Revision tips

OMG! Exam time 

That time is upon us, when the educators want us to show them how much we learnt from them. Hopefully, you’ve been referencing and filing those lectures and seminars. Your books and e-books are covered in ‘post-its’ tabs and markings in the margins. So here are my top tips for revision.  

 1) Draw up a revision timetable 

Check when your exam is, where and which subject. Then draw up a revision timetable. Research shows that shorter 20-30 minute spells of revising work best, because your concentration level is much higher. I also recommend taking short, regular breaks.   

2) Find a quiet space where you can work 

You need a quiet place where you won’t be too distracted for a few hours, this means your room, and the library will work best. Some people find working in Costa/Starbucks works for them, but I find all the noise and other people distracting.   

3) Do it in the morning!

You are more likely to stick to a planned timetable in the morning. Start early and work through, having your breaks as you go. Towards the evening you’ll want to get out, so plan an evening out with friends, just remember to get to bed early too!   

4) Sleep as much as you can. 

Stick to your bedtime, and waking time. Put books, smartphones and tablets away. Don’t read on screens before your bedtime. Make sure your room is the right temperature (about 16C works for me). I also take a short nap after revising for the day and going out in the evening.   

5) Exercise, yes I said exercise! 

Increasing your heart rate makes the blood circulate faster, thus ensuring your brain gets the oxygen it needs. A small ½ hour jog, or better still game of badminton, or other favourite sport, will make a huge difference to your capability to take on all that information you are revising. It also will help reduce tiredness and stress.  

6) Use colour! 

What is more interesting is the fact that colourful notes are easier to memorise than plain black and white ones. Your brain loves to order things in groups, so colour code your information for easier retrieval.   

7) Get some past papers 

Practise makes perfect as they say. Also, examiners are often lazy too and tend to ask the same types of questions each time, so after 3 or 4 papers you’ll start to get a feel for the type of question you’ll get in the real exam.   

8) Write notes! 

Making notes will reward you with an easier way to remember all that information you revised. Always read with a pen and paper to hand, making notes as you go along will reap benefits. So much easier than re-reading a chapter, because you’ve forgotten where a great quote, or reference was!   

9) Use your family and friends 

Get them to test you, give them your notes and ask them to question you. This is not only a great way to revise, but also take a break and change the way your brain formulates the information.   

10) Don’t forget life balance and positivity 

Life shouldn’t be all work and no play, maybe not play as hard as you have been (flashback to Freshers week) People who balance their life get better results. Your life won’t be over if your results aren’t in the top 1% of the country! 

So ease off on the pressure, and take time out sometimes.   

I hope these tips help you as much as they’ve helped me. If you have any tips you use, please add them below in the comments, I’d love to hear them.