Revision Techniques that work

Tried and tested tips to make learning easier and more fun.

Basic principles Revise regularly throughout your

course. Revise the important points only Don’t just learn, aim to understand

your work. Remember your teacher is there to

help and support you.

Past papers Look at past papers to get a clue as

to what is asked and what you need to do.

Often, there is a limited number of questions which can be asked on a topic.

Some topics are so important that they keep being repeated.

Recognise your revision style

Which of these revision styles describes your pattern?

Bit-here-and-there style Tends to sit down with a book and

do ten minutes or so before getting bored.

Problem: Fooling yourself into thinking you’ve done more than you have.

Over-the-top Tends to read everything for hours

and hours at a time without really taking it in.

Problem: Doesn’t really understand and then is upset when the marks don’t seem very high.

Just-do-the-interesting bits Tends to study the interesting bits

and ignores the rest.

Problem: Never does the hard work and knowledge is patchy and shallow.

I’m not going to pass Tends to have no self confidence

and no self belief, doesn’t really revise

Problem: There really is not any point because with such low self-belief, success can’t happen.

I’ll do it later There is always something more

important now which must be done.

Problem: tomorrow never comes! You can’t put off things that must be done.

I deserve some time off Does loads of revision one night in a

mad flash of enthusiasm.

Problem: Gets too tired to keep up the effort and gives up after the first night.

I’ll do it the night before Puts it off till the day before the

examination.

Problem: There is not enough time to do a thorough job. You might get lucky, you probably won’t.

Wonderful memory I can remember really easily so I

don’t need to worry.

Problem: This may work for some topics, but memory is patchy and the details often go quickly.

What to do that works

Plan your time

Use different tricks

Don’t put off revision!

Visual learners

Visual learners Design bright posters

Create mind maps and spider diagrams

Colour code your notes

Draw cartoons and pictures on work

Auditory learners

Auditory learners Make tapes of you reading work

Repeat facts

Create rhymes and poems

Talk about your work to others

Kinaesthetic learners

Kinaesthetic learners Walk around the room as you learn

Move your arms as you say things aloud

Write out learning in big letters in the air

Play music as you learn (no words)

In addition … Make revision cards

Work with a friend (one who doesn’t distract)

Test yourself and make quizzes

Good luck

Don’t put learning off till there’s too much to manage.

Mrs Griffiths