Revision for neurodiverse students- tips!
I thought I'd make this thread as whenever I look for revision tips online, I find they're always very neurotypical-centred, and many just don't work for me and many other neurodiverse folk!
So, I'll leave some tips here that have helped me with revision so far (currently in year 13). Note: these work from my personal experience, so some may not suit you.
1) Pace around your room. If sitting at a desk for long periods is something you struggle with, then try to move around if you're going over notes and flashcards. (I found this one a lifesaver when trying to memorise speeches etc. at GCSE)
2) Don't revise in the same place too often. If you can, go to a cafe, a library, your kitchen, outside. Switching up the environment you're working in can keep things more interesting
3) If you have NEAs or coursework with some flexibility on the topic, suit it to your interests. For my geography NEA, I did it on carbon in trees; one of my biggest interests is climate change, so I could easily hyperfocus on the background research and data analysis for this. In fact, I ended up with the highest mark in the class! (Which never happens with normal tests)
4) Have a physical list near where you work with how you can reward yourself in revision breaks. This will stop you just going on your phone and getting stuck watching tiktoks!
5) Retrospective revision. Print out a list of all the topics you need to cover, and stick it on your wall. As you revise a topic, put the date and RAG mark next to it. This way you can visually see where you're at with this topic. I find this so much more helpful than revision timetables, because rather than being constricted to set time blocks, I revise as and when I have the energy to, and can quickly see what I most need to cover.
6) Make revision a game. You're not "revising", you're trying to beat all your friends scores. Make it a competition (this isn't a particularly healthy one if you're overly competitive, but it can get you out of revision slumps)
7) Use the "might as well" rule. You've got a big stack of past papers to get through? Well, you might as well attempt one question or just do 5 minutes. If all you do is that, then it's better than nothing! Or, you may find you want to answer some more questions once you've gotten going, which is even better!
I'll add some more as I think of them, and hopefully other neurodiverse people will share their revision tips! Really hope this helps some people!
So, I'll leave some tips here that have helped me with revision so far (currently in year 13). Note: these work from my personal experience, so some may not suit you.
1) Pace around your room. If sitting at a desk for long periods is something you struggle with, then try to move around if you're going over notes and flashcards. (I found this one a lifesaver when trying to memorise speeches etc. at GCSE)
2) Don't revise in the same place too often. If you can, go to a cafe, a library, your kitchen, outside. Switching up the environment you're working in can keep things more interesting
3) If you have NEAs or coursework with some flexibility on the topic, suit it to your interests. For my geography NEA, I did it on carbon in trees; one of my biggest interests is climate change, so I could easily hyperfocus on the background research and data analysis for this. In fact, I ended up with the highest mark in the class! (Which never happens with normal tests)
4) Have a physical list near where you work with how you can reward yourself in revision breaks. This will stop you just going on your phone and getting stuck watching tiktoks!
5) Retrospective revision. Print out a list of all the topics you need to cover, and stick it on your wall. As you revise a topic, put the date and RAG mark next to it. This way you can visually see where you're at with this topic. I find this so much more helpful than revision timetables, because rather than being constricted to set time blocks, I revise as and when I have the energy to, and can quickly see what I most need to cover.
6) Make revision a game. You're not "revising", you're trying to beat all your friends scores. Make it a competition (this isn't a particularly healthy one if you're overly competitive, but it can get you out of revision slumps)
7) Use the "might as well" rule. You've got a big stack of past papers to get through? Well, you might as well attempt one question or just do 5 minutes. If all you do is that, then it's better than nothing! Or, you may find you want to answer some more questions once you've gotten going, which is even better!
I'll add some more as I think of them, and hopefully other neurodiverse people will share their revision tips! Really hope this helps some people!
