With exams looming, it can feel like you have a mountain to climb when you start your revision. Take it one step at a time, play your approach and it will all feel a lot easier. Here are some practical tips to get you started on your journey. Good luck in your exams - let us know how you get on!
1. Go shopping
Stock up on pens (in different colours), pencils, highlighters, paper and revision cards. A wall planner and some coloured stickers are also good buys – you can use these to help schedule your revision timetable.
2. Organise your space
Sort out a desk or area where you can study and organise it in the best way for you. Some of us prefer complete silence and need to have everything in order, others prefer some background noise from the TV or radio and don’t mind if things are a bit more casual and cluttered. Either way, it’s best to be somewhere reasonably peaceful and to have the things you need around you.
3. Organise your time
Whether you use a wall planner, a diary, or the calendar on your phone, it’s important to schedule your time well. Make a revision timetable, allocating time to each subject area that you have an exam in. Remember to factor in essential breaks!
4. Organise and/or create your resources
Ensure you have all your class notes (whether on paper or on memory sticks), exercise books, study/revision guides, audiobooks and past papers to hand. Your teacher/tutor will usually provide past papers, but you can also find these online and on YouTube. You can also create your own resources in advance – flash cards, mind-maps, timelines and infographics are all very useful revision tools which you can easily make yourself at home.
5. Organise your thoughts
If you’re having issues getting to grips with a particular topic or question, or don’t feel as though you understand something, now is the time to contact teachers/tutors to ask for help. It’s likely they’ll be holding revision sessions so you can use these to ask about particular problems you are having, but they won’t mind if you email or drop in to speak to them either. It’s also important to keep your thoughts positive. If you’re feeling really anxious or worried, don’t keep it bottled up – confide in your teacher/tutor, or a friend - it will help just to get things off your chest.
6. Be healthy
It may sound clichéd, but in the run up to your exams, it is really helpful to get plenty of fresh air and make time for relaxation and fun. This will help to keep you calm and feel mentally prepared for the exams.
