Description: Science and Maths tutor, Emily, shares her knowledge on a revision technique called ‘blurting’.
What is Blurting?
By definition, blurting literally means “to utter abruptly and impulsively”.
In terms of a revision technique, it is where you choose a subtopic in a subject that you are revising for.
You write down everything that you know about the topic on a whiteboard or big piece of paper with a set time limit.
The idea is to help identify the areas in the subject where you are lacking knowledge in the subject and areas of weakness.
Thus after blurting, you can write down the key topics to focus your revision on, rather than trying to tackle the whole subject.
Why is Blurting an Effective Revision Method?
It is quick and easy to do, as all you need is about 15 minutes (depending on the size of the topic), a big sheet of paper/whiteboard, and a pen.
Also, it is incredibly helpful to pinpoint your weaker areas to be able to strengthen them.
This also helps save time in the long term as you do not waste time revising topics you already know well.
It can also be used for almost any subject you are learning/revising, from English to Science to Languages, thus it is a very versatile technique.
It uses the idea of active recall, which has been proven to be one of the most effective revision techniques.
The requirement is for you to actively think and process what you remember rather than passively reading words on a page.
Additionally, it is a much more exciting and interactive way to revise rather than most techniques like writing and reading notes or highlighting, therefore it makes you much more likely to revise if you do not find it boring and laborious.
Examples of How you Can use Blurting
- Biology – pick a topic e.g. gas exchange and respiration, and write down everything you know about this topic without your notes in 15 minutes and then use your textbooks and notes to identify what you forgot (e.g. the equation for anaerobic respiration)
- English – pick a topic from a book you are studying e.g. the theme of guilt in Macbeth, and write down all the quotes, context, and ideas you can remember for 15 minutes, and then use your notes to identify what you forgot (e.g. the symbol of hallucinations)
- Mathematics – pick a topic e.g. how to solve quadratic equations, and write down all the facts and methods you know for quadratic equations in 15 minutes and then use your notes and textbooks to identify what you forgot (e.g. factorising quadratic)
Takeaway Points about Blurting
– An effective and efficient method to use when revising to identify areas of strength and weakness
– Helps save time by not revising what you already know
– Uses active recall which improves memory
– With any revision technique you use, make sure to take breaks and reward your progress and success!
By tutor Emily. Contact Us