Revision techniques a levels

Flashcards

I don’t do any of your subjects but I find Seneca helpful for my content heavy subjects not sure if they have your courses though.

what subjects do you use Seneca for

I use it for biology and chemistry and it’s great, I sometimes use it for maths but tbh I find it less useful than just doing practice questions. I’ve just checked and they do have your courses btw.

thank you so much I used to use it for gcse but never knew they did a levels. Also, do you just make notes when using Seneca

Do past papers.

Not Seneca.

Normally I don’t but if it’s a topic I’m really struggling I write down the answers to the bits I get wrong.

Do past papers.

Not Seneca.

Hey guys,
I’m in year 13 doing my A levels and I do sociology, politics and business. I l do flashcards for revision but recently it’s been getting repetitive. My subjects are content heavy and it takes a long time to make flashcards and I have a bad habit of putting a lot of info on them. Does anyone know any good revision techniques for content heavy subjects? Is it effective to do different revision techniques for different subjects?

"Is it effective to do different revision techniques for different subjects?"

Yes.
The important part is whether it is effective for you. Discover this by trial and error. This should also be part of your study management strategy.

"it’s been getting repetitive"

Change something that negates repetitiveness, e.g. where, when, how etc.

"I have a bad habit of putting a lot of info on them"

Your absolutely right; it is a bad habit. In fact it is so bad it is self-defeating. A flash card isn't notes or facts - it's something that triggers in memory the information you require.

A typical and formal note taking pattern would be:

1] A full set of your notes. Read the text parse it into your words and write the note. Do not copy information verbatim from the text. This, obviously, does not include quotes, diagrams etc.
2] A short set of notes condensed or précised
3] A set of bullet points.
4] Flash cards. Each card should be one subject/point/issue.

Do you see the pattern?

Do you understand the mechanism? It's all about memory. You want the smallest or shortest piece of information to trigger recall for use in the exam or for coursework. Research memory, understand short-term and long-term memory. Develop strategies that work for you. From the above list if 4] does not trigger the information go back to 3]. If 3] does not trigger the information go back to 2] etc. It is also an excellent test to determine if the information you require is actually ready and available to you in memory.

This is information management or 'good study technique'. This is a separate subject that should be studied for it's own benefit..

Hope this helps. Good Luck.

I agree that past papers are good for revision and are best for improving exam technique but Seneca is a good alternative to flash cards as it helps you actively recall and remember content.

I agree that past papers are good for revision and are best for improving exam technique but Seneca is a good alternative to flash cards as it helps you actively recall and remember content.

Forgive me for my lack of awareness. But what is Seneca and how do you use it?

Seneca is a revision website which has exam board specific courses. You can revise one or two specific topics or it can be used to work through the entire course relatively quickly. First you read the information they give you then there are gap fill tasks etc to test your knowledge.

Oh okay. Thank you so much! Could you please provide me the link for the website, I'm unable to find it online (Universities come up)