Revision: the basics
Thursday 1 January 2004
No matter what you're studying - GCSEs, A-levels or even Key Stage 3 National Tests - the web can help you out with your revision.
Revising
Some basic revision tips include:
- Start your revision in good time and plan a revision timetable.
- In the evening after school, plan one or two subjects only. Leave time for relaxation.
- Make sure you're comfortable. Music in the background sometimes helps, but don?t try to revise when the TV or radio is on.
- Allow yourself some days off but not in the few weeks just before the exams.
- Plan to revise specific topics or aspects of a subject - for example, not just science but human systems or waves or chemical reactions or electricity.
- Summarise all the information on paper or record cards- some people find writing things out helps them remember information.
- When revising at home, try to find out what works best for you. People sometimes remember things better if they write them down in a list or in a spider diagram. You could even record some notes on a cassette tape.
Coping with exams
For many people, exams can be quite stressful. Students can often place enormous pressure on themselves when studying and experience anxiety and tension.
As well as worrying about whether they can cram years of education into a couple of hours, students can also feel pressure to do well from family and even from competitive friends.
If you're a student experiencing feelings of stress or anxiety during exam time, here are some tips on how to cope:
- Try taking breaks every 45 minutes while studying. Information you absorb might become confusing if you try to study for too long.
- Although junk food is convenient when you're busy, try to maintain a balanced diet and avoid caffeine to keep up your energy levels.
- Try to get plenty of sleep to give your mind a rest.
- Keeping active when you're not studying can keep your mind off things and help you think positively.
Remember, it's not the end of the world if you don't do as well in your exams as you expected. Teachers and lecturers will talk you through your options, such as re-sitting exams.
Tackling the exam
Everyone's exams are different, but there are some general guidelines you can follow to make exams that little bit more manageable:
- On the day of the exam, make sure you have pens, pencils, a rubber, a ruler and a watch. Also check if you need a calculator or a protractor.
- Read each exam question carefully twice is better than once. Check how many marks are available for answers.
- Write your answer if you feel confident. If not, go on to the next question. Don't spend time on questions you are unsure of until you have been through the whole paper.
- Read graphs, tables and pictures carefully.
- Check your spellings of specific words, but if you are not sure, write your answer anyway. You may get the mark.
- Once you've answered all the more straightforward questions, go through the paper again and tackle the more difficult questions. If it still seems difficult, move on.
If you need help with your revision, take a look at our list of recommended web sites.
