Top 10 Tips for Revising Effectively!

Many people dread having to revise, struggle finding the time, space or even energy to do so. From my experience as a neurodivergent person who is currently working towards A-levels, I have compiled some tips which I hope will be useful.

1. Removing any distractions: Using study timers such as Flora or Study Bunny is a great way to avoid distractions from messages from friends or doom scrolling on tiktok - These apps allow you to get something out of the time you spend revising while also making sure you don’t get distracted!
2. Study environment: Having the right study environment is crucial to revising effectively. Places such as your bed or a sofa can hinder your progress as closer to exams you may correlate your safe space with stress and anxiety. Instead, why not try revising at a desk, kitchen counter, dining room table or even a cafe.
3. Atmosphere: Having a nice calming atmosphere when revising can help more than you may think! For example: Having lofi music and warm toned lighting may help ease some anxiety around working, meanwhile harsh lighting and heavy sounding music may enhance that feeling.
4. Finding what revision method works for you: If you are like me and struggle with the standard set in stone methods to revising, I may have some alternatives for you. Firstly, the usual methods: Flashcards, Blabbing, Mindmaps and Practise papers. The methods I usually prefer to use are as follows: Note formats (having a section for notes, key terms and active recall - you can find some examples on my Knowunity Profile under note making), The elaborate method (Speaking to a friend/teddy bear/pet about a topic and having them say ‘elaborate’ when you pause or having a recording of someone saying this), Colour-coded mind maps (First start by writing down what you know by heart on a mindmap, then fill in the gaps with red and highlight what you need to go over).
5. Little but often: Many people will either cram last minute or overwork themselves with long heavy revision sessions. Instead, try the pomodoro technique, 25 minutes of revision followed by a 5 minute break. Revising little but often will allow you to process the information easier.
6. Struggling with topics: Whether you missed a topic in class, Stuggle to read your writing or simply need a different way of viewing the information- Try searching this topic on knowunity. If you are unable to find it- maybe try requesting a note on our Content Requests Chat
7. Motivation: Many of us will struggle with finding the motivation to study, I recommend the 5 minute approach. Choose a subject/topic and tell yourself to only do 5 minutes, if after those 5 minutes you are not in the flow then switch to a different subject/topic, if you are in the flow then keep going. Sometimes we have off days and it’s important to allow yourself to rest.
8. Breaks: Using your breaks in between revision is super important. Rather than scrolling through social media or watching videos, try something else. Such as: Doodling on a page, daydreaming listening to music, Grabbing a drink and snack, maybe even playing a level of your favourite video game. Try to do something which won’t make you obliged to further procrastinate your revision while also giving your mind a rest.
9. Timetable: Some people find this useful while others may dislike this. Making a revision timetable can be very helpful for building a routine, you can find many templates online for this.
10. Staying organised: Remaining organised is essential for your revision journey. I recommend: After school-using active recall for what you have learnt that day, colour coding your subjects, Having a space on your desk to keep each of your topic notes when they aren’t needed in class.

I hope this may be helpful for some of you, best of luck with your revision!

-Theo