It's that time of year when some of us are preparing for exams all over again. Now I'm not going to lie I only figured out how to revise in my last year of school; Now I'm really please with my A-level results but part of me wishes I'd worked it out earlier as now I can see that with some hard work I could have done so much better in earlier years. So here are the techniques I used to get myself working and to kick butt in my exams!
1. Create a workspace.
Whether it's the kitchen table, your desk or the floor you need a place just for working. It helps if you can leave your revision out in this place so that each day you can pick up from where you left off; you don't need to look through all the revision you have to do which can be discouraging and you can't use organising your work to procrastinate.
2. Find your soundtrack.
Personally, I can't work in silence but music can put me in the wrong mood so I listened to Friends (yes, the TV show). Find whatever works best for you: music, TV or silence. These days you can fins coffee shop noises and nature soundtrack online. It needs to be something that won't distract (I've seen friends loads of time so I don't need to listen) and that puts you in the working mood.
3. Make a timetable or plan.
Here are two things to try. A timetable: where you write a timed plan with how long your are going to work and rest; this is great if you need a set structure. For me this didn't work because whenever I had a day when I couldn't stick to my strict plan I felt like I was failing. So I chose to go with a plan: this was basically a to do list of revision jobs that I worked through, great if you like crossing things off a list.
4. Post-its, Posters and cheat sheets.
My house is still covered in math formulas even now. Post-its: stick them on cupboards and by your mirrors so every time you use everyday objets you can read them. Writing out posters can help you remember things plus give you a colourful illustrations of how you remember and link things together. Cheat sheets are great for subjects like maths; You just make a sheet full of formulas or clues so even though they help you still have to remember things yourself.
5. Practice! Practice! Practice!
Past papers are a god send! You can usually print them off from the website of the exam board. Not only does the practice help secure the information in your head but it also gives you an idea of what the exam will be about.
6. Keep track.
Keep a record of how you're doing; this can help highlight areas where you need to practice and give you confidence to see that you're improving. I used an Excel sheet to track my maths revision and it was a great help. So I've made one which you can customise to your exams! Download it at the bottom of this post.
7. Start Early.
If you're on study leave just get up and go. Start before you can find a reason not to. This also means you'll be done quicker, so in the evening you can relax and have fun without feeling guilty.
8. If you're stressing, step back.
If something is making you majorly stressed, like you just can't get something to work, get the hell out of there. Once you're stressed, of course you can't get it so stop yourself worrying before you convince yourself you're gonna fail. Go relax for a bit then come back with a clear head and you'll do just fine.
9. Get some exercise.
Get some fresh air, your blood pumping and your muscles moving. It will clear your head and stop you going crazy, trust me.
10. Don't just revise.
Now one way to guarantee that you go crazy is to sit a revise from the day you start to your last exam. If you have a weekend job, don't stop. Your boss will probably understand if you don't want to work a day or two before an exam but it's good to have other things going on. Go to the cinema, do something fun, see some friends, it will be good for you and your friends if they're also revising.
I hope some of these tips helped or motivated you to get going.
Don't worry so long as you try your best, you'll do great!
(Hit the download button when the new tab has loaded. It looks a lot neater when opened in the excel programme. Get tracking and get going!)
Thanks for reading!
Love Sorcha
xoxo
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