Exam season is just around the corner (eeek!) Never fear, we’re here to share our best tips to get the most out of study leave without getting stressed out!
- Getting a good sleep the night before is crucial – don’t believe anyone who tells you cramming is the way forward.
- Post it notes are your best friend. Stick revision notes around the house: on the bathroom mirror, above the toaster, next to your bed. That way you’re always learning, and the best part is you won’t even realise you’re doing it.
- We hate to sound like teachers, but past papers do help. Learn from students of times gone by and experience the exams they sat. Psst: there’s a high chance some questions might be reused, so best get practicing.
- Start revising well in advance. It sounds obvious, but don’t leave it to the last minute: give yourself the best chance of succeeding.
- Teach anyone who will listen: your mum, your brother, your dog. Explaining it to others will help you understand your notes better.
- Learn your study style. Your mates may learn from taking pages of notes and reading over them, but that doesn’t mean that’s best for you. Take the quiz at vark-learn.com to find out if you’re a visual, aural, reading/ writing or kinesthetic learner, to understand the best ways for you to revise.
- Use your phone to your advantage. The app store has hundreds of study apps, including Todait, Tinycards, Quizlet and iMindMap.
- Find a study place, no matter if it’s the desk in your bedroom, the kitchen table, or at school or a library, have an area that is dedicated to your revision.
- Make a timetable, and stick to it. Write up a study plan, including which subjects you’re going to study when, so you don’t have any excuse to procrastinate. A perfect excuse to colour code!
- Try to study every day in the run up to exams: little and often could be the way forward.
- Find out what you don’t know, and revise it. It’s easy to get caught up feeling good about what you do know, but make sure you revise the stuff you don’t quite get, too.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Your teachers are there to help and with half of the school away on study leave, they have free periods to help you out. Make sure to attend any revision classes, so you can ask questions, too.
- Remember to take breaks. Your brain can only concentrate for around 45 minutes at a time so make sure you go for regular walks, watch a 20-minute episode of something or have a snack while you reboot.
Learning your revision style is key! You might not be revising in a way that’s right for you…
