Revision may seem like an unappealing task, but it’s an indispensable part of learning and academic development. Therefore, it’s crucial to know how to revise effectively, and if you nail these criteria, it will make your academic journey a lot smoother when it comes to mocks, exams and assessments.
There are three fundamentals to consider when revising: understanding, memorising and applying. It’s key to incorporate all three of these fundamentals into your revision routine to ensure that the time you spend revising is effective.
First of all, it’s important that you understand what you are trying to revise. If you’re struggling to understand a certain topic, for example, the whole point of revising it is counterproductive. With a lack of understanding, memorising the topic becomes hard and applying it becomes even harder. So, making sure you understand what you’re learning during class time is very important. Ask questions, stay behind after class to talk to your teacher, put maximum effort into doing your homework, or even read around the subject to expand your knowledge. Doing this will make revision in the future a lot easier because it means you have good foundations to build on when it comes to revising for assessments.
Often during assessments, you won’t be able to take notes with you into the exam hall. So, memorising what you’ve learned becomes a significant part of revision. Here are some methods that can help you to memorise what you have learnt…
Writing out key facts, phrases or equations over and over again will help you store them in your memory. Try to handwrite them too as your muscle memory will then come into play during exams.
Making revision cards is a good way of summarising what you need to know and an excellent method of revision. Write an equation on one side of the card, and the meaning of the equation on the other side, for example. Then test yourself by trying to guess what’s on the other side.
Teaching someone else what you have learned is a great way to verbally test yourself and what you can remember. This is sometimes known as the protege effect. The protege effect can have multiple other benefits, like improving your confidence in a topic too.
There isn’t a better way to revise than basically doing the real thing. Doing practice papers or questions prepares you exactly for what you will experience in the exam hall. The more you practise something, the more natural it becomes. So first, start by using your notes. Then you can maybe condense your notes onto just an A4 piece of paper. Then have a go with no notes and see how much you remember. This will help you figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are.
Writing out keywords, phrases or equations on post-it notes and sticking them around your room is a great way to plant key pieces of information into your brain. Seeing and reading information whilst you’re doing mundane tasks like brushing your teeth, or getting ready for school will subconsciously help with memorising information in preparation for an exam.
Now that you’ve nailed the first two fundamentals, it’s time to start applying your knowledge. This can be one of the trickiest parts of learning, so it’s crucial to practise. The best way to practise applying your knowledge is through doing practice papers or practice questions. Looking through mark schemes will definitely help and asking your teachers for feedback will go a long way. Understanding where you went wrong, or what you did well when answering a question is essential to improve.
If you’re struggling with a certain subject, don’t hesitate to get in touch, or book your free assessment, to see how we can help you.
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