Coming back as promised! DS did an online workshop with a child psychologist who is really excellent and is all about tying in behaviours and strategies with how the brain works. DS has ADHD and really appreciated the structure and how this seemed to gel with how his brain works.
1. She said to keep reminding yourself that the best and easiest way to learn anything is when you're in school, it's not taking up any of your free time and you're being taught it by a teacher. Otherwise you end up having to re-learn it yourself when you're revising which is not what you want as it's time-consuming, is in your own time, and is doubling the effort.
2. When devising a revision timetable, write all your upcoming exams on a calendar and circle the ones that you feel less confident about. This focuses your mind and efforts on those subjects, instead of putting them off because they're the hardest or your least favourite. You'll need to factor in more sessions for these subjects. It's better if you do this rather than your parents as it's the first step to engaging with a revision plan.
3.Then plan a series of 1-hour revision sessions, making sure you also plan in downtime, usual activities you do inside/outside the home, ie football, gaming etc. It's important to realise that if you plan properly you will still have time to do all the things you usually enjoy doing.
If you are an early bird, plan a couple of sessions first thing in the morning so you have your afternoons and/or evenings free. If you like to sleep in, plan your sessions for when you get up so your mornings and evenings are free.
It will help you if you see big spaces in your day for fun or gaming and so you don't feel revision is taking over all your spare time. Share your plan with your parents so they know not to disturb you during your 1-hour revision sessions, or nag you about not revising when you're having fun.
4. Each 1-hour revision session is structured as follows:
30 mins revising (not re-learning if you have followed point 1) This is the time your brain is absorbing information and the maximum time it can do this effectively before becoming saturated. Leave your phone outside the room where you are revising so there are no distractions. It's only an hour and then you can pick it up again and catch up on anything you've missed.
5 mins break This is the time when your brain is storing the information you've absorbed and filing it away. Down all tools, but stay in the same revision space to keep you focussed. Move around the room. Kick a ball, throw screwed up paper into a bin, play an instrument. Moving is key as it re-energises the blood flow to the brain.
20 mins testing This time is spent strengthening the recall pathways so that when the content comes up in the exam your brain knows where to go to retrieve the information. Use exam questions, online tests, anything to force you to retrieve and test the information you've learnt in the session.
5 mins summary This time is spent writing notes or revision cards for later use and looking at before you sit the exam. If you have completed the other stages properly, they're not for revision but just to remind your brain that the information is stored in there and where to retrieve it.
End of revision session If you have planned your timetable, you should have something fun and interesting to do now. And you can get your phone and catch up on all the messages and events you missed over the past hour (there will be fewer than you think!)
Leave a minimum of 1 hour between revision sessions, but if you plan your revision well and start well before your exams, you could have longer.