News: Revision tips for exam season!

We’ve made a list to make it easier to fit everything in:

• Plan and Schedule- Create a timetable (or use the one we’ve created for you). As young adults it’s important to socialise, gain work experience and keep up hobbies, so planning out when you have commitments and working revision around that is very useful. Some people prefer to revise little and often by doing a couple of hours a day, or you could schedule in days or hours at a time to free up time for extra-curricular activities.

• Organise and Prepare- Make sure you have all your revision notes, posters and flashcards with you when you need to revise. Organising revision materials by subjects or modules makes for a much more productive use of your time.
• Timings- Breaking down tasks into Quick Ticks (shorter tasks that can be completed in under 30 mins) Tasks (which could take from 30mins to an hour) or Projects (that require over an hour of work or concentration). This allows you to see what needs to be done, what should be prioritised and when your work can fit around your daily tasks. Blocking out certain days or hours for revision is an effective way to give you time to do everything you need, but it is still important to take breaks. Scheduling in short breaks between tasks or longer breaks between subjects or modules increases productivity as it allows your brain to stay more engaged and focused. This also creates a more relaxed revision environment, so you don’t get burnt out.
• Volume- As a student who likes working or is more worried about upcoming exams, you may be tempted to revise at every chance you can. This is not conducive to effective study or a work-life balance. One day on/​one day off is a good way to split your time and making sure you still have some evenings free allows your studies to stay fresh in your mind whilst also leaving you time for relaxation. Revising 5 days a week for 1 – 2 hours still adds up to 5 – 10 hours of revision, so it is not necessary to revise morning, noon and night.
• Sociable ways to revise- Although revision methods like practice papers, flashcards and study books are effective ways to revise, there are more ways to get information in while enjoying time with family and friends. You could meet up with some school or course friends for a trip to an exhibition, museum or gallery related to a subject or module. Why not make a quiz with your friends and add in some revision questions? There are lots of different kinds of board games and quizzes so you could play some linked to your subjects (especially geography, history or maths games)! You might have friends or family members that are interested in some of the subjects you study so a great way to learn and spend time with them could be watching documentaries or reading books and talking about it after. For exams such as GCSEs and A‑Levels, contextual knowledge is vital so revising a broader range within your module in a more relaxed way can be very useful when it comes to your exams or mocks.