What do you do to revise for an exam?

[Dr. Frasier Crane 319]

I ask this because my GCSEs are coming up in a few weeks and I'm starting to feel guilty about revision. I've been putting it off a lot. Getting motivation is hard enough, but when I do, I have no idea how to start.

 

I've been told so many times by teachers that just reading the information doesn't work, but I did nothing but that for a biology exam last month and I somehow managed an A*. I really don't know. :/

So I ask you: How would you revise for an exam?

[Scootalove 10,689]

How I would revise for an exam is, to gather my information, make sure that I have what I need, write on my exam paper, and read it over to make sure that everything is correct.

[Adorkable 2,737]

What I usually do is, after long hours of studying, look over my notes (or whatever you're using) directly before the exam, if allowed. This lets all the information flow through my mind at once, so I have a better chance of remembering it.

 

I would also recommend Flash Cards, while I have never used them, they are always an amazing idea. I never really had many study problems in school, so I didn't need Flash Cards. Highly recommended, though!

 

Hope this helps.

[Frith is Magick 1,471]

In theory I go through the textbook to focus on key ideas while also referencing my notes from that section to cover see if there was any information presented in class that wasn't in the book. In practice I browse MLP Forums into the wee hours...

 

As far as learning goes, think of what you know well and how you learned it, and apply those methods to what you are trying to learn.

[An Old Head 4,816]

As per Testing, Testing, 1 2 3, everyone has their own way of revising for an exam, but I can offer you some pointers:

• Don't just re-read material; re-vise the material.
   
• You should also read your material aiming to know the material, rather than simply be able to recall it for your exam paper. If you know your Shakespeare play or your chemistry formulae as well as you know the names of your family members, you're set straight for an A*. It makes the exam paper much more handleable. Don't consider yourself fully prepared until you reckon you're at that level.
   
• For motivation, always remember that getting started is the hardest part. It's surprisingly easy to get sucked into the material once you've found the time and space to actually get round to it. From there, establishing a routine becomes far simpler.
   
• Never study for more than 45 minutes at a time. 45 minutes is the most beneficial amount of time to revise in one go. Psychologically proven to be, according to my counsellor at least. Revise for longer than 45 minutes in a session, you're going to struggle to process information past that point. Breaks are very important.
   
• For me, past exam papers are the best method of revising. Download some from the AQA/OCR/Edexcel websites, complete them in the normal amount of time you'd have for an exam, and then find out which areas you excelled in - you won't need to focus on those - and which areas you struggled with. That way, come the exam, you'll have far more familiarity with what it'll feel like, and that should take some of the stress off, in turn making it easier to study.

Being a guy who had a tough time with his own GCSE's (and got 3 A*'s, 3 A's and 3 B's, which I'm relatively proud of!) I know the tension. Relish them GCSEs while you're still there, because the A-Levels that I'm studying for at the moment are on another level of difficult; good luck!

Edited May 6, 2014 by Flipturn

[Untitled Goose Q 5,137]

I don't.

 

I never have, and since I have left school, never will.

 

Only got Bs and Cs, but I decided to spend time relaxing instead.

[Dr. Frasier Crane 319]

Thank you guys, there's some great advice here. I suppose I'll have to try a few techniques to find the right one for me.

[Lollipop 16]

What I do is I take all of my notes and rewrite them into a notebook; this is helpful for two reasons:

1) It helps you review everything, and if you learn by doing something this is handy

2) All your notes are then in one place

 

Something else I do is break the material into pieces (not literally of course) and spread it out over a week or so. This way I don't feel like I'm over doing it but I get it done.

 

Flashcards (as already mentioned) are very useful for things you need to know but are having a hard time with.