HOW TO REVISE?

I haven't done a thoughts/help/talk blog post in a while so I thought this post would be relevant as me and hundreds of other year 11 students will be currently revising for up and coming exams in the summer.

As almost every teacher says, "Revision is the key to good grades" well okay it is, but how do you revise exactly? They tell you not to just "read" what you've done because it doesn't sink into your brain, so how does it? I'm going to try and give you some helpful tips to make all the revision goodness stay in your brain for exams!!

1) REVISE EARLY- Don't start revising a few weeks before your exams, revise months before!! Revising months before helps it stick in your brain, gives you time to go over everything several times and you can see what you don't know and then learn it!

2) TRY PAST QUESTIONS- You can find on the internet or ask your teachers for questions on a certain topic, or you can get hold of an exam paper from a few years before. You can have a try as if it was your real exam, and it gives you a good idea of what may crop up on an exam.

3) ATTEND REVISION - I'm not sure if all schools do this but I know mine does, we have revision sessions which teachers run at break and after school. I know it sucks and you get to miss your favorite TV shows, but hey at least you'll know something for your exam you didn't previously. Sometimes smaller revision classes help get more revision done!

4) TEST YOURSELF- Make mind maps, sticky notes, or lists of everything you need to know for the exam and tick it off if you know it, once you tick something off try a test question (you can find them online or ask a teacher) this way you can see if you really do know it or if you need to spend more time on it.

5) REVISE CREATIVELY- Create ways of revising which help your brain to remember the information. A mind map, a color coded poster. Post it notes all around your house (a different room for a different topic helps!) Maybe do all revision for one topic one color, and another topic another color.

Perhaps you remember things by listening to them, record yourself saying the important bits and listen to it!

You like reading? Create yourself a poem or a story containing all the important bits and read it, memorize it or even give it to a friend to help them!

However you remember things make a creative fun way to revise your stuff using that system.

6) REVISE OFTEN - You can't just revise once maybe twice a week, yeah it sucks I know. But once you're leaving school or where ever with good grades that you're happy with you will thank yourself. You're not wasting your life while revising because if you have good grades, you can get the job you want, therefore you'll be enjoying yourself!!

I hope these tips help you to revise. If you have any tips you use to revise let me know, we can share them together and help each other!!

Good luck in all of your exams and remember, believe and you can do. You'll do great!!

- xo Gee