How+to+Revise

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** How to Revise... ** Check out this powerpoint from Mr Mao... and watch the Inbetweeners episode to help remind you how NOT to do it...

Effective revision
To be effective, revision must be:
 * ** Active ** - always work with a pen and paper, look for key points, test yourself. Never just sit down and read for a set period. Focus on tasks, not time. If you just read notes you’ll only retain about 10% of the information.


 * ** Organised ** - always ask yourself at the start of a study session "what do I want to have completed in this session?" Have a plan for what you want to cover this week and this month. Have an overview of the priority areas in each subject.

Getting started on revision
Find a fixed place to study (a particular desk/room at home, a spot in the library, etc.) that becomes firmly associated in your mind with productive work. All the equipment and materials you need should be within reach, and the room should be well lit and ventilated, but not too comfortable! Turn your room into a positive learning environment. Keep books and notes on the desk to a mini­mum and decorate your walls with colourful notes and key facts. Music is fine as long as it helps you to study and blocks out distracting noises. The very best sound to study to is thought to be that of Baroque composers or Mozart. Experiments show that brains are positively stimulated and IQs boosted by such music.
 * Where? **

Remember that it's all about being active and //focused on tasks, not time!// Know at the start of a session what you want to have completed by the end of the period. Make the tasks specific and realistic, not vague and large.
 * What? **

Always work with a pen and paper at the ready. Getting started is often the most difficult bit, so start by 'doing'. It usually helps to begin with a subject you like, move on to other less favoured areas, and then finish up with a favoured topic to maintain the interest.
 * How? **

Try to schedule your study for times when you are more mentally alert. Most people find their ability to focus deteriorates towards the end of the day. Getting revision done earlier in the day aids efficiency and also offers the reward of having time to relax after the work is done.
 * When? **

Test your progress at the end of a study session. Ask yourself "what have I just learned?" Review the material covered in your revision session. Merely recognising material isn't enough - you must be able to reproduce it without the aid of the book or notes.
 * Why? **

** REVISION - Do’s and don’ts **
__ ** DO ** __ ** 1. ** **Make a list of all the topics you need to revise:** Each subject that you are studying can be broken down into its constituent parts, with main sections, sub-topics and supporting details. A very useful start is to list out all the topics on the course according to this hierarchy and use this as a 'revision checklist' for the subject. Tick topics off as you’ve learnt them.

**2. Create a realistic schedule.** Block the waking part of each day into three portions. Allow yourself one portion a day off and allocate subjects and topics to the remaining two. Put the schedule on display so that your family can see when you are available. It will also reassure your parents that you are in control.

By using revision checklists in your various subjects, you should know what quantity of material has to be covered over the coming months. Start from the final date (end of May) and divide your revision up week by week, allowing some flexibility for unforeseen delays. Surprise yourself by being ready in time! Use the timetables and other sheets you have been given.
 * 3 ** . **Plan ahead by working backwards**

Have you tried….. mindmaps, diagrams, colour, mnemonics, recording yourself and listening back to it, rewriting your favourite song using your revision notes for a topic as the words, walking round (Great for kinaesthetic learners – try read out the positive effects of X standing on the left hand side of the room and negative effects on the right hand side).
 * 4. Revise using your preferred learning style. **

**__ DON’T __**
The body and the mind need regular 'time-outs'. When you're tired, concentration is more difficult, you get distracted much easier and learning and memorisation is less effective. There comes a point in an evening study session when it is counter-productive to stay at the desk - nothing is going in and you are only tiring yourself further. Use breaks effectively, particularly after completing a task.
 * Just keep going! **


 * How should I revise? **

Make mind‑maps or association maps rather than tak­ing linear notes. Mapping your notes by radiating key words out in a patte rn of links from a central point will make best use of your memory. If you use colour and images on the maps, you'll be harnessing the power of both sides of your brain ‑ creative and logical.
 * A: ** **MIND MAPS:**

__ How to mind map: __ 1. Start with the theme in the middle of the page. 2. Then develop your main idea. 3. Each branch must relate to the branch before it. 4. Use only key words and images. 5. Key words must be written along the branches. 6. Printing your key words makes them more memorable. 7. Use highlighters and coloured markers to colour code branches. 8. Make things stand out on the page so they stand out in your mind. (This doesn’t show up well on a black and whole photocopied booklet! You should use a different colour for each main branch and all its sub-branches. 9. Brainstorm ideas. Be creative.  10. Design images you can relate to which will help you remember key information.     ** B: Read intelligently. **  Spend five minutes flipping through a book or your notes looking at headings and summaries. Then attempt to mind map what you have spotted and what you can remember.

** C: Use cards. ** Write questions on one side and answers on the other. Then get your family to test you. Merely creating the cards will help your recall. You can also use them to test yourself when faced with 'dead' time at bus stops or waiting for someone.

