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April 8th: Revision Week

This week on Radio 1 we're talking about being #RevisionReady. It might seem like exams are a little while off, but we're going to help you to get prepared early!

On this week's Surgery we're talking about getting into that revision headspace, and revising effectively.

What do you have to do to get you into that 'place'? What do you think makes for healthy revision? And unhealthy revision? Let us know your best and worst revision stories here, and we might talk about it on Wednesday night's show!
Original post by BBC Radio 1
This week on Radio 1 we're talking about being #RevisionReady. It might seem like exams are a little while off, but we're going to help you to get prepared early!

On this week's Surgery we're talking about getting into that revision headspace, and revising effectively.
What do you have to do to get you into that 'place'? What do you think makes for healthy revision? And unhealthy revision? Let us know your best and worst revision stories here, and we might talk about it on Wednesday night's show!
I'm studying a horticulture certificate at the moment and I've found the following works for me:

- first reading the learning outcomes to know exactly what the examiners are looking for
- the reading through all of the course notes to know the gist of what I need to learn, while simultaneously jotting down the correct answers to the learning outcomes
- then memorising key bits of information, and this is the important bit, not worring about learning masses in one go. It might be one term or one diagram. If I learn that, that's better than I was before. Little bitesize chunks help me progress quickly.
- then it's doing lots of past papers to cement everything
- finally, cram!

That's certainly worked for me :biggrin:
Original post by BBC Radio 1
This week on Radio 1 we're talking about being #RevisionReady. It might seem like exams are a little while off, but we're going to help you to get prepared early!

On this week's Surgery we're talking about getting into that revision headspace, and revising effectively.

What do you have to do to get you into that 'place'? What do you think makes for healthy revision? And unhealthy revision? Let us know your best and worst revision stories here, and we might talk about it on Wednesday night's show!


I have to make sure that I lock out all distractions - that means only using my laptop when necessary, and use Cold Turkey (block certain sites for amount of time!) when necessary. That generally seems to work, and actually, if you just sit down, and get on with it, the time passes much more quickly. And if you think the hours drag on when revising - then just imagine the extra time you think you have before those pesky exams!
Reply 3
Avatar for jamestg
jamestg
21
For my mocks, the day before each exam I crammed in the content every evening and did a past paper, marked it and then revised the bits I c*cked up on.

I managed to get 7A*S 3As and a B - although I was completely exhausted but the end of the week, and the last exam was a 2hr English exam so that almost killed me.
Original post by Captain Jack
I'm studying a horticulture certificate at the moment and I've found the following works for me:

- first reading the learning outcomes to know exactly what the examiners are looking for
- the reading through all of the course notes to know the gist of what I need to learn, while simultaneously jotting down the correct answers to the learning outcomes
- then memorising key bits of information, and this is the important bit, not worring about learning masses in one go. It might be one term or one diagram. If I learn that, that's better than I was before. Little bitesize chunks help me progress quickly.
- then it's doing lots of past papers to cement everything
- finally, cram!

That's certainly worked for me :biggrin:


That's a pretty solid revision plan right there! How soon before exams do you start?

We're going to be chatting about this on the show tonight, do you fancy sharing some of your top tips with us on air?

Ami @ The Surgery x
Hey, I'm studying LLB law in my final year and I have land and equity exams in 4 weeks! Were lucky enough to receive the question topics (because it would be borderline impossible to revise every topic), but unfortunately it still means that I have to learn 6 topics off by heart, word for word.

My revision timetable consists of writing the potential exam answers, writing, re-writing, reading, re-reading, typing, re-typing, until I remember it off by heart.
I also create acronym's for the main cases and statutes, so that I can easily incorporate them into my answers (the best I had from last year were cases that I related to the names of coronation street and emmerdale characters so I was sat in the exam thinking 'Norris Cole' and 'Steve Macdonald'!

For everyone who is thinking about doing a law degree, I would certainly suggest re-thinking your career plans hehe!

Good luck everyone!
Original post by Milky93
Hey, I'm studying LLB law in my final year and I have land and equity exams in 4 weeks! Were lucky enough to receive the question topics (because it would be borderline impossible to revise every topic), but unfortunately it still means that I have to learn 6 topics off by heart, word for word.

My revision timetable consists of writing the potential exam answers, writing, re-writing, reading, re-reading, typing, re-typing, until I remember it off by heart.
I also create acronym's for the main cases and statutes, so that I can easily incorporate them into my answers (the best I had from last year were cases that I related to the names of coronation street and emmerdale characters so I was sat in the exam thinking 'Norris Cole' and 'Steve Macdonald'!

