Exam season is well in session, and it is important that you do the best that you can. We have devised a list of the top tried and tested Do’s and Don’t’s of exam revision, to ensure that you achieve success this exam season!
Make a Revision Time Table
Make a timetable and ensure that you do it way ahead of time. Give yourself small achievable goals to work towards. Do little bits of revision every day, and then slowly build it up before your exam. This way you can make sure that you have revised all of the content of your modules, and there are no gaps in your knowledge!
Create a good working environment
Tidy your room, organise your workspace. Open your window and get a comfy cushion for your chair. Let your family/housemates know that you will be revising and need silence. If your room or study aren’t suitable workplaces for whatever reason, try a coffee shop or library. It is important to be in a space where you can maximise revision time.
Put your phone away
Speaking of maximising revision time, it might be worth putting your phone away. I know I know, that is a hard thing for any millennial or Gen Z person to do, but it will really help you to stop being distracted. And on your laptop/desktop ensure that you close those Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter tabs (I see you trying to be sneaky).
Write write write
Not only will this train your hand up for hours of intense writing during the exam, but the act of writing information down (repeatedly) massively increases the chance that you will remember it. Try writing in different colours, and styles! Highlight keywords, draw diagrams, do bullet points and create flashcards.
Give yourself little breaks and rewards!
Whether you are someone who needs a 5-10 min break every half an hour, or a 20 min break every hour, humans need breaks. Our brains can easily get tired when revising and become less efficient and able to learn. We need to give our brain little breaks to help revise in the long run! I tend to reward myself after an hour of revision with a short TV show like ‘Friends’ or ‘The IT Crowd’. It keeps you going and gives you something to aim for!
Get some help!
Don’t be afraid to contact your tutors, or even ask a friend for help. Teachers want you to do well and succeed, and they will want to help you. There is no such thing as a stupid question. It might just be a small thing you are misunderstanding that your teacher will happily reexplain in a different way. I tend to buy my teacher a coffee and bring it with me to thank them for their time!
Use past papers!
This seems really obvious but you’d be surprised at how barely anyone uses them! Past papers can give you a really great understanding on what the exam will be like, what they will ask of you, and you can learn whether you write too slow/too fast. Sometimes you can even find the answers for past exam papers and see what sort of thing the examiner is looking for!
Make revising entertaining!
It doesn’t have to be a massive chore. Find entertaining Youtube videos online that explain your subject! Plus, some people just learn better from watching videos than reading their notes. This is my personal favourite channel for all you English Literature nerds out there:
There’s also a Youtube channel called CrashCourse which covers all kinds of subjects such as Psychology, English, History, Business, Maths, etc. so I recommend that too!
Don’t procrastinate
“Oh I can’t start revising until all my books are in alphabetical order” or “I simply cannot work while my hair is brown, I must dye it at once!” are examples of procrastination. We are all guilty of it, but we have to acknowledge when we are off task and buckle down.
And Finally… Stay Calm
Stress levels can drastically rise during exam season, and it is because students are putting way too much pressure on themselves. Take a deep breath, and know that whatever happens, you’ll probably be fine. You can always retake, there are other routes. As long as you follow all of our tips, you are bound to come out on top!
