Five Tips to Help You Revise

Revision isn't something that should be restricted to the exam period. By getting into good revision habits now, you can save yourself a great deal of stress in the future. Here are 5 simple tips that can help you to keep your head above water when it comes to revising for your exams.

Planning/Scheduling

Planning your weeks/months is one of the best ways to ease your brain from stress and anxiety. Having to hold all the info of your exams, projects, lectures, along with all your other interests in your brains can be extremely overwhelming. By planning and writing down important dates, study material, and anything else regarding your studies, it can help you free up some headspace.

Though university is extremely important, it’s also just as important to have a life that you are excited about living outside of your studies. Try making weekly and monthly schedules where you write down all your lectures, meetings, revising times and even hobbies/other activities to stay organised and keep your brain feeling refreshed. This is the best way to ensure you are staying sane and not forgetting important information regarding your course but also your everyday life.

It is also crucial to include some much-needed relaxation time in the planning to ensure you stay as stress-free and relaxed as possible. Being tired, stressed and overworked will only have a negative effect on your results and your mental health.

Know Your Learning Style

Everyone revises and learns differently and it’s important to find out what works best for you. There are many learning style tests on the internet aimed at helping you discover which learning style best suits you and how your brain retains information. Working out your unique style can help you to feel confident in what you are learning and can give you the best possible chance to succeed. Whether you write countless pages of notes or make bright and colourful diagrams, make sure the information is sticking in your brain. Here are four different learning styles that are quite common:

·         Visual: people who prefer to learn by looking at pictures, images and watching videos.

·         Verbal: somebody that learns best using speech and writing.

·         Aural: these people learn best using sounds and music.

·         Physical: people who learn by actively doing something.

By finding out which style works best for you, you can maximise your performance and be confident in your own work. You could even be a mixture of two or more learning styles, so try experimenting and see what works best for you. There are many varied types of resources online that you can find for free or for a small amount of money which can help you revise and can make learning more interesting for yourself. The goal is for you to do the best you can, so make sure you give yourself the time and space to figure your style out, in order to maximise your performance and come out with the best results you possibly can.

Prioritise Each Subject

Any subject that you find particularly difficult should be at the top of your list. Subjects that you feel less confident in should get the most revision time. Your time is precious and needs to be used well, so there’s no point dedicating time to subjects that you already know well. Instead, try to find new and exciting learning material that will make the difficult subjects more interesting to revise and allocate more time to the ones that need it. Try focusing on the tough subjects first, that means you can look forward to your more favourable subjects down the line.

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

It’s easy to forget, but our brains function the best when we are drinking, eating and sleeping well. Drinking energy drinks or coffee all day to keep yourself going is not a good idea and can set you back in the long run.

Additionally, try to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Although it may be much easier to grab quick takeaways, they can leave you feeling sluggish, making it harder for your brain to concentrate and retain information. Our diet is directly linked to the well-being of our body and brain, so try to give yourself fresh, nutritious food. Great brain foods include nuts, blueberries, eggs and broccoli.

You can also try doing some regular exercise to keep your brain active and alert, and don’t forget to take time to relax and unwind. It is just as important to rest your brain as it is to revise and keep your brain active. Minimising your screen usage or simply taking short breaks from all screens will also help your brain truly relax and get some rest. Our day-to-day lives are constantly taken over by our phones, computers and TV, but by giving ourselves a little rest from screens we are more likely to feel rested and able to concentrate better.

Avoid Distractions

Distractions are everywhere and can be super difficult to escape. Try tuning yourself out of your digital life by silencing your phone and moving yourself to an area with no TV or anything that may cause distraction. Find a quiet area in which you are able to focus. If you struggle to do this at home, try heading to your local library or park where you will be unable to distract yourself.

Additionally, try to figure out what things help you concentrate. For some, that may be listening to music in the background; and for others, it could be needing complete silence. Do you study better alone or with people, meaning you can keep each other accountable? And don’t forget that many devices offer applications that will block your ability to use social media, video sites or gaming, this can be one of the best ways to reduce distraction.

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