Find a revision method that works for you

Unsurprisingly, not everyone’s brains are the same, which means not everyone will be able to use the same exam revision methods.

For example, passive revision, like re-reading through notes, is less likely to help important info stick. However, for some people, this might be the perfect solution.

Everything is worth a try. But you may want to give some other revision methods a go – for example:

Flashcards

A classic. Flashcards allow you to break down information into sequenced, bite-sized chunks, which makes facts easier to retain. It stops you from overloading your brain with big passages and stacks of sums. Plus, as you progress through the cards, it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Practice exam questions

Of course, it’d be a miracle if you practised an existing question and it turned up in your exam. But that’s not what this technique is about. Practising with old papers helps you to exercise those exam muscles, and identify what topics you might not be doing so well in. It also helps you to become a little more familiar with exam questions, so you’re not lost for words when the real thing is in front of you.

Study groups

Revision can feel lonely. Just sitting in your room going over the same papers, reading flashcards to yourself. A study group can make exam revision feel a little less dreaded, and more sociable. It also helps you to understand what techniques other people are using, so you could find new ways of working.

Mind Maps

Mind maps can help you visualise facts and relate them to certain cues and images. Like flashcards, they can help to sequence things and break information down into smaller chunks. They also allow you to organise topics and passages into a connected structure, almost like you’re creating a pattern of information. Plus, a mind map gives you the opportunity to use coloured pens.

Sticky notes

Sticky notes can be stuck in places you regularly look at, so you can absorb facts and info away from your desk. They help you to break up your revision time, so you’re not focussing on retaining things in one big chunk. Brushing your teeth? Well, did you know that, according to the bathroom mirror, the Declaration of Independence was signed on 2nd August 1776?

Rhymes, stories and mnemonics

Rhymes and stories are both mnemonics – techniques used to improve your memory. Rhyming, especially, creates a regular, memorable pattern. The sing-song cadence of having each line end similarly can help you remember the next part of the sequence. Stories, also, are just a more prolonged way of sequencing information. Though perhaps less embarrassing to say to yourself in a public space.

University Exam Revision Tips and Tricks

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