Ultimate Revision Tips Thread - Share Yours!! Watch

(Original post by Amylololol)
This is SO brilliantly written and just as useful! Wish I knew this last year ;____; but like you said, it's not the end of the world - I'm preparing for resits and I'll keep what you said in mind - These exams are a game between me and the examiner and I've beat this game countless times before so why not smash it even harder this time >
Thanks a billion for this blog! Everything looks so much brighter now :'D

(Original post by travellifemane)
if i am a person who learns from doing things. how i am meant to learn history, english language and english lierature.

(Original post by King Geedorah)
Hi, This all very good info! But with regards to your advice on past papers, would you recommend doing past papers with Only essay based subjects? If so, would it be wise to mark the essay myself or not?

(Original post by Gingerbread101)
When should I get started?
According to our poll last year, most of you voted that the best time to get started for revision is February! It's always best to get ahead with your revision and then you don't need to cram in the last month.

How should I manage my time? Should I make a timetable?
Personally, I think a revision timetable is one of the ultimate methods of distraction and procrastination While it might work for some people (in which case I would thoroughly recommend TSR's study planner), a lot of the time we have a tendency to make them too rigid, unrealistic or spend too much time making them.
Instead, I'd recommend making a checklist at the start of every day with 3-5 things on that you want to achieve that day. With a small list rather than a massive schedule, it will look like your workload is a lot smaller, easier to manage and you'll find it easier to get motivated.

What should I revise first?
While you might be tempted to revise the things you enjoy first and put off the harder things, I find this technique works best:
Attachment 505777
Make a graph for each of your subjects, and plot every topic on it. Start in the area marked '1' for your revision, and work your way through them that way.
Make sure you go back and replot the graph once you've revised everything, to see what still needs more work!

How do I actually revise then?!
There's too many revision techniques to list, but the most effective things for you will depend on what kind of learner you are. If you don't already know, then take a quiz like this one and try and tailor your revision to your type.

• Post it notes: This has to be one of my favourite methods of revision. Write key words, quotes, equations, definitions, dates, etc on post it notes (colour code them if you have different topics) and stick them on your wall where you'll see them all the time. Whenever you look at them, read them and say them outloud, and test yourself on them all the time.
• Condense your notes:Combining both your class notes and your textbook, try to fit all of the information from each topic onto an A4 page. Then condense that down into A5. Then keep halving until you have all of the key information on a flash card sized piece of paper.
• Flashcards: You can write essay plans, definitions and key points on flashcards, and then hole punch them and put them on a ring to keep them together and take some with you whenever you go out. While you're sat on the bus, instead of browsing the internet aimlessly, test yourself on a few flashcards!
• Past papers: The holy grail of revision. Nothing beats replicating a real exam for practice- do a whole paper with no notes, then mark it and highlight on the mark scheme all of the marks that you missed. Go back through the paper and add corrections and additions in a different coloured pen, and make a note of the topics where you missed marks so you can look over them again.

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)

(Original post by llaurenamechi)
👍🏽

(Original post by Gingerbread101)
When should I get started?
According to our poll last year, most of you voted that the best time to get started for revision is February! It's always best to get ahead with your revision and then you don't need to cram in the last month.

How should I manage my time? Should I make a timetable?
Personally, I think a revision timetable is one of the ultimate methods of distraction and procrastination While it might work for some people (in which case I would thoroughly recommend TSR's study planner), a lot of the time we have a tendency to make them too rigid, unrealistic or spend too much time making them.
Instead, I'd recommend making a checklist at the start of every day with 3-5 things on that you want to achieve that day. With a small list rather than a massive schedule, it will look like your workload is a lot smaller, easier to manage and you'll find it easier to get motivated.

What should I revise first?
While you might be tempted to revise the things you enjoy first and put off the harder things, I find this technique works best:
Attachment 505777
Make a graph for each of your subjects, and plot every topic on it. Start in the area marked '1' for your revision, and work your way through them that way.
Make sure you go back and replot the graph once you've revised everything, to see what still needs more work!

How do I actually revise then?!
There's too many revision techniques to list, but the most effective things for you will depend on what kind of learner you are. If you don't already know, then take a quiz like this one and try and tailor your revision to your type.

• Post it notes: This has to be one of my favourite methods of revision. Write key words, quotes, equations, definitions, dates, etc on post it notes (colour code them if you have different topics) and stick them on your wall where you'll see them all the time. Whenever you look at them, read them and say them outloud, and test yourself on them all the time.
• Condense your notes:Combining both your class notes and your textbook, try to fit all of the information from each topic onto an A4 page. Then condense that down into A5. Then keep halving until you have all of the key information on a flash card sized piece of paper.
• Flashcards: You can write essay plans, definitions and key points on flashcards, and then hole punch them and put them on a ring to keep them together and take some with you whenever you go out. While you're sat on the bus, instead of browsing the internet aimlessly, test yourself on a few flashcards!
• Past papers: The holy grail of revision. Nothing beats replicating a real exam for practice- do a whole paper with no notes, then mark it and highlight on the mark scheme all of the marks that you missed. Go back through the paper and add corrections and additions in a different coloured pen, and make a note of the topics where you missed marks so you can look over them again.

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)

(Original post by AngelStarfire)
For essay plans for English Literature, can someone give me an example please? I don't understand how to do one.