work. Having said this, if you know you are more productive in the day or evening, make sure you work to a time that suits you. As above, find your strength and utilise it.
Reward yourself
If you sit all day and night revising and don’t take breaks, you may experience ‘burnout’. The brain only has capacity to take in so much. There is no harm in treating yourself to something fun, whether this be something sweet or doing something sociable with friends. Finding the right balance between work and leisure can often bring great rewards. Where revision is concerned, this can also give you something to look forward to and work towards.
Use your Friends or Course Mates
Having study groups to confirm understanding of topics can help with revision process. Explaining topics to friends and family can also be a great way of reinforcing your own knowledge of a topic. Make sure that you still find your own way of wording things.
Stay Positive
Having a positive mind set can be a powerful tool in learning. It can help you build a resilience to the stress of exam periods and also help you with your revision.
Rest
Make sure you are getting plenty of rest. Don’t stay up till 3am revising notes, especially the night before an exam. Your brain will eventually shut down and you’ll not be able to retain information as effectively. Stress and lack of sleep mixed together can lead to health issues which are not ideal during an exam period.