24.03.2018
When exam season had approached for me in the past, no way did I utilise my time wisely and actually a majority of it was spent making revision material rather then actually revising. This completely defeated the whole purpose of effective revision. Can you imagine creating cue cards and cramming the night before your exams? Yep that's exactly what I did! Doesn't exactly leave much time to memorise right? So I made it my priority to not repeat the past and make a change to my poor revision habits.
1. Making revision material as you go along
This was an absolute lifesaver for me! In the evening I would sit down, go over my class notes and use my textbook as guidance to make sure I had covered everything in that given unit. I would then use Microsoft Word to type up my notes, condensing the whole unit to fit one side of A4 sheet, the maximum being double sided.
Personally, I prefer typing up my notes, as not only did it save me time in the long run (having built the reputation of being the slowest writer like ever) but it also allowed me to go back, add to my notes for the areas I had missed out by mistake and be able to add a little colour to the page.
BONUS TIP: Treat yourself to new stationary! I think we can agree that there is no greater feeling that opening a new pack of highlighters/marker pens right? Not only did it encouraged me to get work done but it just made revising for me so much more enjoyable having pages full of colour.
2. Using your time efficiently
My biggest advice would be to start now! Ideally, I set myself a target to have all my revision material ready at least two months before actual exam season, so that I had plenty of time to revise and to be able to make my revision sessions as productive as possible.
When it came to revision, I preferred working in 40 minute sessions. These sessions were divided into: 20 minutes revising from my revision material (made beforehand) 10 minutes to review, ( having a blank sheet of paper and writing down everything I could remember) and 10 minutes to reflect (going back and making a note of the areas I was unable to recall). This technique worked wonders for me and not only did it improve my overall performance in recalling and retaining information but I was actually spending less time revising and more time practising.
Even though revision timetables work for some, personally it didn't for me. I felt a huge amount of unnecessary pressure for myself. Having to work under a strict time frame, down to the very last minute and with unexpected changes of plans bound to happen, it just made the process so much more stressful.
BONUS TIP: Don't be afraid to experiment with different revision techniques. Whether that's from watching videos and making notes afterwards or listening to audio books, see what works best for you and stick to it. Remember, just because something didn't work for me, it doesn't mean it won't for you.
3. Making use of your surroundings
The run up to the exams is can be such a stressful period, and it's crazy how oblivious I was to those who surrounded me during exam season. In fact, I didn't think it would be of any use and more of a distraction than anything else. Little did I wrong I was wrong.
If I was ever unsure of a certain area or having difficulty grasping concepts, I always asked my teacher for assistance. As scary as it can be for some (especially for me at first), I can 99.9% assure you that they will never say no and they will always make time for you. I was surprised how beneficial one-to one sessions could be and how easy it is to understand something, having it explained differently.
Besides, if you've thought long and hard about something and you’re still unsure, then chances are that other people are too, and that you will be doing them a favour by asking about it. Â
BONUS TIP: Everyone is at different stages, but make sure to use this to your advantage and made study groups with friends to revise together and help each other out.Â
Remember, don't let procrastination stop you from getting ahead of the game. You can do it!