I don't know how to revise.

Just as the title says. All my life I've been at the top of my class academically, and even up until last year I was putting in minimal revision and getting grades that were more or less hitting my target or above.

I have my mocks in six weeks (beginning Nov. 30th to Dec. 11th) and I literally don't know how to revise. I just lose interest in whatever I'm doing and get distracted, and none of it sticks, or I get frustrated by not understanding something and how to fix it.

For example, right now I'm sitting trying to do a higher tier AQA maths paper, which is what I'll be sitting in my mocks. Whenever I don't understand something/get it wrong the given answer makes sense, but I don't know how to remember it. I'm making the same mistakes and I just don't know how to make it stick.

In theory, I could probably get through all my mocks with minimal revision as I have done in the past, but with COVID and just the fact that they're my actual mocks I don't want to risk screwing it up, especially if that's what my final grade will be judged on if I don't get to sit my actual exams.

So what I'm asking is this: is it normal to be like this? I can't physically make myself sit and do revision without getting so bored that it doesn't stick, and regardless I have no method that actually interests me enough to keep focus; making mindmaps is great except I never remember what I put on there, flashcards frustrate me, practice papers take far too long and I get bored with them and start cheating etc. I don't know what to do.

If you’re having trouble trying to revise, think of the future. Procrastinating may be good in the short term, but in a few months it will be the very opposite. I used to have trouble concentrating as well until I thought of my future and whether I would be successful or living in a car park under Tesco. The best way is to just go cold turkey on distractions and get on with it 🙂

Hi!

this is completely normal. I've been told that you should work solidly for about 30 minutes then rest for ten. In this 10 minutes I usually go for a walk round the block, as exercise improves the function of the brain. Then go back to working afterwards. Remember rest is important!
In regards to memory, I use to make an A3 poster for each module in my subject with all the key points on and making it really colourful and coordinated.
I then try and memorise this poster and copy it from memory, but without all the colour and fancy bits. In a different coloured pen i then add what I had missed from memory.
Or I make plans of potential essay questions, which include all the key facts. Similarly i memorise this and try and copy it from memory. In a different coloured pen i then add what I had missed from memory, as a change in colour can be helpful for memory.


I hope this helps and good luck!
Chloe - Official Student Rep