For everyone who is thinking about doing a law degree, I would certainly suggest re-thinking your career plans hehe!

Good luck everyone!


Wow - that's pretty full on! How soon before your exams did you start your revision plan? The acronyms idea is brilliant though :smile: Have you got any other memory tips for our listeners on tonight's Surgery?

Ami @ The Surgery x
Original post by mobbsy91
I have to make sure that I lock out all distractions - that means only using my laptop when necessary, and use Cold Turkey (block certain sites for amount of time!) when necessary. That generally seems to work, and actually, if you just sit down, and get on with it, the time passes much more quickly. And if you think the hours drag on when revising - then just imagine the extra time you think you have before those pesky exams!


Distractions and procrastination are the worst, right? That's really good advice - thank you!

Ami @ The Surgery x
Original post by BBC Radio 1
Wow - that's pretty full on! How soon before your exams did you start your revision plan? The acronyms idea is brilliant though :smile: Have you got any other memory tips for our listeners on tonight's Surgery?

Ami @ The Surgery x


I started at the beginning of march (organised hehe). Yes I got that idea from my tutor years ago.

I would say that early revision is key, you do not want to be rushing because I have done that before and I've ended up having to resit.

Also try and use cue cards, post-it-notes, stick revision on your bedroom walls, write different topics in different colours, use any means of remembering things.

I have used many techniques and you need to try a few before you find one that works for you.
I'm studying for my GCSEs- started revising around mid-March (and yet still feel so very unprepared).

I find that questions help me a lot: I think a lot of people learn the material but then have no idea how to apply it, so I try to make my revision focused around questioning myself. I'm using Anki to make flashcards and writing things like "state the two ways in which organisations like the Red Cross provide aid to war-torn countries" as opposed to, say, just having the two ways written on the card. It's my first time structuring revision like this, but it really seems to be working for me!

Furthermore, I'm making sure I get specific things done on each day - today was finishing my RS unit on War and Peace, and then writing flashcards for Of Mice and Men. I can take as many breaks as I want, but I don't get to sleep until I finish those things (or have a cup of cocoa, which is probably the thing that's actually motivating me to work, oops!). And I'm hoping to do 4 practice papers a week from next week, following the idea that they don't change that ​much year-to-year.

P.S. Milky93 - I'm very seriously considering doing Law at University....:eek:
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by BBC Radio 1
Distractions and procrastination are the worst, right? That's really good advice - thank you!

Ami @ The Surgery x


Yeh, definitely the worst - I always find if I can get those out of the way, then my revision goes rather swimmingly... then it's onto the revision techniques, and I find the good ol' Captain's to be the best!
Original post by Milky93
I started at the beginning of march (organised hehe). Yes I got that idea from my tutor years ago.

I would say that early revision is key, you do not want to be rushing because I have done that before and I've ended up having to resit.

Also try and use cue cards, post-it-notes, stick revision on your bedroom walls, write different topics in different colours, use any means of remembering things.

I have used many techniques and you need to try a few before you find one that works for you.


You're super organised! Do you fancy sharing some of your secrets on the phone with us on the show tonight? Drop me a PM if you're up for it!

Ami @ The Surgery x
Original post by roarchika
I'm studying for my GCSEs- started revising around mid-March (and yet still feel so very unprepared).

I find that questions help me a lot: I think a lot of people learn the material but then have no idea how to apply it, so I try to make my revision focused around questioning myself. I'm using Anki to make flashcards and writing things like "state the two ways in which organisations like the Red Cross provide aid to war-torn countries" as opposed to, say, just having the two ways written on the card. It's my first time structuring revision like this, but it really seems to be working for me!

Furthermore, I'm making sure I get specific things done on each day - today was finishing my RS unit on War and Peace, and then writing flashcards for Of Mice and Men. I can take as many breaks as I want, but I don't get to sleep until I finish those things (or have a cup of cocoa, which is probably the thing that's actually motivating me to work, oops!). And I'm hoping to do 4 practice papers a week from next week, following the idea that they don't change that ​much year-to-year.

P.S. Milky93 - I'm very seriously considering doing Law at University....:eek:


haha oh dear, good luck! All joking aside though, its hard but its very worth it if you stick to it and dont get left behind!
Original post by BBC Radio 1
You're super organised! Do you fancy sharing some of your secrets on the phone with us on the show tonight? Drop me a PM if you're up for it!

Ami @ The Surgery x


Sorry I cant tonight but I'd really appreciate it if you let the listeners know about my revision tips! :smile:
Thanks for all your help tonight everyone! I'm sure these tips will definitely be helpful on the show!

