How do YOU revise?
A place for you to discuss all things revision in the run up to exams, as well as sharing tips and advice to help with your studies. Please use the relevant dedicated subject forum for discussion on specific qualifications and subjects.
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Adored and Respected Member
- Posts: 491
How do YOU revise?Hi guys, I was wondering how you revise for your exams, whether it be GCSE's, A-levels, Btec-s, etc, it doesn't matter. Do you write notes? Read through a book until it becomes ingrained into your head? Or are you a little more creative, doing things such as drawing pictures, making games or asking family members to test you?
-
- Reputation:
- Overlord in Training
- Posts: 2,025
Re: How do YOU revise?Personally, I write out all my notes that are neccesary for the exam in a shiny new notebook...trying to remember them. I then highlight the key points and make them look all pretty. Then I just read them, write them out, read them, write them out, etc...
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Adored and Respected Member
- Posts: 491
Re: How do YOU revise?Sounds like a plan!(Original post by notastampcollector)
Step 1: Get off internet
Step 2: Make condensed revision notes
Step 3: Revise from these notes
Step 4: Do past papers/practice questions
Now, if only I could get round to doing step 1... -
- Reputation:
- Full Member
- Posts: 148
Re: How do YOU revise?personally, I like to write out my notes as bullet points, then from the bullet points produce a mind map on the most important details. Another technique I use is queue cards (index cards) to write things like vocabulary for german, french and spanish and mainly for biology, chemistry and physics ( they really do help )
-
- Reputation:
- Adored and Respected Member
- Location: Nottingham/Norwich
- Posts: 544
Re: How do YOU revise?Parrot-fashion revision of cases, making lists many times until I can recite it all.
Revision flash cards are relly good for this, even took some of them with me to work before last year's exams so I could revise in between serving customers... -
- Reputation:
- Peer Of The TSR Realm
- Location: Solihull
- Posts: 1,503
Re: How do YOU revise?I just make notes from my textbooks or revision guides, basically copying it out in my own words and omitting any unnecessary information. I then read them several times leading up to the exam.
If I have time (which I usually don't, bearing in mind that my note-taking process often ends up leading up to the night before the exam) I will practise exam questions and past papers.
I'm planning to start earlier this time (for my A2 exams) so I can use my notes from lessons as well which, although I file carefully, I usually ignore when revising.
Essentially, my usual note-taking method amounts to nothing more than furious cramming.
Last edited by PatrickD; 03-04-2012 at 23:28. -
- Reputation:
- Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
- Location: London
- Posts: 3,680
Re: How do YOU revise?Past papers and reading through my notes/the textbook, thats about it, it's the only thing that helps me. I really don't see the use in writing out what is already written down, it's no wonder so many people on here waste about 8 hours a day revising for GCSEs and A-levels. Memorising things doesn't help either, it won't get you far in life.
Last edited by lukas1051; 03-04-2012 at 23:29. -
- Reputation:
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Middle Earth
- Posts: 2,421
Re: How do YOU revise?I write down all the formulae I need.
I then copy them out again in a more creative way.
I put the creative notes on my wall in a circle.
I then try past papers, if there is something I don't understand I write down the thing I don't understand and put it in the middle of the circle of creative notes
-
- Reputation:
- Banned
- Location: Edinburgh
- Posts: 899
Re: How do YOU revise?I use a textbooks that covers the entire course I am studying. I then use a notebook or jotter to essentially just rewrite the information in my own words. It's a way of organising the information in my brain. Whenever it comes to the exam, I am usually able to picture roughly where about in the book this information/answer was. Then I begin to remember all the information and it comes back to me!
You have to make sure you are actually understanding what you are rewriting though - anyone can copy out notes.
Then I go on to past papers, usually by the time I've used the above method for the whole course, I feel pretty confident and can answer most of the question correctly. After I check them, I take note of any I got wrong and look into them again.
Although slightly tedious, this method seems to work for me, by the time you've completed 5+ past papers you should be achieving high marks. -
- Reputation:
- Benevolent Member
- Posts: 742
Re: How do YOU revise?Completely agree, I just do loads and loads of past paper questions to get an understanding of the subject. Memorising is OK for GCSE but it makes A-Level exams an absolute nightmare...(Original post by lukas1051)
Past papers and reading through my notes/the textbook, thats about it, it's the only thing that helps me. I really don't see the use in writing out what is already written down, it's no wonder so many people on here waste about 8 hours a day revising for GCSEs and A-levels. Memorising things doesn't help either, it won't get you far in life. -
- Reputation:
- Junior Member
- Location: London
- Posts: 36
Re: How do YOU revise?True but it got me 4 A's at AS level...(Original post by lukas1051)
Past papers and reading through my notes/the textbook, thats about it, it's the only thing that helps me. I really don't see the use in writing out what is already written down, it's no wonder so many people on here waste about 8 hours a day revising for GCSEs and A-levels. Memorising things doesn't help either, it won't get you far in life.
obviously, A2 is different -
- Reputation:
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Scotland
- Posts: 3,068
Re: How do YOU revise?(Original post by lukas1051)
Past papers and reading through my notes/the textbook, thats about it, it's the only thing that helps me. I really don't see the use in writing out what is already written down, it's no wonder so many people on here waste about 8 hours a day revising for GCSEs and A-levels. Memorising things doesn't help either, it won't get you far in life.
I find that if you try and do past papers without revising the whole course first, it's basically like trying to do an exam without any revision and I end up needing to refer back to my notes on every second question.
When I'm doing my studying for an exam which starts three days before the exam, I spend two days summarising my notes, the final morning memorising them and then a past paper or two in the afternoon. -
- Reputation:
- Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
- Location: London
- Posts: 3,680
Re: How do YOU revise?I suppose it depends on what subjects you do, memorising facts certainly doesn't help for any of mine, and especially nowadays exams in all subjects are moving towards applying your knowledge and thinking logically rather than recalling facts.
I find it's helpful to try some questions without revision so you can assess which areas you are weak on, you can then go back and work on those areas, and use that knowledge to answer questions. I've always found the things I remember the most are questions I struggled on and then figured out the answer for..(Original post by Mr Dangermouse)
I find that if you try and do past papers without revising the whole course first, it's basically like trying to do an exam without any revision and I end up needing to refer back to my notes on every second question.
When I'm doing my studying for an exam which starts three days before the exam, I spend two days summarising my notes, the final morning memorising them and then a past paper or two in the afternoon. -
- Reputation:
- Peer Of The TSR Realm
- Posts: 1,410
Re: How do YOU revise?I write up notes on a chapter. I then go over the notes and in the case of maths, do loads of questions from my text book to drill it into my brain. In the case of biology and chemistry, I then go over the same chapter in the CGP revision books.
Once I've finished a chapter I practise related questions from various text books.
And then when I've revised everything at least a bit, I start past papers. Any dodgy areas I go back and revise.