One of my favourite tactics is just to try and 'hack' the executive dysfunction by either:
a) playing high energy music with no lyrics - film scores are great for this!
b) being on a call with a friend/partner who will 'kick' me once in a while if i look like i got sidetracked
warning: if you get *too* into it, it can be more easy to get burnt out doing the music tactic than going slowly through stuff. Or you end up wide awake at almost midnight, neither of which are exactly ideal...
a) playing high energy music with no lyrics - film scores are great for this!
b) being on a call with a friend/partner who will 'kick' me once in a while if i look like i got sidetracked
warning: if you get *too* into it, it can be more easy to get burnt out doing the music tactic than going slowly through stuff. Or you end up wide awake at almost midnight, neither of which are exactly ideal...
Hi all!
Neurodiverse first year university student here.
I have really struggled over the years to find revision techniques that work for me, the ones told to you in school definitely aren't for everyone and can be under-stimulating.
Something that completely changed the game for me was Quizlet. It allows you to make flashcards so quickly, so much faster than writing them out by hand. This helps me to get through way more at a time and stops me from hyper fixating on unnecessary things such as does every written card have the same amount of lines between questions, did I use the right colour coding system for different subjects etc. It takes that out of your hands and also of course stores everything you create on your account, meaning you can study them at any time without having to physically remember to pick up your flashcards and take them with you (something I am not the best at remembering to do).
Another recommendation I would give is listening to familiar music, this doesn't always work for me but 9 times out of 10 it does. If there is a soundtrack that you know every single word to, then having that in the background can really help, as you are not focusing on the lyrics but you still have some noise helping you to focus. This could be an album or a movie score, but my personal favourites to study to are Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen (if you can get though either without crying...). They both tell a story so have a good, predictable flow and I know them inside out (make sure to listen to it in order, not shuffle!) meaning I can hear it and not pay much attention, unlike when you are perhaps listening to a random playlist. This also helps because if I get to a song that I really love, I can give myself a quick break from studying to sing along and then get back to it, this helps with avoiding burnout and also means I am stricter on my breaks.
If words become overstimulating when you are stressed, try giving music without words a listen. Although I am not into it usually, listening to chill drum and bass has been very helpful for me and some of my other neurodivergent friends who have asked for my recommendations. I would recommend 'Dawn Wall' as an artist for this kind of music. I know it might sound crazy as usually in this genre of music there is a lot going on, but you never know until you try!
Hopefully some of this can be of help to anyone who is struggling and I wish you all the best in your studies!
Best regards,
Kiannah
Zoology BSc
Neurodiverse first year university student here.
I have really struggled over the years to find revision techniques that work for me, the ones told to you in school definitely aren't for everyone and can be under-stimulating.
Something that completely changed the game for me was Quizlet. It allows you to make flashcards so quickly, so much faster than writing them out by hand. This helps me to get through way more at a time and stops me from hyper fixating on unnecessary things such as does every written card have the same amount of lines between questions, did I use the right colour coding system for different subjects etc. It takes that out of your hands and also of course stores everything you create on your account, meaning you can study them at any time without having to physically remember to pick up your flashcards and take them with you (something I am not the best at remembering to do).
Another recommendation I would give is listening to familiar music, this doesn't always work for me but 9 times out of 10 it does. If there is a soundtrack that you know every single word to, then having that in the background can really help, as you are not focusing on the lyrics but you still have some noise helping you to focus. This could be an album or a movie score, but my personal favourites to study to are Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen (if you can get though either without crying...). They both tell a story so have a good, predictable flow and I know them inside out (make sure to listen to it in order, not shuffle!) meaning I can hear it and not pay much attention, unlike when you are perhaps listening to a random playlist. This also helps because if I get to a song that I really love, I can give myself a quick break from studying to sing along and then get back to it, this helps with avoiding burnout and also means I am stricter on my breaks.
If words become overstimulating when you are stressed, try giving music without words a listen. Although I am not into it usually, listening to chill drum and bass has been very helpful for me and some of my other neurodivergent friends who have asked for my recommendations. I would recommend 'Dawn Wall' as an artist for this kind of music. I know it might sound crazy as usually in this genre of music there is a lot going on, but you never know until you try!
