Revision tips and techniques

To reduce sticky clutter we've decided to combine the original stickies into one and make a new one for you to post your favorite tips and ask questions about revising.

Two key posts from the original stickies:

Positive Mindset vs Exam panic

How to revise effectively

Some of the top tips from the other threads:

♫ My best advice is to make a plan for every week, so you maximise your time and can decide exactly how much you do and on what you want to focus on. It feels all good inside when you complete a 5 hour stint! Also take regular breaks. It's no good sitting at a desk for ages getting stressier and stressier and not taking anything in. (Rose64)

♫ A good tip for languages discursive essays is to write pros and cons charts for issues like university funding, gap years, recycling, divorce, etc etc and any other topics you have studied. If you then get an essay on this in the exam you've already done the plan!! For studying eng lit texts I always make a main points sheet/booklet where i write down everything i can on each charater and theme (including quotes) this way you can just rewrite the para in ure exam if something relevant comes up. (fooish*87)

♫ Good notes are the key to effective revision. Everytime you cover something new, write it down clearly and legibly, make sure you understand it - and then file it. When it comes to revising it's as simple as going over all of your concise, well-written notes, for let's say - 1 hour. Do this again for 15 minutes before bed, followed by at least 8 hours sleep. (raven)

♫ I'm just in the middle of creating CDs for Social/Cognitive/Cognitive Development Psychology, and one for my A2 Sociology unit. I'm putting all of my information on there so I can play it back and listen to it. And, if you're like me and like the sound of your own voice (:P) it's good :P.

♫ Once you have revised something, ALWAYS give yourself a mini quiz to refresh your brain. Do this at the end of the revision session, then at the end of the day, and then at the beginning of the next day. This will push it into your long term memory. (Brimstone)

♫ For subjects like maths, all you can really do is question after question after question. During my revision for C2 I found the tough logarithm questions quite hard at first so I just did log question after log question after log question from the C2 book. By the end, I was an expert at C2 logarithm questions! By repeating so many questions you end up with a sixth sense for what the next thing to do in a tricky question is. (Gamaya)

♫ Personally for the subjects that require memorised knowledge I have mnemonics for everything. I highly recommend them. For instance today I needed to remember what a ketone is, so I thought ketone sounds a lot like keystone, and the keystone is always in the middle of a bridge, and a ketone has a double bonded oxygen in the middle. It's great because unlike computers the more you put into a brain the easier it is to remember. Mnemonics only really work if you make them up yourself though. (steelmole)

♫ Post it notes with key facts on them posted around your bath, opposite your loo, on your sink and on the cupboard where you keep your coffee or biscuits. Different coloured post it notes for different subjects. Only works if you keep the amount low. (castafoire)

♫ I always find it really helpful to do one past paper before I've done any revision, then when I go back to looking at it the night before my exam, I realise how much more I know now. That always makes me feel better about myself and my chances. (Phalanges)

♫ Find out what kind of learner you are. i.e Visual, auditory, or emotional. If you learn best by remembering things you see, make your notes look all pretty and bright so they'll stick in your mind. Or, if you learn best by hearing stuff, record yourself talking about a subject. (rose64)

Post your own tips or ask for advice on your revision