Revision

What to revise

Make a list of all the topics which could come up in each exam. Then make a chart of those you intend to revise. It is unrealistic to cover every topic area for an exam. When doing this consider:

• Are there any core topics on which there are questions every year?
• The amount of choice given on each paper.
• Any pattern of questioning evident in past papers which is likely to continue.
• The emphasis of the course
• Your own interests and competences

Revision plan

• Decide how many days you will need to spend on each subject. Set yourself realistic targets so that when you achieve them you are giving yourself positive reinforcement. Over ambitious targets lead to disillusionment and feelings of failure. Reward yourself each time you achieve your goal.
  
  
• Allocate more time for your weaker subjects. Break them down into smaller components so that they feel more manageable. Avoiding them will only make them feel more daunting.
  
  
• Bear in mind that there are distinct stages to learning: acquiring, understanding and testing knowledge. Allow time for each of these stages.
  
  
• Your revision plan should be flexible - it is unlikely that you will be able to keep to it exactly. Include spare days. These can be used to catch up on topics which have taken you more time than you anticipated. You also need suitable rest and recreation intervals.

How to revise

The more you actively interact with the subject matter, making it you’re own, and linking it to previous knowledge the more meaningful and memorable it becomes. When making notes a useful strategy is the PQRST:

• first skim through the reading material, concentrating on the charts, headings, summaries and conclusion to obtain a preview;
  
  
• Formulate questions or points that highlight what you hope to derive from the text, to guide your reading;
  
  
• Read actively by selecting material and making appropriate notes of key ideas;
  
  
• Summarise the main points using lists, key words patterns and flow diagrams, connecting them with ideas from other sources;
  
  
• Test yourself by reciting and reviewing the summaries immediately after learning the material, then at later intervals.

Making "spider" diagrams can help you process information and interact with it more. Straight down the page notes restrict you to a linear path of thought whereas a spider diagram enables you to connect information in many different ways. Make the learning process as distinctive as possible by using for instance different coloured paper and pens, rhymes, key words, drawings.

Testing yourself

• Use cue cards to summarise key facts and figures. These can easily be carried around for frequent revision. You can also pin them on wall charts around your room.
  
  
• Collect old exam questions and work on them. Choose one and ask yourself "how would I deal with this?" You may feel some initial panic - all the more reason to practise this in the security of your room! Get in touch with what you do know. Briefly list all the points that spring to mind and then put them into some form of plan. They help both in showing you where the gaps in your knowledge are and in helping you learn better by seeking the answer to a question rather than passively trying to imbibe mounds of information.

Try and answer some questions under exam conditions. If possible ask a tutor to set you a question and then mark it. Some students may shy away from testing themselves because they are afraid of finding out what they do not know. Yet clearly this is the time to do exactly that.