** D: ** **Physical learning:** ** Use the environment ** Use a different room for each subject.
 * Notice aspects of the environment such as the light or feel of the room - how do you feel in that place?
 * Attach your notes to the furniture. Notice their location.
 * Associate a different location with each subject. Associate fu rniture, windows, plants and ornaments with particular topics.


 * Using your clothes **
 * Associate items of clothing with topics in your learning - a shoe could represent one aspect of foreign policy; each button on a shirt could represent a quotation. Clothes with patterns, pockets and buttons are especially useful.


 * Using the parts of your body **
 * Parts of your body are especially helpful as triggers to memory, as your body will be there in the exam room! For example, each hand could represent an essay plan – each finger one major topic; each segment of each finger a principal reference you would use. The fingernails could represent counterarguments; the knuckles could be associated with relevant quotations.


 * Use motor memory **
 * Study on the move. If you exercise, associate each movement with something you wish to remember. To refresh the memory, go through the exercise in your mind.
 * Writing, drawing and speaking also use motor memory: the fine-muscle sequence is recorded by the brain.

Fitting notes onto one side of paper makes them easier to stomach, so rewrite and cut down as you go.
 * E: Condense. **

Target key areas using colours and symbols. Visuals help you remember the facts.
 * F: Highlight. **

Try putting important points, quotes and formulae on tape. If you hear them and read them, they're more likely to sink in.
 * G: Record. **

Read your notes out loud, it's one way of getting them to register.
 * H: Talk. **

See what you can remember without notes, but avoid testing yourself on subjects you know already. Why not ask someone else to test you?
 * I: Test. **

Do past exam papers against the clock, it's an excellent way of getting up to speed and of checking where there are gaps in your knowledge.   Reading Better and Faster Most students, when faced with a textbook or chapter to study, will 'start at the beginning, read through at the same pace until the end, then stop and put the book away'. This passive approach is a most inefficient way to learn, as it can take longer and leave you bogged down in detail, with no overall grasp of the subject matter. By adopting a more //active// approach to reading, you can begin to read better and faster within a very short space of time. The **PQ2R** method has proved to be most successful in this regard. Try it for the remaining weeks of term and see the benefits.
 * J: Time. **

Begin your reading task with a quick skim (2-3 minutes) of the text, trying to get an overview of the chapter or text. Look for section headings, illustrative charts and diagrams, signposts or key words. Don't start highlighting text at this point.
 * P = Preview **

This is the key to active learning. Look for answers to the basic questions of "Who?", "What?", "Where?", "Why?" and "When?" Identify the main theme or learning point of the particular text.
 * Q = Question **

Now read the chapter carefully, with these questions in mind. Your mind will be actively looking for answers as you read. Work with a pen and paper, make brief summary notes, look for 'topic sentences' that summarise the most important point in a paragraph or section and highlight them, if necessary. Vary your reading speed - move quickly over lighter, less important material and slow down when you come to a difficult section.
 * R = Read **

Always check your understanding of the material by reviewing and testing your recall before putting the text away. Look at the notes you have taken and check that they answer your initial questions. Summarise your findings from this study session.   The purpose of making summary notes on a topic or section is to aid your overall understanding of material, to help you distinguish between what is really important information //(depth)// and what is merely supporting //detail//. Reference to the main syllabus topics will help the process of discernment within each subject. In addition, good summary notes make retrieval of information quicker and easier.
 * R = Review **
 * Making Your Notes Useful **
 * Sort out your filing system **

If you haven't already done so, get your subject folders and notes organised immediately. Invest in some ring binders, dividers, plastic pockets, etc. Have a separate folder for each subject (a permanent reference point) and then keep a 'current folder' for managing notes in progress.

> When writing notes, remember they should contain a summary, not an extensive repetition of what is in the textbook. Don't crowd the page. Stick to main headings and sub-headings. Use abbreviations where appropriate. Try to reduce what you need to know on the topic down to one A4 sheet. Once you have an overview, it is easier to fill out the detail.
 * ** Less is always more **

> Ensure your notes have a memorable appearance so that you can recall them easily. Use illustrations, diagrams, graphs, colours, and boxes ('a picture is worth a thousand words'). Arrange the material in a logical hierarchy (title, sub-point, explanation, example). Ideally, you should be able to close your eyes in an exam and visualise a particular page of notes.
 * ** Make your notes visual **

> Merely re-writing the text from the book into your notes does not ensure retention. Try to put things in your own words and devise your own examples - this will make the material more meaningful. Only use the highlighter pen AFTER you have previewed and questioned a text, thus ensuring you identify the most important material and you avoid the creation of a fluorescent textbook!
 * ** Beware of transcribing and highlighting! **

> Practice following the logic of your computer files, when storing information. Think - "Where does this material best fit (subject, section, topic, sub-topic, etc.)?" In this way, you will ensure that it is efficiently processed and easily retrieved both physically (during revision) and mentally (when you need it in an exam). 
 * ** 'Save' your notes carefully **