Real-life career videos and ideas for your future
Real-life career videos and ideas for your future
Being organised can reduce exam stress and help you make the best use of your time. The first step to effective revision is to make a plan. See How to make a revision plan in five simple steps with our easy guide.
When exams approach, it’s easy to put off studying. Sort out what you need now to avoid being side-tracked later – get all your files and books together, stock up on basic supplies such as pens, paper and stationery, and catch up with any missing notes.
20 minutes, half an hour, two hours… Divide your day into pockets of time that work for you or mix things up to create a sense of pace. If you’re struggling to get going with a particular topic, try time-blocking – set a timer and really focus, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Knowing when you work best can make all the difference to the quality of your revision. Tackle tricky topics at the most effective point of your day and adapt to your slump times – if you’re sluggish after lunch, plan a series of shorter blocks to boost your energy or reset with a quick walk.
Everyone has them – those little temptations that suck you in and take up oodles of time. The secret is to build your routine around your distractions. Set fixed points to check your phone or social media, stay offline when you’re working, and schedule breaks around anything you can’t miss in real-time.
Explore a range of learning styles to boost your memory power. Try making notes using headings and bullet points, drawing diagrams and charts or creating revision cards. Visual cues, such as posters or post-its help some people, while for others reading notes out loud, making and playing back voice notes, or changing song lyrics to help memorise key facts or quotes really works. Share your revision cards with a friend or family member and ask them to test you – or write out some questions and test yourself.
Find somewhere comfortable, light and distraction-free where you can study. Sometimes a change of scene can boost your concentration – try spending the morning in your school or local library, or revising in a different place at home – even just changing where you sit in a room. Alternatively, you may find studying in the same spot is more effective –experiment and see what works for you.
Make your revision count – it can be easy to fool yourself into thinking you’re revising or waste time pretending to study. Better to spend two focused hours working and an hour with a friend, than three hours glued to your desk with very little to show for it. You still need to put the hours in, but spend them wisely!
Pacing yourself is important – you can’t revise effectively 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so breaks and rest periods are vital.
Try setting mini-goals and rewarding yourself when you reach them to maintain a sense of progress – or just ticking off topics as you go. If you feel stuck, check in with a teacher or make use of any revision sessions at school.
Remember to review your progress to make the most of the time you have – if you fall behind, you can’t do four weeks of revision in two weeks so adjust your plan. Prioritise the time you have left to avoid missing anything essential. If you cover topics quicker than planned – move on to your next topic or allocate extra review sessions.
Good luck!
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