I’ve had a lot of questions recently on how I revise. So here is a big post for it!
First off, these are some essentials on setting yourself up for revising:
1) First off, you have to be motivated. Keep on reminding yourself why you’re doing this, think how happy you’ll be when you get the results you want. You could even stick a photo of your dream uni or something above your desk, stick up some motivational quotes, whatever works for you.
2) Don’t procrastinate! I have some tips on procrastinating here
3) Make a study timetable, or at least organise yourself in some way or another. It’s so much easier to study when you have already planned it out. theorganisedstudent has some GREAT printables of daily planners and things which I hope she doesn’t mind me recommending here. I also suggest getting Momentum for google chrome or safari.
Also, make sure that your timetable is reasonable. I know some people can do this, but most people can’t concentrate for 10 hours a day without any breaks. Make sure you schedule in breaks and fun things for you to do. It helps motivate you if you know that once you’ve done this study period, you are going to watch an episode of your favourite TV show.
4) Get a good study space. Some people like to always work at their desk, some people like to mix it up a bit and go to a coffee shop or the library some days - do what works for you. But, if you find yourself getting distracted at home, I would really recommend going out.
5) Have minimal distractions. Turn your phone off, have your internet off unless you need it. Go somewhere where you won’t be bothered by friends/family.
Ok so now for the actual studying bit!
1) First off, you have to have good notes. As you go along in the course, make notes from all your lectures/classes, then put them together along with notes from textbooks and other sources. I try to make them as condensed and colourful as possible! One of my examples is here
2) Read notes/talk through them. This is a good way to just quickly go over the material and gauge how much you know them, and it’s not very taxing. It’s best to read them aloud.
3) Make posters/factsheets/mindmaps from your notes. This is a good way to further consolidate the topic, in a easy to read, colourful way. Plus you can stick it up on your wall so you can read it lots! joolshallie has a really good example of a mindmap here. But it’s up to you - set it out how you want.
4) Make flashcards. My followers will know how much I love flashcards! They’re easy to make - either get some record cards which you can usually get from somewhere like WHSmiths or any stationery shop, OR you can go digital and use the website quizlet.com and make them there. Just write a question or topic heading on the front, then write the answer or information on the back. Then you can test yourself! They are really handy, especially when you just want to go over something quickly.
5) Do practise questions. Some textbooks will hopefully have questions, or you might be lucky and have past papers for your subject. Either way, do these, with no cheating! Make sure you write a note of the stuff you got wrong, and revise it again. Remember that exam technique is important - make a note of what the mark schemes are looking for.
6) Write out things. Buy a whiteboard, or just use scrap paper, and think of a topic and write out all you can remember about it. Then look at your notes and see what you missed. I find this really good for remembering things! Here is an example I did.
7) Teach people. This one may seem weird, but it’s been shown again and again that teaching people things is one of the best ways to remember. Grab a friend or family member, or even your pet, and try and teach them about one of your topics. Write out and draw things as you explain. Trust me, it will really stick in your head after that, and it will help you find the topics you are unsure on.
That’s all for now, I hope this is helpful! Remember if you have any questions, my ask box is always open. x
