How to ace your revision technique

Phoebe is a second-year Economics student who is passionate about making a change in the world, and if she gets to make someone’s day better by one small act then she’ll be satisfied! To start off with, Phoebe has gathered some top tips on revision so that you can learn to work smarter, not harder.

Do you ever feel stressed or down about preparing for exams and assessments?

Do not fear! These tops tips on acing your revision will help you feel better prepared and less worried about your exam.

Tip 1: Space out your study time

You may have already heard of the Pomodoro technique but if you have not, this is a useful tool to help you stay focused and digest your materials in smaller but more efficient chunks.

Take 25 minutes to study (put your phone away! No distractions in this time) and afterwards take a 5-minute break. After you have repeated this cycle four times, take a 30-minute break to ensure your brain gets some rest and has time to process all that information.

This is a good way to ensure that active recall is taking place every day but not so much that it overworks your brain cells.

Tip 2: Ask questions

If you are not sure about anything, ask, ask, ask! Don’t keep anything inside, especially when you are revising for your exams.

Ask that friend that knows the answers to everything, and if you both don’t know the answers, great! Ask your teachers about it; they will be happy to help you revise on that area - unless you decide to ask them an hour before the exam, then they will usually just look at you disappointingly.

Also, please don’t ask them a question that can clearly be answered by looking through your textbook. It just shows that you did not try to revise. So, ask early, and wisely.

Tip 3: Make a cheat sheet (Warning - not for actual cheating!)

Make a summary of all your notes on one sheet of A4 paper. For example, have one or two chapters summarised in just one single sheet so that it is helpful for last-minute studying. Then you can quickly and easily digest it instead of needing to open your textbook again.

I would suggest not to condense everything on it because you need some white space to not feel overwhelmed. Key points and one explanatory sentence is sufficient.

Tip 4: Past papers are your best friend

Practice makes perfect! Seems cliché but it is a real advice.

When you practice often, you will know the layout of the test like the back of your hand and get a rough idea of which topics you should focus on in revision.

However, don’t just complete a past paper and move on - reflect on it and understand how you can do better. If you got a question wrong, find the right answers - don’t just think “I’ll figure it out later”.

Another good piece of advice is to flip over the exam paper or booklet every single time! Don’t lose out on marks because you “did not know there were questions on the last page”.

Tip 5: Take a break!

Last but definitely not least, take good care of yourself both physically and mentally!

Yes, exam periods can be stressful but that is no reason to put yourself under any kind of pain. Please do not jeopardise your mental health for the sake of school because it is not worth it.  If you are not at your best mentally, let's be honest, not much will turn out right.

Also, on a quick side note, please don’t binge-watch your favourite show the night before the exam – let’s save that as a celebration for later ;)

8 hours of sleep + stay hydrated + eat healthy + take breaks - Netflix = good grades!