Revising for Exams
Here are nine tips on revising for exams:
a. Make use of your learning style when
you revise
b. Plan in good time
c. Active revision
d. Old exam papers
e. Pace yourself
f. You’re not alone
g. Reward yourself
h. Trust
i. Look after yourself
a. Make use of your learning style when
you revise
Tips for Visual Learners
- Rewrite your notes as mind-maps
- Use colour to highlight important
things
- Draw diagrams and sketches to help
you remember points.
Tips for Auditory Learners
- Read your notes aloud
- Record yourself on cassette reading
key points of your notes aloud, then
listen to the tape afterwards
- Revise with other students if you
can
- Sing the main points. Linking them
with a tune may help you remember them.
Tips for learners who are readers and
writers
- Copy out your notes.
- Read your notes silently.
- Rewrite the key points using
different words.
- Write down key points from memory.
Tips for Active Learners
- Move around the room
- Revise while you do kung-fu moves or
other physical activity
- Mentally review what you’ve been
revising while you’re swimming or
jogging.
b. Plan in good time
Timetable
- How much time have you got?
- What do you need to do?
A week in hand
Aim to have your revision completed by a
week before your exams. This gives you:
- flexibility in case of illness
- a chance to spend longer on
something that proves difficult
- a break before you sit your exams.
Select
- What topics do you need to revise?
- How much time do they need?
Targets
Be realistic about:
- the targets you set yourself
- how much time you will need.
Balance
Aim for a balance between subjects you’re
strong in and those which you’re less
confident about.
c. Active revision
It’s not enough just to re-read notes,
make your revision active! Here’s how:
Paper
Have plenty of paper and a pen handy.
Memorise
Study a section of your notes, and
memorise the essential points.
Write
Put your notes out of sight, and write
down from memory the essential things you
learned.
Check
Check with your notes.
Learn
Note any points you omitted or got wrong,
and learn them.
Cards
- Reduce notes to essential points,
either by highlighting or underlining.
- Use these points to make memory aids
on index cards or similar-sized pieces
of paper.
- Use a separate card for each topic.
- Write down important points to
remember about each topic.
- Carry these cards with you wherever
you go. Review them in your spare
moments.
d. Old exam papers
Look through old exam papers
Make outline plans for the answers
Note carefully the slight differences in
how questions are asked from year to year.
e. Pace yourself
Use your time well.
Don’t try to do too much at once. Take a
break from time to time in each study
period.
f. You’re not alone
Revise with other people sometimes; if
you don’t feel that you’ve entirely grasped
a topic, or don’t have any ‘new’ ideas on
it, discussing it with other students can be
helpful. This is specially useful for
Auditory Learners.
g. Reward yourself
Recognise the targets you have achieved.
Mark your progress on your revision plan so
that you can see what you are achieving.
h. Trust
Trust your memory.
Once you know a subject thoroughly, move
on to the next. Don’t keep checking your
memory to see if it’s doing its job.
It’s like a filing system, and it will
produce what is required at the appropriate
time.
i. Look after yourself
Sorry to sound like your Mum, but...
Diet
Try and eat a healthy diet, not just
chips and burgers! Take time out for meals;
don’t try to work while you’re eating
dinner.
Caffeine
Too much tea and coffee can increase your
anxiety levels and induce insomnia. Caffeine
tablets have the same effect.
Exercise
Get some exercise! You don’t have to go
mad. 20 minutes exercise 2-3 times a week
will give you more stamina, help reduce
stress and help you to sleep.
Rest
Don’t try to work through the night
before an exam.
Go to bed in good time and get as much sleep
as you can. |
