Description: Tutor shares their top tips when it comes to revision.
There’s plenty of advice out there but here are the revision tips that worked for me in my GCSEs and A Levels.
Do not leave it to the last minute
Revise consistently throughout the year by taking summary notes at the end of each lesson. At the end of each topic/ chapter/unit, use your notes to create flashcards using the specification. I did this when revising for A Level biology, which made the exam season far less stressful as I had a place to start my revision – I wasn’t staring at a 700 page textbook.
Do not just read
Don’t passively read and highlight the textbook; you need to do something to actively engage your mind, so do something with the information you’re reading: create summary notes, flashcards or use it to answer past paper questions.
Use past papers
Past papers are your best approximations of the real thing. Do them, mark them thoroughly or get them marked by your teacher or Telios Tutor and actively reflect on what you’ve learned. Being able to answer questions on a variety of topics when you’re not sure which topics the questions are on is a crucial skill that you can best develop through past papers.
Practice Active Recall
Actively stimulating your memory rather than passively reading is crucial to revision. Flashcards are a great way to do this or you could just read a page and try to write down what you have learned. Alternatively, read through the specification and treat each bullet point/sentence as a question that you should try to answer from memory.
Try Blurting
This method involves writing down everything that you know about a topic from memory and then comparing this to the textbook. This shows you which areas you need to focus on and tells you how much you actually know as there are cognitive biases that mean we overestimate our knowledge of a topic when passively reading about it.
Work (and sleep) at consistent times
A lack of routine is why many people struggle during lockdown. Create your own routines by going to bed, waking up and working at consistent times. It’s hard at first, but, eventually, your brain will expect to work and relax at certain times. If you’re a night owl, you can start and finish working later, just make sure it’s consistent and you’re getting enough sleep.
Test, test and test some more!
Testing allows you to practice active recall, it helps you find the areas you need to spend more time on and it allows you to review your revision method. If you test yourself consistently, you can see whether your revision method is paying off.
Quality over quantity
Don’t plan to spend 8 hours a day at your desk – if it’s not going in, take a break! 10 minutes of active recall can be more productive than passively reading or twiddling your thumbs for hours.
Study in the right environment
Find a study space that’s quiet, clean and has plenty of natural light. Study in a library if you can (COVID permitting, of course!), or outside of your bedroom to create a separation between work and play.
Look after yourself
Build breaks into your schedule – taking breaks is productive and isn’t a waste of time. Build in time to yourself and time to exercise. Eat correctly, as it really does make a difference to how you feel. Ensure you’re getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
Hopefully these revision tips will help you in your next exams. All the best!