This article was first published on 20 September 2019.
Take control of your revision
As exam season approaches, one of the best ways to stay on top of things and get rid of that helpless feeling, is to take control of your revision.
Here is a good place to start:
Make a revision plan that is tailored to you
Set objectives and monitor your progress
Schedule in down-time to relax and have fun.
Daria shows off her revision timetable and explains how it can help.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
"GRACE…! GRACE…?"
"WOOOAH! DARIA? GRACE? WHAT'S HAPPENING?"
"I don't know Zak, all I said was our first exam is in 8 weeks when she just…"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"GUYS! Stop it!"
"Okay, I think I know what's happening. Look, I know this revision stuff feels like a massive amount of work but right now there's a whole load of things we can do to make it better. We need to manage our time more… "
"I bet she's going to say 'effectively'"
"…effectively."
"Told ya’… Why do I get the feeling that you’re already doing this?"
"Err… I… might be…?"
"Of course you are… come on Daria, show us the goods."
"I've been making a… REVISION PLAN!"
"Oh my… that's BEAUT…"
"TERRIFYING!"
"Beauterrifying?"
"Beauterrifying."
"Shall I show you how it works?"
"Okay, look… so we know when our exams are… here in about 8 weeks. Now I've blocked out all of the stuff I have to do between now and then, like school…"
"… that shows me how long I’ve got left to revise. So, in the time left I’ve laid out all my subjects into revision sessions of about 45 minutes."
"45 minutes?"
"Yeah, I can’t revise for longer than that without a break and it’s good to mix it all up. Keeps it fresh. But there's stuff I know I'm not so good at – For me it's Geography and English Lit – so I'm spending a bit more time on those ones."
"Oh yeah, I see, there's a lot more of those green ones up there for Geography."
"Yeah, see…"
"Geography’s in 8 weeks' time, so each week I’ve set a goal to study certain topics – Ecosystems and Tectonic Plates this week. Then close to the exam, I’ll look at everything again - then I’ll be ready to go! Goals are really helpful, it means for each revision session I focus on set topics."
"I like this."
"Great isn't it! Starting early means I can prioritise what I need to do based on when my exams are. And now I have something I can STICK TO! What do you think?"
"It's…err… Big!"
"Hmmm… yes."
"And I LOVE the colours, there's so many, it's cool."
"Yep… putting each subject into colours really helps me – looking at this huge plan means every day I know where I am and I'm not panicking about stuff I haven't revised yet because I know there's a place for it later."
"Hang on, what's this? ‘Roller Disco’? That’s not an exam?!"
"Ah - Free time AWAY from this! - That's really important – we've gotta put it in. And I'm the kind of girl who needs wheeeeels on her feeeeet."
"This makes… sense… huffffff!.. wow… I love it! I feel… in control."
"Yep and because I’ve set goals, I know where I am and what I’m aiming for. Goals are great because for each one I reach, I get to do the most awesome part…"
"… PROGRESSSSS! And with it laid out like this you'll know if you're falling behind and you can shift things around to deal with that.""Can I… um… take yours?"
"First up, no, get lost. Second - it's a really important thing for you to do for yourself, Zak. Making a plan really helps you get into the mindset of revision. Besides which I can’t imagine you would want to be getting up at six in the morning to revise Tectonic Plates like me."
"There's a six o'clock in the morning?"
"Wow. Daria… you're… beaut-errifyingly good."
Getting organised
Being proactive with your revision will help you feel more prepared for your upcoming exams.
Planning your revision can take many different forms. The key is knowing when your exams are and what topics you have to cover - then working back from that.
Don't forget to:
Allow time to revisit content
Allow extra time for the topics you struggle with
Colour code! Assign different colours to different subjects.
Keep your revision sessions to about 45 minutes, then take a short break
Build in down-time.
Remember, if your timetable isn't working for you, don't be afraid to reorganise it.
Good luck!
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