Advice Centre Blog – 15/05/24

Revision, not the most exciting part of the academic year, but we know how crucial this may be for your success in exams. Revision is an integral part of the learning process and effective revision techniques can make all the difference when you are sat in the exam hall. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the top revision techniques that we have used in our experience that can hopefully help you retain information, improve comprehension, and ace your exams!

Nicola, “I was never an exam ‘person’, I did much better in assignments, however the main way that I retained information was through post-it notes and associating them with different parts of the room and house. For example, I placed a post-it note next to the kettle with something I needed to remember, so every time I made a cup of tea I would recite and remember that piece of information. So, when I came to sit the exam I associated making a cup of tea with that piece of information!”

Michelle, “I revised primarily by working through past papers. I found it a highly effective technique for exam preparation. I made sure I allocated a specific amount of time to complete each paper, adhering to the allotted time limit. I also analysed the marking schemes to understand how marks are allocated and where I lost points. Using past papers helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses which helped me gain confidence going towards the exams.”

Adam, “I did most of my revision by creating mind-maps as I found them to be visually stimulating that enhanced my retention of complex information. I used keywords, phrases, and images to represent each idea, keeping the mind-map concise and visually appealing. I then put these up around my house so similar to Nicola in that I could picture each room differently with different mind-map topics.”

Sam, “my revision consisted of re-writing notes which reinforced my learning and improved my knowledge retention. I started by reviewing my existing notes, and as I read through each section, I summarised the key points in my own words and then organised it in a way that enhanced my understanding. The act of physically writing out the information helped reinforce my memory, making it easier to recall in the exam hall.”

Sarah, “I revised best by working with my friends and quizzing one another. We mixed it up by testing one another through chatting, discussions, written questions and using flashcards. We would then encourage each other to explain concepts in depth and provide reasoning behind answers. Not only did this process reinforce my own understanding of the material, but it also allowed my friends to benefit different insights and perspectives.”

Ash, “I used to create my own PowerPoints from my revision notes, lectures and further reading. I then presented the PowerPoint to my friends and family members when I was back home. This way, I would read the content (1), put the selected information onto the PowerPoint (2), practise the presentation (3) and then recall and present the slides to my viewers (4) which consolidated my understanding of the topics. I found this to be highly effective and very engaging, as I struggled with re-writing notes.”

We hope you have picked up some useful tricks for your revision. Remember to take regular breaks, ensure you’re getting enough sleep, eating healthily, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly. If you need further support please do not hesitate to reach out to us, the Student Hub and your course tutors. Thank you for reading our blog this week and we wish you the very best of luck in your exams this year!