CCB Library's Guide to Revision

CCB Library’s Guide to…

Revision CS 2014

Organise your space Separate your working area from your relaxing space – get used to working at this space, and ‘switching off’ when you leave it Keep your desk clear and clutter free Limit distractions Make sure you have everything you need to hand

Organise your notes Sort out your notes. Have a separate folder or notebook for each subject. Keep one folder as a ‘current folder’ to manage notes in progress – transfer your notes into each subject folder once a week Subdividing your files into topics or subjects means you can find information quickly when you come to revise Summarise your notes rather than copying what’s already in front of you If you find it helpful, use visual elements in your notes, e.g, diagrams, colours, flow charts, mind maps

Organise your time Establishing a work routine will help you maintain your motivation and focus Create a revision plan – remember to plan in some breaks Be realistic about the amount of time you have to revise – work backwards from your first exam Plan your revision periods and set goals Make a revision checklist of all the topics you need to cover. Tick topics off as you’ve learnt them Identify your current strengths and weaknesses, and revise accordingly Use rewards in conjunction with your goal setting to help motivate yourself – but be disciplined!

Vary your revision. Don’t spend an entire day revising one subject – you will become bored and demotivated, and you will end up not taking everything in. It can sometimes help to start or end your revision sessions with your favourite/’easiest’/most interesting subjects Use breaks effectively, particularly after completing a task. It will help your concentration and make learning and memorisation more effective.

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Keep healthy It’s really important to look after yourself when you’re revising and taking exams Don't work in or on your bed - keep bed for sleep 'Switch off' before going to bed: stop working at least an hour before you intend to sleep and spend time doing something more relaxing Stick to regular bed and getting up times - this will help maintain good sleeping patterns Eat a balanced, varied and healthy diet Eat regularly and sensibly, don’t skip meals (especially breakfast!), and snack on fruit rather than cakes and crisps. Remember to keep hydrated.

Get some exercise – a walk, swim or game of football will blow the cobwebs away. If you can’t get out, at least stretch out and walk round your room a few times.

There are all kinds of revision techniques – here are a few:  Reading. Read then make notes on what you have read, trying not to copy exactly what’s on the page.  Cards. Make question and answer cards, and then get someone to test you. Or, make cue cards, with key words, phrases, concepts, etc. as memory triggers.  Highlighting. Use highlighters (or underlining) to help identify key information, concepts or themes. Remember not to highlight the entire page!  Mind Maps/Flow charts. These can be useful to help generate ideas, make associations and help you visualise information.  Record. You might like to speak your revision into a tape recorder and play it back.  Condensing. Editing your notes down to bite sized chunks helps you focus on the information that’s important.  Test. Test yourself on what you know, or get a friend or family member to test you.  Physical triggers. Try sticking notes on mirrors and doors  Group discussions. Remember to revise, not gossip! Teaching someone else can help to fix topics in your mind.  Past Papers. These are a really useful way of familiarising yourself with questions and terminology that might come up. You could practice your answers by timing yourself doing a paper, or making bullet points or mind maps for questions.

It can be more effective to use a blend of techniques, but the most important thing to remember is to do what works for you.

As you end a revision session, review key points, and keep doing this regularly – this will help reinforce your memory and fix the information in your mind.

Remember that revision is an on-going process!

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Exam Tips 1. Make sure you have everything you need with you (pens, pencils, calculator, etc) 2. Read the paper carefully and follow all the instructions 3. Plan your time:  Map out how much time you have for each question  Use all the time available 4. Read each question two or three times:  Spend time identifying what the questions is asking you to do 5. Plan your answer:  Don't start writing straight away  Make a brief outline plan identifying the key points you will cover in your answer 6. Use the outline plan to help you keep focused on your answer:  Avoid simply listing a lot of information  Use your plan to develop a line of reasoning  Do include an introduction and conclusion for essay type questions  Use examples to support your argument  Keep your writing clear and to the point 7. Allow time to check your answers for mistakes and to make sure it makes sense 8. Keep calm. If you feel yourself start to panic, take a minute to breathe, calm down and refocus your mind.

9. Once you’ve finished an exam, move on. Don’t dwell on your answers or compare your answers with those of your friends. Have a bit of a rest, then start preparing for the next exam instead.

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Revision Planners - Examples You can pick up a blank A3 size planner from the library Day

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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22.00

21.00

20.00

19.00

18.00

17.00

16.00

15.00

14.00

13.00

12.00

11.00

10.00

09.00

08.00

07.00

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Below is an example of a section of a weekly revision planner, based on an example from Aston University (first link below) where clear and manageable targets have been set.

As mentioned above, setting a target helps you focus and be active in your revision. The achieved column helps you monitor your progress, while the reflection column helps you think about your learning and identify any areas that need extra focus.

Day/time Monday 10.00-11.00

Subject Biology

Topic Health and Diseases

Target Achieved Reflection Yes Need to learn  Learn the spelling of definition of technical terms disease. better.  Learn disease case studies.

You could break down each revision slot like the example below: Time 20 mins 10 mins 15 mins 10 mins 5 mins

Activity Read through notes on (SUBJECT) Break Write notes on key points/words Check notes with original notes Reflect on the revision slot

Useful links     

http://www1.aston.ac.uk/current-students/academic-support/ldc/getahead/study-skills/revision-strategies/ www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/brainsmart/memory/how_to_learn.shtml http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/exam_stress http://www.ucl.ac.uk/personal-development-workshops/Self_Help/stress http://lss.athabascau.ca/counselling/exam_anxiety.php#test_taking

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