After months of attending classes, submitting assignments and attempting to read around your subject, exam period is finally here. And with it comes multiple hours of revision, which can be a difficult thing to master. Here is a selection of revision techniques for students and exam tips to help you get through this tricky time.

Start early

One old revision techniques for students is to start earlier, the more prepared you will be. Starting early allows you time to really learn the materials, hand-outs, textbooks and understand it – and it means you can cope with any factors that may unexpectedly disrupt your revision. Also, “cramming” is just not effective for everyone, and will often only create more stress. Spend a couple of hours figuring out the material you will need to know for each exam and map out a revision timetable that takes into account when each of your exams is.

Make your revision timetable as detailed as possible, writing exactly what you need to do each day, for how long, and make sure you schedule in regular study breaks too. Without regular breaks, you could be headed for stress and burnout, which definitely may lead to failure.

Identify what type of learner you are

Everyone learns in different ways. Some like colour-coded spider diagrams, others will be able to learn simply by reading and copying. Some people like to learn through listening to others speak. Revision differs by individuals and it’s worth testing out a few different methods before finding an approach that suits you. This will make sure that you are working smarter, not harder.

Along the same lines, figure out when you learn best. This may be early in the morning or late at night – again, each person is different. Plan your revision to utilize the times when you think you are at peak productivity levels.

Learning environment

There will be loads of people who will tell you that working in a library is more productive than from home. Others will say that locking yourself in your room is the only way to revise. This will vary based on how you learn best and, again, it is worth experimenting to find what works for you.

For example, contrary to most of the revision advice out there, I always found that coffee shops were a great place to sit and make revision notes, and I could never work well in my room. But a friend of mine couldn’t revise anywhere other than her room and actually found working from her bed effective. Varying your environment can also help to keep your revision interesting too.

Noise is a heavily debated topic. Most revision guides will tell you that music or the TV is too distracting, but this is entirely down to personal preference. One thing that worked wonders for me while making revision notes was playing Disney films in the background. I watched them so many times as a child that I didn’t get distracted by the dialogue – and it provided the gentle background noise I needed to help me focus.

If speech or songs with lyrics are too distracting for you, try film scores or instrumental music. For others, pin-drop silence will be the only thing that works. The only way to know for sure is to test this out. Also, as a side note, make sure you wear comfortable clothes and have plenty of water and healthy snacks to hand.

Go for Group Discussion:

This is not the same as group reading, they are different. Group discussion is a learning environment where students with a common goal discuss. I had a girlfriend who prefers group discussion to hours of lone reading. In the group discussion, students teach each other. In fact, you might better understand some topics from a fellow student than from your teachers or textbooks/class notes.

In the group discussion, you’re active; thinking through and through, making educative and constructive arguments, asking questions. And observing how fellow students break down topics in a friendly manner can gear you to an intense private study.

Be strict

No matter how you dress it up, revision isn’t the most enjoyable of pastimes and I’m sure there are millions of things you would rather be doing. But you have to be strict with yourself. Eliminate all distractions and stick to your revision timetable as best as you can. Keep your phone away from you, switch off the WIFI on your laptop if you don’t need the internet, and make sure you have everything you need before you begin, to stop yourself having to get up.

If you must have your phone near you, download an app that stops you from continuously checking Instagram or Facebook. Forest is a particularly innovative one. It plants a seed when you lock your phone and a tree continues to grow until you quit the app. To make sure your tree keeps growing, don’t go on to any other apps on your phone. If this doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of other productivity apps that can stop you unnecessarily checking your phone.

Practice, practice, practice

It is important to ensure that all of this revision doesn’t go to waste and that you are able to apply the knowledge in an exam situation. The place of past questions can never be replaced, it is a lifesaver and also a time saver. Except a new topic is introduced into a subject, questions are repeated or rephrased. When you study pass questions very well, you will understand various ways in which questions are presented and how to answer them.

Do you have past questions If you don’t have access to past questions, formulate one for yourself or ask people who have gone ahead of you… The more you do, the more you can work out what the exam board is looking for and you can adapt your revision accordingly. Remember you are likely to fail the first couple, so don’t be disheartened. As with anything, practice makes perfect, so keep at it.

And finally, some more unusual revision methods that might work for you:

  • Wear a particular perfume or aftershave while studying a different subject and then make sure you wear the same one on the day of the exam corresponding to that subject. Similarly, have different mints or sweets while revising different subject and then take those into the exam (if allowed). Associating certain smells and tastes with one area of study could help to jog your memory.

 

  • Set up a sports game with people on your course and incorporate exam questions into the rules of the game. For example, during a rounders/baseball game, every time someone runs to a post they have to shout out a fact, quote or figure relating to the subject.

 

  • Read things out loud in different accents or voices. Then when you are trying to recall the facts, you’ll remember the accent and then hopefully the fact too.

 

  • Write down your revision notes in different formats. For example, write one subject as a news story, another as a letter to a friend or relative, compose them into haikus or draw them as a comic strip. Be careful not to waste too much time on this though. It doesn’t need to be a work of art, just a different way of presenting the information.

 

  • Find a friend who is on a different course to you and teach each other about your courses. The act of having to explain things to help someone else understand something will help to highlight what you yourself have learned.

 

  • Record yourself reciting key dates, quotes or equations and listen to them as you walk to and from the library/supermarket, while at the gym or when you’re cooking dinner. You won’t feel like you’re revising but you will be amazed at how much you retain.

 

  • Stick Post-it notes everywhere. Literally everywhere. Just being surrounded by your revision notes will mean that something will have to sink in.

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