Revision Tips and Tricks

As it's drawing closer to exam period in the UK I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the revision tips and tricks that I learnt over the years at school. Having finished school last year, this is actually the first time in 4 years that I don't have to revise(and probably the last year for a long time as I'm off to Uni in September!), however as I have been helping my sister revise for her upcoming GCSE's, I thought I would pass on my knowledge and put together this mini guide for making the most out of your revision, whether that be for GCSE's, A-Levels, finals etc...

1. Be Organised 

In my opinion, being organised makes a huge difference to the quality of your revision as I used to feel a lot less overwhelmed with the amount of work I had to do once I had made numerous lists and schedules. I found the best way to be organised was to make a checklist of all the topics studied in each of my subjects and to colour code these topics, using one colour for areas that I was quite confident with, whilst using a different colour for topics that I knew I definitely had to revise. By doing this, you can easily prioritze subjects and areas that maybe require more revision than others so as to ensure you don't spend unnecessary time revising things that you are better at and avoiding your worst areas. Revision timetables are also a great way to stay organised, especially if you stick to the schedule, as you know exactly what you will be doing each day in the run up to the exams  and so won't spend valuable time trying to decide what to revise each day. 

2. Vary Revision Technique 

I found that different subjects required different ways of revising, and by the time I did my A-Levels I had a seperate revision technique for each of my subjects. I always used a combination of A3 mind maps for larger topics, flashcards for shorter, condensed notes and labelled diagrams for my Biology, Chemisty and Physics notes, and found that this was the most effective way for me to revise. However, you could also use a whiteboard to make notes, highlight key areas of textbooks and exercise books, or even create voice memos and record yourself reciting some of your notes. 

3. Revise in small, short bursts

Revising all day with barely any breaks is probably not one of the most effective ways to revise, as you are simply going to overload your brain with too much information for you to take in and remember. 30-45 minute sessions of revising with a 5-10 minute break was always my routine, as I wasn't cramming my brain all in one go, and I found that I remembered my notes a lot more this way. 

4. Teach someone else what you know

My biology teacher always said that one of the best ways to revise was to teach someone else what you have learnt, and I have to say that I agree. I would quite often teach my parents and siblings various areas of my subjects as it showed that I was confident enough in the topic to teach it to someone else, and also proved that I had taken in everything that I had been revising. It is a great way to also mix up your revision technique, as well as take a break from the constant reading and writing of notes. 

5. Remove Distractions 

This one goes without saying but being in a loud, busy environment surrounded by distracting stimuli such as other people and electronic gadgets is not the best place to be revising for exams. I always found a quiet place to study, mostly my bedroom, but a library or even the garden is great too, and removed all distractions so that I was fully engaged in my revision. If music helps you revise then I suggest listening to classical music as it is less stimulating than upbeat tunes, and so it is less likely you will be tempted to start singing along and get distracted from studying. Spotify has loads of great playlists for focusing and revising. 

6. Test Yourself

One of the best ways to ensure that your revision is effective is by testing your knowledge of your various subjects. There are numerous resources online, from past papers and mark schemes from previous years, to quizzes covering the topics in your subject, making it extremely easy to see how well you have been revising. Even getting a friend or family member to ask you quickfire questions using your notes is a great way of testing your knowledge, especially a couple of days after revising the topic to see whether you have retained the information learnt over a few days.  

7. Check out Tumblr

I became obsessed with the revision tag on tumblr last year as I took a lot of inspiration from various users notes and revision techniques, so much so that I started becoming quite envious of the notes some people had made. There are a large number of study bloggers on the site, and many of them even offer free printables to help with planning and organising your studying, which I made full use of. It is definitely worth checking out for a bit of inspiration and motivation!

8. Take a Break

Probably one of the most important tips included in this guide, as studying for a number of hours all day every day can be extremely intense and can have a negative impact on your cognitive functions. Taking the time to have something to eat and drink, get some fresh air and even unwinding with a long bubble bath at the end of the day is the perfect way to de stress and refresh your mind after a hard revision session. It is also extremely important that you get enough sleep every night (about 8 hours) to allow your brain to rest, ready for the next day.

I hope you have found these little revision tips and tricks useful, and if you are about to take any exams then Good Luck!

Megan