Hopefully some of this can be of help to anyone who is struggling and I wish you all the best in your studies!
Best regards,
Kiannah
Zoology BSc
Original post by rycbar.123
I thought I'd make this thread as whenever I look for revision tips online, I find they're always very neurotypical-centred, and many just don't work for me and many other neurodiverse folk!
So, I'll leave some tips here that have helped me with revision so far (currently in year 13). Note: these work from my personal experience, so some may not suit you.
1) Pace around your room. If sitting at a desk for long periods is something you struggle with, then try to move around if you're going over notes and flashcards. (I found this one a lifesaver when trying to memorise speeches etc. at GCSE)
2) Don't revise in the same place too often. If you can, go to a cafe, a library, your kitchen, outside. Switching up the environment you're working in can keep things more interesting
3) If you have NEAs or coursework with some flexibility on the topic, suit it to your interests. For my geography NEA, I did it on carbon in trees; one of my biggest interests is climate change, so I could easily hyperfocus on the background research and data analysis for this. In fact, I ended up with the highest mark in the class! (Which never happens with normal tests)
4) Have a physical list near where you work with how you can reward yourself in revision breaks. This will stop you just going on your phone and getting stuck watching tiktoks!
5) Retrospective revision. Print out a list of all the topics you need to cover, and stick it on your wall. As you revise a topic, put the date and RAG mark next to it. This way you can visually see where you're at with this topic. I find this so much more helpful than revision timetables, because rather than being constricted to set time blocks, I revise as and when I have the energy to, and can quickly see what I most need to cover.
6) Make revision a game. You're not "revising", you're trying to beat all your friends scores. Make it a competition (this isn't a particularly healthy one if you're overly competitive, but it can get you out of revision slumps)
7) Use the "might as well" rule. You've got a big stack of past papers to get through? Well, you might as well attempt one question or just do 5 minutes. If all you do is that, then it's better than nothing! Or, you may find you want to answer some more questions once you've gotten going, which is even better!
I'll add some more as I think of them, and hopefully other neurodiverse people will share their revision tips! Really hope this helps some people!
So, I'll leave some tips here that have helped me with revision so far (currently in year 13). Note: these work from my personal experience, so some may not suit you.
1) Pace around your room. If sitting at a desk for long periods is something you struggle with, then try to move around if you're going over notes and flashcards. (I found this one a lifesaver when trying to memorise speeches etc. at GCSE)
2) Don't revise in the same place too often. If you can, go to a cafe, a library, your kitchen, outside. Switching up the environment you're working in can keep things more interesting
3) If you have NEAs or coursework with some flexibility on the topic, suit it to your interests. For my geography NEA, I did it on carbon in trees; one of my biggest interests is climate change, so I could easily hyperfocus on the background research and data analysis for this. In fact, I ended up with the highest mark in the class! (Which never happens with normal tests)
4) Have a physical list near where you work with how you can reward yourself in revision breaks. This will stop you just going on your phone and getting stuck watching tiktoks!
5) Retrospective revision. Print out a list of all the topics you need to cover, and stick it on your wall. As you revise a topic, put the date and RAG mark next to it. This way you can visually see where you're at with this topic. I find this so much more helpful than revision timetables, because rather than being constricted to set time blocks, I revise as and when I have the energy to, and can quickly see what I most need to cover.
6) Make revision a game. You're not "revising", you're trying to beat all your friends scores. Make it a competition (this isn't a particularly healthy one if you're overly competitive, but it can get you out of revision slumps)
7) Use the "might as well" rule. You've got a big stack of past papers to get through? Well, you might as well attempt one question or just do 5 minutes. If all you do is that, then it's better than nothing! Or, you may find you want to answer some more questions once you've gotten going, which is even better!
I'll add some more as I think of them, and hopefully other neurodiverse people will share their revision tips! Really hope this helps some people!
is it okay if i can see your NEA coursework?? i need some inspiration.Thank you
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