2. REVISION TRAPS
1. Cramming
2. Re-reading and highlighting (on its own)
3. Procrastinating
4. Looking it up online
5. Believe in learning styles
6. Multitasking
3. DO….
• Switch off your phone
• Take breaks
• Use a list or plan
• Don’t use the internet
• Yes or no: test
8. REVISE THINGS MORE THAN ONCE
• Repeat and repeat:
This is the Ebbinghaus
forgetting curve
Editor's Notes
Slow because this is definitely not a quick fix. This will take time and work
1/ you’ll get too tired before your exam and do less well… it doesn’t stick for long… it increases anxiety….
2/ you’re not really revising, you don’t know what has ‘stuck’ really its just colouring in… takes time, you deceive yourself you know wstuff when you don’t,
3/ Get started!
4/ How do you know you have the right answer? How long will it take you to find the right answer? Distraction and cat videos
5/ there is no evidence that people have learning styles. You may prefer something doesn’t mean you only learn that way or indeed that other ways aren’t at least as good, if not better.
6/ you don’t concentrate
7/
If your family are involved then you will feel less isolated and have people to talk to or at least people who can help you if you wish.
Parents/guardians can help. They want to help.
They can do testing with you, plan cups of tea for you during breaks and by being aware of ‘crunch times’ stay out of your way when its needed!
Ensure it isn’t just favourite subjects and topics and things you like and ALREADY KNOW
So make sure all subjects have an even time overall
Use exam timetable and a list of topics for each subject
Plan regular, active concentrated shots of revision.
Sacrifices have to be made in the next few months
1/ Write out your own concept or mind map onto a blank piece of paper. Then check what you are missing. Revise that… write out another concept map from scratch a few days later
2/ Can get someone else to help (see involving parents and paired revision). Or simply revise for 45-60 minutes, wait an hour, test yourself
3/ there aren’t many still in a lot of GCSE subjects but do as many as you can and HAND THEM IN TO BE MARKED. Feedback from the expert (yourt teacher) is a fantastic way of learning.
actively testing or teaching another person helps you learn. Also revising with a friend can make it less of a chore. (Beware distraction though and keep your phones out of sight)
in a way revision is a depressing task because it is never over until the exam itself is over.
However repeating revision, going back again to something you revised a few weeks ago is a very good way of helping retain information and keeping it in your long term memory