We’ve all done it, stayed up way past midnight cramming for the exam the next morning, because we haven’t given ourselves enough time to prepare. Student life is a busy one and is very social which in itself is exhausting!! How can anyone possibly have time to study? So to help you, we’ve come up with these Top 10 Tips for Revision to help you stay on top of things.
Top 10 Tips for Revision
Create a timetable We actually retain more information when we study in short bursts. Create a timetable that gives you 30 minutes of study time. Break your subjects and topics up into a sequence that makes sense. We found this handy timetable on Study Gizmo for you to use: Free Timetable
Exercise After every 30 mins, get up from your books and walk around the block, do some jumping jacks, or run down the hall and back. Exercising for 5 minutes pumps oxygen into the brain, gets the heart pumping and allows you to think over what you’ve just studied.
Start early It is a fact that revising in the early quiet hours of the morning is the most productive. Hardly anyone is around to chit chat with, nothing is going on outside. 5 am is a good time to start with. And just think that by 9am you will have achieved 4 hours revision!
Mind map your answers What better way to remember all those facts and figures, names and historical dates, than by drawing out a mind map, full of wiggly arms and colour? The process has a lasting effect on your memory and you’re more likely to draw the same one out again from memory compared to rewriting a paragraph. Which you can then compile into proper sentences come exam time.
Use colour The world would be pretty boring if we only ever used blue and black ink in our daily lives. When was the last time you saw an advert in blue or black? Colour stands out in our minds. Colour grabs our attention. Pop to the stationery shop and buy as many coloured pens you can!
Past papers Past papers are literally the holy grail when it comes to preparing what you’re going to write for your upcoming exam. You can review the style of the questions and make an educated guess on what subjects they will ask this year, which saves you from studying the entire textbook!
Explain it to someone One sure way to know if you have understood the subject completely is to explain it to someone. Break it down into sections, give background and explain the details of the subject. You will quickly notice where you have gaps and where to focus your revision.
Start sooner rather than later It’s important to get a couple of hours in a day from the start of term, rather than leaving it to the month before your exams. Give yourself 3-4 days to focus on one subject. Then count out how many sets of 4 days there are until exam day. This will give you a rough idea how soon you need to start studying in order to have time for them all.
Check in with your lecturer Don’t be shy to ask your lecturer for some time to go over a few things that are puzzling you. They are there to help you pass, so use that to your advantage.
Rewards Incentives are highly motivational, so if you tell yourself that you can go to the movies after 5 days of study, or that you can get your nails done after you’ve mind mapped your work. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how efficient you become!
The one thing every student has in common is wishing they had more time, so use your time wisely and plan ahead. Use these Top Ten Tips for Revision to get you through your exams (with a little less stress!).
