Teachers/students please share good revision techniques

[silver73]

I don't think DS is studying that effectively but am at a loss as to what to suggest. I know there are different learning styles etc. He is bright and making use of marking schemes and past papers so it is more of how do people get information into their heads and keep it there?

Would be fab if anyone has any inforation about long term/short term memory too...

He has 11 days before the first exam....

Revising a specific topic - ie reading through notes.

BUT as he's going through:

• writing key words onto study cards (then afterwards try and write definitions of the words or diagrams to go with them from memory)
• writing notes
• drawing a mindmap (use lots of colour and pictures rather than words)
• creating mnemonics to remember key facts

Another good tip for good revision is to keep repeating. So revise a topic thoroughly, then look at it again (briefly) 1 hr later, then 3 hrs later, then 1 day later, 3 days later, a week later, etc.

Past papers are good - more for some subjects than others. But you have to USE them. Many students just flick through and look at the questions. This doesn't actually help them with the technique of HOW to answer the questions.

Main tip is to CHUNK up your time. Don't just say you're going to do physics for 3 hours, but split your subjects up into blocks/sections/topics and work on a specific area for 20-30 mins.

Brilliant advice from Roisin. Mnemonics are particularly good..you can learn a sentence that will kickstart the brain to give out lots of information. Short bursts - breaks and plenty of water. Also - although it sounds the most obvious - relax. Take a walk or swim.

I like post its around the house - key word or study on the front - definition/details on the back. That way you are constantly recalling the information and it definitely helps it to stick.

When I was last studying I also had a set of post its for each topic, with all the studies I needed to know, and would order them in order to structure the answers to different questions - again, always recalling information before turning the post it over and checking it.

I love this method so much that now I am teaching again all my students make post-it sets for each topic to take home

Also really crucial if he is doing anything with extended answers is practising timed answers. He needs to know what he can realisitically write int eh time available, as I find that my students, particularly in year 12, pack their essays with lots of uncreditworthy detail, at the expense of the credit worthy. If he is good at using the mark schemes, get him to do timed answers, and then ruthlessly mark, highlighting what he shouldn't have put in as well as crediting what he should have!

If it's an essay based subject, I would suggest writing out notes, and then condensing them further over a series of sessions. So start with all notes on one subject (from lessons, reading, internet sources) then write them all out again, in full, but in a logical order (eg key themes around topics from past papers).

Then reduce these down to a series of paragraphs on 4 sides of paper, then 2, then one with snappy one-word headings for each paragraph. Then a note card with single words and two or three explanatory points.

It really helps both memory, analysis and prioritising information.

Thanks so much for the fab advice and helpful tips

Agree with WilfShelf, especially helpful for learning language oral pieces.

Getting someone else to listen to explanations and ask questions, as you then actually have to put it into words.

Reading through and highlighting (generally) does nothing. Rewriting the information in different words means you have to actually think about, and understand, what you are reading, not just pick out key words (which could well be meaningless).

Any more tips for those taking sciences - Physics/Chemistry /Biology ?
Desperate .

I did Phys & Chem A levels (a long time ago) and did well. My revision technique was to go through my notes & break them down into numbered lists of the essential facts. I'd do this for a whole topic, then write out the numbered lists again from memory, compare them with the originals & keep doing it till I got them all correct. Then have a bit of a break & do another topic. I'd repeat that for a topic a day later, then 3-4 days later, then a week later. Since your DS just has a week to go, I'd maybe concentrate on a smaller selection of important topics and repeat them each day.

In the exams, I'd find that the numbered lists came easily to memory and made it easy to answer questions. Sounds a bit tedious, I know, but worked for me.

However, my brother, who did arts subjects, used to revise mainly by lying on his bed with his textbook dangling limply from his hand. He got all 'A's and a first at university...

For Chemistry DD2 has made a set of summary notes from the revision guide/school notes/textbook so that she has everything she needs in one place (these appear to use every colour of pen available in the house). I think she's planning on looking through them several times before the actual exam.

Thanks guys .
Heart sinks ,DS's techique seems to be gazing at lap top ,ocassional past papers AND NOT LISTENING TO A WORD I SAY.
sob

Past papers are a great way of revising sciences.

For Biology, I would condense everything into bullet points, write out bullet points from memory, expand bullet points into 'proper' answers, again from memory. Condense processes into flowcharts and do the same.

Practise writing sentences with connectives - xylem vessels have lignified walls because..., or so that...

Some great tips already - all I can add is that he needs to revise in different ways for different types of questions i.e. for Chemistry A level he'll need to memorise definitions, colours and some reactions - I get my students to do flashcards for these.

He also needs to be able to carry out calculations which require practise so he should use past papers or questions from textbook or his notes that he already has answers for.

Our board also has a fair number of 3 mark questions and he should approach those by first learning the information and then answering past paper questions. When marking them he should pay close attention to the keywords used in the markscheme as they are very specific. There are usually a number of frequently arising questions that he should aim to have clear and succinct answers off pat for.