#revision help

[milkiie-selfremoved]

yeah, quick question, how do i revise death?

[aspenstudy-blog]

Study tip!

Don’t revise what you already know- trust me it sounds obvious but it’s important. Challenging your knowledge will help it grow, even if it’s frustrating to not know things. Constantly covering content you know well doesn’t help, only skim it closer to the exam.

[mental-health-advice]

I live in Japan, and I’ve went to a Japanese school. Now I’m in my last year of high school, and I have to take multiple university exams. I start my first one in a week, but I’ve lost all motivation to study. I feel like I won’t get into any universities even if I do study, and I know I’m running away from my problems, but I just can’t seem to find any will to do anything and I feel like such a loser and weak. I hate disappointing my parents, and I do want to go to university... I’m desperate:(

Hello! Thank you for sending this in, and I hope we are not too late to talk about this. If you’ve taken the tests then I wish you all the best with them and I hope you felt okay about how they went. Tips for tests and how to handle them can be used in everyday life, though. I really hope there are some techniques you can take away from here and use.

The first base to touch on with studying, for me, is usually the area I plan to use. I’m lucky enough to have a desk with lots of resources, and I find that helps me a lot. However, you can still make a study area on a dining table, a wide space on the floor (as long as you’re comfortable sitting on the floor) or even outside in the shade. Wherever it is, here are a few things to look at:

Supply of fresh air (having a window open, being outside)

A clean, clear space with working pens and pencils.

Highlighters. Can you colour coordinate what each means?

A good chair or position to sit in.

A good temperature.

Having the noise appropriate for you (if you can study with calming music or if you prefer it silent)

Another thing to look at in advance to studying is creating a schedule. Within this schedule, it is beneficial to slot in short breaks, meal times and time to enjoy yourself. It may take a while to figure out which works best for you (whether you prefer studying first thing in the morning, during the day or in the evening), but you can mix it up until you feel it is right all while studying. If you find it helpful, you can even schedule down to the very subject you will be revising each study slot. I always find it rewarding to tick off the slot when I have completed it, too!

Studying can feel overwhelming, as we often are not sure where to start. Scheduling can help with this, as well as finding the best way to revise. There are websites which can help contribute to studying, such as memrise. This is like a digital version of making study cards, but being tested on them. It contains lots of subjects so it may be helpful to check it out. You can, if you find it helpful, also make your own study cards. Writing them out in different pen colours in itself is studying, as we are focused on what we are writing. Then, we can use these small cards wherever we are. At work, in a queue or even at dinner. Mind maps are also useful, and they can be colour coded and stuck on a wall to glance at every so often. When revising for my exams, I used to stick questions on the walls next to light switches, mirrors and even the toilet flush! I had to answer the question (the answer would be on the back) before I could continue my day, or flush the toilet. This way I wasn’t overwhelmed by sitting down in front of a page full of information. I could take little moments out of my day to focus on questions, as well as sitting down and working on some other subjects.

During my dissertation at university, I really struggled to sit and read information. Whether it be an article or my own work, it seemed to jumble into one and go in one ear and out the other. I tried reading aloud, but I struggle with that too. Eventually, I downloaded an extension for Google Chrome called Speak It. I could then highlight what I was trying to read, press the button, and it would read it out loud for me while I followed along. This helped me massively, and I encourage you to try it if you feel you may struggle in the same way.

In most cases, schools offer study sessions in quiet environments with a teacher available if needed. Do you think attending one to see how they work for you would be beneficial? Talking to a teacher or school counsellor about your worries may also help, as they may have some study techniques or tips to cope with the exam period.

On our MHA page, we have some information on school advice. I will link it below. It does not directly target exams or tests, however, some of the advice (especially on getting a good night’s sleep) can be applied to a lot of things in life. I really hope you find the page useful.

School Advice

Speak to the universities you would like to go to. Speak to the staff. But, most importantly, speak to the students. I know this may feel scary and too much, but even communicating via email or a forum is valuable enough. They may have advice on applying or getting through exams, and not all universities may be the same. When I applied, my university focused more on my personal statement, growth within my results and my portfolio. Yours may be the same, so I recommend having a look into that if you feel you can.

I completely understand that this time may be overwhelming and stressful for you, but my last piece of advice I will give you is probably the most important. Breathe, take breaks and take time to yourself. Having time to enjoy things is just as crucial as studying, and it helps our mind massively. It is okay to spend some time away from studying and it is okay to feel nervous. Believe in yourself, and know that you are trying your best. Reward yourself. Look after your mental and physical health.

I really hope this has helped, and to everyone else who is going through exam season. I wish you all the best and believe in you!

Rosie

[charlie-a-ravenclaw]

Made a lil' acronym for answering research methods questions in sociology. I guess this might also somewhat apply to psychology? (And other mark questions lmao these are just OCR specific)

[blinkgold-notes]

MASTERLIST

note: please use specification alongside notes

iGCSE NOTES

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made 2014/2015

A LEVEL NOTES

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made 2015-2017

DISCLAIMER: a message from farah

[milkiie-selfremoved]

so i'm watching a show, and the main character said "memory often lies to us. we should not always abide by our memory" and... damn. that is... something clicked in my brain

[aspenstudy-blog]

Study tip!

Listening to classical music is a good way to boost your mood while also helping you learn better. I’m not entirely sure why it works- but it does!

[notecore]

I used some of the tips the motivational speaker gave us about how to revise effectively and manage your time. This helped me put everything into perspective hopefully it will help me to stop procrastinating and to make an actual study plan that I can follow !