• Question: i have a test coming up and need to revise so when u were younger what was your best method of revising????/

    Asked by adam123 to Antonia, Douglas, Hugh, Matt, Tom on 21 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Antonia Hamilton

      Antonia Hamilton answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      i would write multicoloured, handwritten notes on all my topics. then I’d write the notes again but shorter. and again. once I’d written them 3 times and had each topic down to one index card, then I knew the topic

    • Photo: Matthew Hurley

      Matthew Hurley answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Really good question! I think revising is probably a personal thing that you just have to find what works for you. For me a revision timetable was essential. WHen I knew I had an exam (for example 6 months before my A levels) I wrote a list of the subjects and the topics within these subjects. I then wrote a timetable of when I would do each subtopic so at the end I had covered everything twice. Every revision session was targeted to what I wanted to achieve, not how long it would take. For me I used to write my own revision notes – all the important things from lessons plus the important things for 2-3 good books. Then I used to make revision cards of just the really really important things and memorise these.

      TOP TIPS – know your concentration span! Mine’s about 20 minutes, so every 20 minutes have a 5 min break. Then retest yourself to know what you remembered from 20 minutes ago.
      Also every time you start a revision session – very quickly test yourself to see what you remember from yesterday.

      Above all – enough to eat and drink, enough sleep and enough (but not too many) 5 minute breaks!
      When you go in the exam you can be calm knowing you know your stuff – all you need to do then is write it down!
      GOOD LUCK!!

    • Photo: Douglas Blane

      Douglas Blane answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Scientists have discovered that people learn in different ways. I wish I’d known this when I was at school.

      I’ve discovered for instance that I can’t learn and understand stuff by listening to people. Which is why my teachers thought I wan’t listening. I was but it was going in one ear and out the other.

      I need to read stuff, write it down, practise it, think about it, solve some problems if it’s maths or physics.

      So my advice for your studies is to find out what works for you, rather than somebody else. What works for them won’t necessarily work for you.

      This whole thing is called “learning styles” by the way. So that’s what to Google if you want to find out more.

      As usual Wikipedia is pretty much for people who know what it’s about already. But the BBC has quite a good site on it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/extra/module1/1.shtml

    • Photo: Tom Hardy

      Tom Hardy answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      I still have to revise now. I find that if I go through my material (books, excersive book, notes etc) and make my own notes, short versions and then carry them around with me, reading them as often as I can, helps the information to go in!

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