If anyone wants to get involved in the show tonight and share some stories or wisdom, drop me a PM before 8:30pm with your contact details and I'll give you a call back!

Ami @ The Surgery x
Original post by BBC Radio 1
Thanks for all your help tonight everyone! I'm sure these tips will definitely be helpful on the show!

If anyone wants to get involved in the show tonight and share some stories or wisdom, drop me a PM before 8:30pm with your contact details and I'll give you a call back!

Ami @ The Surgery x


Unfortunately I can't, but I'll be tuning in to listen!
Original post by BBC Radio 1
Thanks for all your help tonight everyone! I'm sure these tips will definitely be helpful on the show!

If anyone wants to get involved in the show tonight and share some stories or wisdom, drop me a PM before 8:30pm with your contact details and I'll give you a call back!

Ami @ The Surgery x


I only just saw this but I got a few tips to share, seeing as I do Psychology for A-Level we learn about strategies for memory improvement!

There's this really cool method called the 'Method of Loci' that is a technique that associates part of revision material to be recalled with different places. For example, my Computing revision on Internet and Communications is placed by the wireless router and also by the telephone in the living room (it doesn't really have to be related).I also have my Psychology revision on Media Psychology placed by the TV in another room.

When I want to recall the information, I imagine walking into the house and walking towards where I want to recall the information. For example, if I want to recall my revision notes on Internet and Communications, I would walk to the router and phone in the living room. It's a pretty cool strategy, and it's fun too!

I also do a load of mindmaps and spider diagrams; they're placed all over my room, and I also have loads of flash cards on certain topics. I mainly use flash cards for Psychology, where I place the researchers name and year of study on one side and put down their aim, procedure, findings, conclusions and evaluation on the other side!

From inspiration by one of my teachers, he said "It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it and that's what gets results" (it's a song by BANANARAMA) and talks about how it's about the quality for revision as opposed to quantity. Therefore, I do something similar to the Pomodoro technique, where I work for 20 mins on one thing, have a 5 minute break, then 5 minutes recapping on what I did previously, then repeat by moving on to 20 minutes on the second thing, 5 minute break then recap etc. I hope you understand. :smile:


Thanks and I hope it's not too late to share! :biggrin:
(edited 9 years ago)
I spend majority of my time revising but at night i often feel sick or have headaches is this due to revision stress???
I'm studying Chemistry, Physics and maths at A2 level and have been doing this plan since GCSE and ramped it up for a bit for A level:

For GCSEs, I started revising about 6 weeks before mocks, and just did wrote out my notes and did practice questions. After mocks, I continued doing revision, perhaps a few hours a week, until around March/April when I increased the intensity. During study leave I worked around 4 hours day and went out once or twice a week to see friends. I achieved 9 A*s and 3 As so the revision plan works!

For AS, I revised for each topic test and after each lesson wrote up my classnotes in a notebook which I used to revise from for mocks and my exams. After mocks, I used A2 pieces of paper to put those notes all over my bedroom wall so I could see it all. I then did every single past paper I could find, twice, until I dropped as little marks as possible.

Now I'm 2 months out from my A2 exams, I am currently covering my bedroom wall with revision notes and periodically do past papers and any practice questions i can find. Anything I don't understand I follow up at sixthform and go to after school /lunchtime sessions to ask for help. During study leave I will probably work 9 to 5 like a normal school day and go into school where there are no distractions.

I struggle with procrastination a lot so I've learned to leave my laptop in a different room for the time I'm revising. My sixthform lets year 13s go home in the afternoon if they have free periods so I took full advantage of this all year and probably did about 2 hours of work at home when I could have done about 4 hours at school, which adds up. I started staying at school til 5 about a month ago and it helps a lot. I also read or make tea or a snack in my breaks. I study until I lose concentration or finish a task, then take a 20 minute break. otherwise i take a 5 minute break every hour or so.
As someone with autism I find a good way to revise is to have tv on but do not sit near it, sure that means glancing across now and again but its far enough away that I wont get distracted and also it stops me getting too bored and giving up on my revision as complete isolation with no stimulation is bad on your brain and will get you confused, these days I would also recomment putting your phone in a drawer for similar reasons, close enough to check but far enough away that it doesnt dstract you and Id say even something simple like a clock follows that pattern, if its too close to you it makes you panic thinking you only have X amount of time to study so you keep checking it, if its far enough away you can do you work and glance at it now and again and think "well I am 2 hours into 4 hours study and I am over half way done, thats good timekeeping"

Basic points are you need to keep distractions far enough away to not tempt you but close enough to soothe you.

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